ire,
But tho' it mocks the sounds it hears the bird is still a Lyre.

_(By a Company of Three Particularly Poor Poets.)_

[Illustration: Tiny Child Astride a Giant Emu Egg harnessed to two
Lyre Birds.]

[Page 150--Pussy Land]

Cat Stories

Puss in the Well

Ding dong dell, pussy's in the well!
Who put her in?--little Tommy Lin.
Who pulled her out?--dog with long snout.
What a naughty boy was that
To drown poor pussy cat,
Who never did any harm
But kill'd the mice in his father's barn.

The Singing Cat

A cat came fiddling out of a barn,
With a pair of bagpipes under her arm;
She could sing nothing but fiddle cum fee,
The mouse has married the bumble-bee.
Pipe cat--dance, mouse,
We'll have a wedding at our good house.

Puss in London

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
I frighten'd a little mouse under the chair.

Pussy-Cat and Mousey

Pussy-Cat lives in the servant's hall,
She can set up her back and purr;
The little mice live in a crack in the wall,
But they hardly dare venture to stir;
For whenever they think of taking the air,
Or filling their little maws,
The Pussy-cat says, "Come out if you dare;
I will catch you all with my claws."
Scramble, scramble, scramble, went all the little Mice,
For they smelt the Cheshire cheese,
The Pussy-Cat said, "It smells very nice,
Now do come out, if you please."
"Squeak," said the little Mouse; "squeak, squeak, squeak,"
Said all the little ones too;
"We never creep out when cats are about,
Because we're afraid of you."
So the cunning old Cat lay down on a mat
By the fire in the servants' hall:
"If the little Mice peep, they'll think I'm asleep;"
So she rolled herself up like a ball.
"Squeak," said the little Mouse, "we'll creep out
And eat some Cheshire cheese,
That silly old Cat is asleep on the mat,
And we may sup at our ease."
Nibble, nibble, nibble went all the little mice,
And they licked their little paws;
Then the cunning old Cat sprang up from the mat,
And caught them all with her claws.

Puss in the Pantry

Hie, hie, says Anthony, puss in the pantry
Gnawing, gnawing a mutton, mutton-bone;
See now she tumbles it, see now she mumbles it,
See how she tosses the mutton, mutton-bone,

Dick k