Project Gutenberg's The Rubaiyat of a Persian Kitten, by Oliver Herford

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Title: The Rubaiyat of a Persian Kitten

Author: Oliver Herford

Release Date: January 12, 2008 [EBook #24258]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The
Rubaiyat
of a
Persian Kitten

By
Oliver Herford

[Illustration]

New York . Charles Scribner's Sons
Mcmvi

Copyright, 1904, by
Oliver Herford

The De Vinne Press.

The Rubaiyat of a
Persian Kitten

Wake! for the Golden Cat has put to flight
The Mouse of Darkness with his Paw of Light:
Which means, in Plain and simple every-day
Unoriental Speech--The Dawn is bright.

[Illustration]

They say the Early Bird the Worm shall taste.
Then rise, O Kitten! Wherefore, sleeping, waste
The Fruits of Virtue? Quick! the Early Bird
Will soon be on the Flutter--O make haste!

[Illustration]

The Early Bird has gone, and with him ta'en
The Early Worm--Alas! the Moral's plain,
O Senseless Worm! Thus, thus we are repaid
For Early Rising--I shall doze again.

[Illustration]

The Mouse makes merry 'mid the Larder Shelves,
The Bird for Dinner in the Garden delves.
I often wonder what the creatures eat
One half so toothsome as they are Themselves.

[Illustration]

And that Inverted Bowl of Skyblue Delf
That helpless lies upon the Pantry Shelf--
Lift not your eyes to It for help, for It
Is quite as empty as you are yourself.

[Illustration]

The Ball no question makes of Ayes or Noes,
But right or left, as strikes the Kitten, goes;
Yet why, altho' I toss it Far Afield,
It still returneth--Goodness only knows!

[Illustration]

A Secret Presence that my likeness feigns,