ll all swam away.

At eve almost starved
When all other means fail,
He was right glad to sup
On a poor little snail.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE BLACKAMOOR AND HER
MISTRESS.

A foolish young lady,
Took one of her maids,
Who chanced to be black
As the ace of spades,
And said she'd have her washed white,
By the other maids;
She was put in a tub,
And with water and towels
Her skin they did rub,
Through a long summer day till the night;
But the more they did rub her,
The blacker she got;
And while they did scrub her,
She mourned her hard lot.
So the maids threw away
All their labor and care,
And the mistress gave up
Her fine scheme in despair.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE BEAR AND THE GARDENER.

A bear and gardener,
Who mutually tired
Of solitary life,
And were inspired,
With a warm friendship for each other,
Promised to be to one another,
Excellent friends, and so they were.
As for the death of the poor man
I'll tell you how it happened,
If I can.
The bear watching the gardener in his sleep--
Beholding on his head a fly,
And thinking it bad company,
Took up a stone and dropped it down,
Upon the fly 'tis true,
But broke the gardener's crown.

MORAL.

To make our fortunes or to mend,
A most malignant enemy
Is better than a foolish friend.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE VULTURES AND THE
PIGEONS.

The wing'd inhabitants of air
Waged on a time a direful war.
Not those, in budding groves who sing,
To usher in the amorous spring;
Nor those, with Venus' car who fly
Through the light clouds and yielding sky
But the rapacious vulture brood,
With crooked beak that thirsts for blood,
And iron fangs. Their war, 'tis said,
For a dog's carrion corse was made.
Shrill shrieks resound from shore to shore;
The earth beneath is sanguin'd o'er;
Versed in the science to destroy,
Address and valor they employ.
'Twould take a hundred tongues to tell,
The heroes from the air who fell.
The dovecote race, a gentle nation,
Made offers of their mediation.
Prudent ambassadors are sent;
The vultures with the terms content,
Agree their guarantee to take,
And armistice and treaty make.
This kind desire to interfere,
Cost the poor peace-makers full dear.
To rapine bred, the ruthless crew,
Nor gratitude nor faith who knew,
On the defenceless pigeons fall,
And shortly had devoured them all.

MORAL.

When tyrants from the