these, because, if you please,
I'll sing of just nothing at all.
Just nothing at all, because, oh, ho!
I'll sing of myself, an old black crow.

As black as a coal and as homely as sin--
What more can I tell you, I pray?
For when you have nothing to sing of, why, then,
Of course there is nothing to say.
Nothing to say at all, oh, ho!
Except goodby to the old black crow--
The rollicking old black crow!

They made a good deal of fuss over Mr. Crow's poem. They applauded, of
course, but they said it wasn't so at all, and that Mr. Crow was a good
deal more than "just nothing." They said that it was he who had got up
this party, and that he was the best man to plan and cook anywhere. Mr.
'Possum said he even liked Mr. Crow's April fool chicken pies, and then
they all remembered and laughed, even to Mr. Crow himself. After that it
was Mr. Squirrel's turn. Mr. Squirrel coughed twice and straightened
his vest before he began, so they knew his poem wasn't to be funny.

THE FOOLISH LITTLE LAD.

BY MR. GRAY SQUIRREL.

Once on a time, the story goes,
A silly squirrel lad
One summer day did run away--
Which made his ma feel bad.

She hunted for him up and down
And round and round she ran--
Alas, that foolish squirrel boy
Was caught by Mr. Man.

For he had tried to climb a tree
As Mr. Man came past.
"I'll make you climb!" said Mr. Man,
And walked home pretty fast.

When he got there a boy came out
As Mr. Man went in.
That silly squirrel soon was put
Into a house of tin.

"Now you can climb!" said Mr. Man,
But when he did he found
That nice tin house, so bright and new,
Turned round and round and round.

And there he climbs and climbs all day
And never seems to stop,
And I have heard my mother say
He'll never reach the top.

When Mr. Squirrel sat down there wasn't a dry eye in the room, and even
Mr. Dog outside was affected. He said he'd seen that poor little
squirrel at Mr. Man's house turning and turning away in his tin wheel,
and felt so sorry for him that two or three times he'd tried to get him
out. He said, though, that Mr. Man had always caught him at it and that
then they didn't get on well for a day or two. He was so tender-hearted,
though, he said, that he couldn't help pitying the little fellow,
climbing and climbing all day long and never getting anywhere. Mr.
'Possum shivered, and said it reminded h