hman, an old story!
What shall I say?
I know none.
Little chickens! little chickens!
Sing me a song!
What can I sing?
Pyong! Pyong!

The Cock did say:
"I use alway
To crow both first and last,
Like a postle I am,
For I preache to man,
And tell hym the nyght is past."

THE APE AND THE COCKATOO

Said an ape in the Zoo
To a white cockatoo:
"Your beak is uncommonly strong!"
Said the white cockatoo
To the ape in the Zoo,
"And your tail is excessively long!"

Said the ape in the Zoo
To the white cockatoo:
"Remarks are exceedingly rude!
And you must look out,
And see what you're about,
Or I'll seize and run off with your food!"

Then the white cockatoo
Really furious grew,
And shouted as loud as he could:
"You black-faced Wanderoo![B]
With your white whiskers, too,
Do you think to insult me is good?"

'Tween the ape in the Zoo
And the white cockatoo
Then furious battle ensued,
And the cockatoo bit
The ape into a fit,
And the ape snatched the cockatoo's food.

[B] An ape is a Wanderoo in Ceylon.

Sweet Amaryllis by a spring's
Soft and soul-melting murmurings
Slept, and thus sleeping thither flew
A robin red-breast, who, at view,
Not seeing her at all to stir,
Brought leaves and moss to cover her.
But while he perking there did pry,
About the arch of either eye,
The lid began to let out day,
At which poor robin flew away,
And seeing her not dead, but all disleaved,
He chirp'd for joy to find himself deceived.

THE OBSTINATE CHICKEN

_Hen_
"Go not down that distant walk;
Yonder flies the savage hawk;
His sharp eyes will quickly meet you,
If you go I'm sure he'll eat you."

_Chicken_
"Nasty hawk is far away,
I may safely go and play;
If he comes my legs will bring
Me beneath your sheltering wing."

So it skipped off in a trice,
Scorning mother's good advice;
And when it thought at home to sup,
Down came the hawk and gobbled it up.

Lords and knights, I do invite
Ladies and gentlemen,
To come unto the burial
Of my wee brown hen.

My wee brown hen,
They might have let her be,
Every day she laid an egg,
On Sunday she laid three.

SOUTHERN INDIAN SONGS