NS

Now we must name you little creatures,
After your several gifts and natures;
Velvet-skin, thou shalt be;
Softly-Sneaking, call I thee;
This I surname Catch-the-Mouse,
But that one is Thief-o'-th'-House.

They grew up handsome as could be;
Velvet-skin lay on the knee,
Catch-the-Mouse for mice went seeking;
In the barn went Softly-Sneaking;
Thief-o'-th'-House indulged his wishes
'Mid the kitchen plates and dishes.

"What is she doing, Miss Cat?
Is she sleeping, or waking, or what is she at?"
"I am not asleep, I am quite wide awake,
Perhaps you would know what I'm going to make;
I'm melting some butter, and warming some beer,
Will it please you sit down and partake of my cheer?"

Three cats sat at the fireside,
With a basketful of coal dust,
Coal dust! coal dust!
With a basketful of coal dust.
Said one little cat,
To the other little cat,
"If you don't speak, I must;
I must,
If you don't speak, I must."

Here is puss in the study; how cunning she looks!
She likes rats and mice far better than books.
Ah! that poor little mouse, it is out of its pain,
And will never feel pussy's sharp talons again.
I hope it has not left some young ones at home,
Who with hunger may die ere their mother shall come.
And yet 'twould be wrong to say puss is not good,
For the rats and the mice, you know, serve her for food;
And though we may pity the poor little mice,
Yet we don't like to lose our cheese, butter, and rice.

THE COW

Most parts of the cow are useful and good,
For leather, for lanthorns, for candles, or food;
And before she is dead, we owe much to the cow,
Her uses are great--let us think of them now.
Every morning and evening how quiet she stands
When the farmer's boy comes, stool and pail in his hands;
And when he returns with the milk fresh and sweet,
To most little children it proves a great treat.
Mama likes the cream to put into the tea,
And to make us nice puddings some milk there must be;
Then from milk we have butter and cheese too, you know,
So that all these good things we receive from the cow.

The cow has a horn, and the fish has a gill;
The horse has a hoof, and the duck has a bill;
The bird has a wing, that on high he may sail;
And the lion a mane, and the monkey a