Читать книгу The Nursery, February 1873, Vol. XIII. - Various - Страница 2

"This is our grand menagerie,

Beneath the crooked cherry-tree.

The exhibition now begins:

Admittance, only thirteen pins;

And if the pins you cannot borrow,

Why, then, we'll trust you till to-morrow.

Don't be afraid to walk inside:

The animals are safely tied.

"This is the elephant on the right:

Don't meddle with him, or he'll bite.

(He's Rover, Neddie's dog, you know.

I wish he wouldn't fidget so!

He doesn't think it fun to play

Wild beast, and be chained up all day.)

We'll feed him, pretty soon, with meat;

Though grass is what he ought to eat.

"In that box are the kangaroos:

Go near and pat them if you choose;

(They're very much like Susie's rabbits,

With just a change of name and habits.)

You'll find them lively as a top:

See, when I poke them, how they hop.

They are not fierce; but, oh! take care:

We now approach the grizzly bear.

"See her long claws, and only hear

Her awful growl when I go near!

We found her lying on a rug,

And just escaped her fearful hug.

It took some time to get her caged:

She's terrible when she's enraged.

(You think, perhaps, it's Mabel's cat,

But don't you be too sure of that!)

"Here is the ostrich in her pen

(It's Ernest's little bantam-hen):

She came from Africa, of course,

And runs as fast as any horse;

And up above there is a bird

Of whom you all have often heard,—

The eagle ('That is not,' says Mary,

'A pretty name for my canary')."

Just at this point, I grieve to say,

The elephant broke quite away,

O'erthrew the grizzly bear in rage,

Upset the eagle in his cage,

Flew at the kangaroos, and then

Attacked the ostrich in her pen.

Thus ended Jack's menagerie

Beneath the crooked cherry tree!