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Cock Robin and Jenny Wren 11

Now they all sat or stood
To eat and to drink;
And every one said what
He happened to think;
They each took a bumper,
And drank to the pair:
Cock Robin, the bridegroom,
And Jenny Wren, the fair.

The dinner-things removed,
They all began to sing;
And soon they made the place
Near a mile round to ring.
The concert it was fine;
And every bird tried

Who best could sing for Robin
And Jenny Wren, the bride.

Then in came the Cuckoo,
And he made a great rout;
He caught hold of Jenny,
And pulled her about.
Cock Robin was angry,
And so was the Sparrow,
Who fetched in a hurry
His bow and his arrow.

His aim then he took,
But he took it not right;
His skill was not good,
Or he shot in a fright;
For the Cuckoo he missed,
But Cock Robin killed!-
And all the birds mourned
That his blood was so spilled.

Anonymous.

THE BURIAL OF POOR COCK ROBIN.

Hо killed Cock Robin?

WHO

"I," said the Sparrow,
"With my bow and arrow;

And I killed Cock Robin."

Who saw him die?

"I," said the Fly,
"With my little eye;
And I saw him die.”

Who caught his blood?
"I," said the Fish,
"With my little dish;
And I caught his blood."

Who made his shroud?
"I," said the Beetle,
"With my little needle;
And I made his shroud."

Who will be the parson?
"I," said the Rook;
"With my little book;
And I will be the parson."

Who will dig his grave? "I," said the Owl,

"With my spade and shovel; And I'll dig his grave."

The Burial of Poor Cock Robin 13

Who will be the clerk?
"I," said the Lark,

"If 'tis not in the dark;

And I will be the clerk."

Who'll carry him to the grave?
"I," said the Kite,

"If 'tis not in the night;

And I'll carry him to the grave."

Who will be chief mourner?
"I," said the Dove,

"Because of my love;

And I will be chief mourner."

Who will sing a psalm?
"I," said the Thrush,
As she sat in the bush;
"And I will sing a psalm."

Who will bear the pall?
"We," said the Wren,

Both the Cock and the Hen;
"And we will bear the pall."

Who will toll the bell?
"I," said the Bull,

"Because I can pull;"

And so Cock Robin farewell.

All the birds of the air
Fell to sighing and sobbing
When they heard the bell toll
For poor Cock Robin.

Anonymous.

O

OVER IN THE MEADOW.

VER in the meadow,

In the sand, in the sun, Lived an old mother-toad And her little toadie one. "Wink!" said the mother; "I wink," said the one: So she winked and she blinked, In the sand, in the sun.

Over in the meadow,

Where the stream runs blue, Lived an old mother-fish

And her little fishes two. "Swim!" said the mother; "We swim," said the two: So they swam and they leaped, Where the stream runs blue..

Over in the meadow,

In a hole in a tree, Lived a mother bluebird

And her little bluebirds three. 66 Sing!" said the mother;

66

We sing," said the three; So they sang and were glad, In the hole in the tree.

Over in the meadow,

In the reeds on the shore, Lived a mother-muskrat

And her little muskrats four.

Over in the Meadow

"Dive!" said the mother;

"We dive," said the four:
So they dived and they burrowed,
In the reeds on the shore.

Over in the meadow,
In a snug beehive,
Lived a mother-honey bee

And her little honeys five. "Buzz!" said the mother;

"We buzz," said the five: So they buzzed and they hummed, In the snug beehive.

Over in the meadow,

In a nest built of sticks,

Lived a black mother-crow

And her little crows six. "Caw!" said the mother; "We caw," said the six: So they cawed and they called, In their nest built of sticks.

Over in the meadow,

Where the grass is so even, Lived a gay mother-cricket

And her little crickets seven. "Chirp!" said the mother; "We chirp," said the seven: So they chirped cheery notes, In the grass soft and even.

Over in the meadow,

By the old mossy gate, Lived a brown mother-lizard

And her little lizards eight.

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