Читать книгу The Nursery, October 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 4 - Various - Страница 3
THE SINGING MOUSE
ОглавлениеHave you ever heard of singing mice? There are such creatures, you must know, or you will not believe what my verses will tell you. Yes, indeed: it was only the other day that I heard of one that was kept in a little cage, like those used for squirrels, and sang so delightfully that her owner used to have her by his bedside to charm him to sleep. She was a wood-mouse. Wood-mice are the best singers. Whether the one about which you shall hear came from the woods or not, I cannot say; nor how she happened to be in my friend C.'s house: but there she certainly was; and this is the story of what she did there. I call it,
SERENADE
A certain friend William I have, who's so nice,
He's charming to every one,—even to mice.
You ask how I know it? Well, listen: I'll tell
Of something which proves it, that lately befell.
One night, when young William was snugly in bed,
A very queer notion came into his head.
He woke from his slumbers, quite sure that he heard
The musical warbling of some little bird.
He listened a moment: all silent, and then
The sweet little songster was singing again.
A lamp, dimly burning, gave light in the room:
Will raised his head softly, and peered through the gloom.
The door was wide open; and there, on the sill
(It's true, on my word: let them doubt it who will),
A mite of a mousie sat singing away
As sweetly as bobolink on a June day.
Erect on her haunches, her head in the air;
That Pussy might catch her she seemed not to care,
But sang till her sweet serenade was quite done;
Then ran away swiftly as mousie could run.
Now, said I not truly, that Willy's so nice,
He's charming to every one,—even to mice?
S. C. R.
