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The Frog

BE kind and tender to the Frog,

And do not call him names,

As "Slimy-skin," or "Polly-wog,"
Or likewise "Uncle James,"

Or "Gape-a-grin," or "Toad-gone-wrong,"
Or "Billy Bandy-knees ":
The Frog is justly sensitive.
To epithets like these.

No animal will more repay

A treatment kind and fair,

At least so lonely people say
Who keep a frog (and, by the way,

They are extremely rare).

Hilaire Belloc.

Ode to a Rhinoceros

RHINOCEROS, your hide looks all undone,

You do not take my fancy in the least:

You have a horn where other brutes have none :
Rhinoceros, you are an ugly beast.

Hilaire Belloc.

An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog

OOD people all, of every sort,

Give ear unto my song;

And if you find it wondrous short,—
It cannot hold you long.

In Islington there was a man,
Of whom the world might say,
That still a godly race he ran,—
Whene'er he went to pray.

A kind and gentle heart he had,
To comfort friends and foes;
The naked every day he clad,-
When he put on his clothes.

And in that town a dog was found,
As many dogs there be,

Both mongrel, puppy, whelp and hound,

And curs of low degree.

This dog and man at first were friends;
But when a pique began,

The dog, to gain some private ends,
Went mad, and bit the man.

Around from all the neighbouring streets
The wondering neighbours ran,
And swore the dog had lost his wits,
To bite so good a man.

The wound it seem'd both sore and sad

To every Christian eye:

And while they swore the dog was mad,
They swore the man would die.

But soon a wonder came to light,
That show'd the rogues they lied;
The man recover'd of the bite,

The dog it was that died.

Oliver Goldsmith.

History

WHEN good King Arthur ruled this land,

He was a goodly king;

He stole three pecks of barley meal,
To make a bag-pudding.

A bag-pudding the king did make,
And stuff'd it well with plums:
And in it put great lumps of fat,
As big as my two thumbs.

The king and queen did eat thereof,

And noblemen beside;

And what they could not eat that night,
The queen next morning fried.

Old Rhyme.

K

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Do you suppose," the Walrus said, "That they could get it clear?" "I doubt it," said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech.

"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:

We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head-
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,

All eager for the treat:

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed Their shoes were clean and neat

And this was odd, because, you know,

They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,

And yet another four;

And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more—
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

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