Читать книгу Verse and Worse - Graham Harry - Страница 16

Inhabitants of far Japan

Are happy as the day is long

To sit behind a paper fan

And sing a kind of tuneless song,

Desisting, ev'ry little while,

To have a public bath, or smile.

The members of the fairer sex

Are clad in a becoming dress,

One garment reaching from their necks

Down to the ankles more or less;

Behind each dainty ear they wear

A cherry-blossom in their hair.

If 'Imitation's flattery'

(We learn it at our mother's lap),

A flatterer by birth must be

Our clever little friend the Jap,

Who does whatever we can do,

And does it rather better too.

Be happy all the time, and plan

To wash as often as you can.