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POOR little Puff! she certainly was very ill. All day long she tossed and moaned in feverish pain, to the great distress of her good uncle, and the faithful Mrs. Posset. They were very, very anxious about her; but the doctor, who came every day, said that there was no immediate danger, as long as the child slept so well at night. All night long she slept quietly, sometimes smiling in her sleep, and always looking peaceful and happy. Yes, indeed, I flatter myself I had a great deal to do with that. Every night I sat by my little mouse"s pillow, and told stories and sang songs, till my brother Sun came and winked at me through the window, and told me it was not night at all, and I must take myself off and leave the field to him. Stories? dear me, there was no end to them; and you shall have some of them, if you will. Here is one, for example, of which Puff was extremely fond. It was called
THE FLEA.
Once upon a time there was a flea.
Wee wee.
And he hopped, And he hopped, And he hopped.
And as the flea was hopping one day,
He met a mouse, Round the house, And he squeaked, And he squeaked, And he squeaked.
And when the mouse saw the flea, he said to him, "what do you do for a living?" and the flea said "I bite people." Then the mouse said, "as you have lived upon others, others shall live upon you!" So he caught up the flea, and he ate him up. And there was an end of the flea.
But as the mouse was squeaking one day,
He met a cat, Very fat, And she mewed, And she mewed, And she mewed.
And when the cat saw the mouse, she said to him, "what do you do for a living?" And the mouse said,
"I nibble cheese, And eat fleas."
Then the cat said, "As you have lived upon others, others shall live upon you!" So she caught the mouse, and she ate him up. And there was an end of the mouse.
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But as the cat was mewing one day,
She met a dog, Named Gog, And he barked, And he barked, And he barked.
And when the dog saw the cat, he said to her, "what do you do for a living?" And the cat said,
"I eat mice, Because they are nice."
Then the dog said, "As you have lived upon others, others shall live upon you!" So he caught the cat, and he ate her up. And there was an end of the cat.
But as the dog was barking one day,
He met a Chinaman, Ting-Pan.
And he talked, And he talked, And he talked.
And when the Chinaman saw the dog, he said to him, "what do you do for a living?" And the dog said, "I slay the cat, and likewise the rat." Then the Chinaman said, "as you have lived upon others, others shall live upon you!" So he caught the dog, and he cooked him with rice, and ate him up. And there was an end of the dog.
But now, you see, the Chinaman had eaten
The dog, Named Gog, And the cat, Very fat, And the mouse, Round the house, And the flea, Wee wee.
So when he had eaten them all, they all disagreed with him, and he died.
And there was an end of the Chinaman, Ting-Pan.
This was Puff"s favorite story, and I had to tell it at least once every night, and often twice. Then when that was done, she would call for "Michikee Moo." You have never heard that, I"ll warrant, for you do not, most of you, understand the p.a.w.nee dialect, and "Michikee Moo" is a p.a.w.nee ballad. The Indian mammas sing it to their pappooses, as they rock them in their bark cradles under the trees, in the western forests.
I had to translate it into English, of course, for Puff; so here it is.
MICHIKEE MOO.
AN INDIAN BALLAD.
Whopsy Whittlesy Whanko Whee, Howly old growly old Indian he, Lived on the hill of the Mungo-Paws, With all his pappooses and all his squaws.
There was Wah-wah-bocky, the Blue-nosed Goose, And Ching-gach-gocky, the Capering-Moose; There was Peeksy Wiggin, and Squawpan too, But the fairest of all was Michikee Moo.
Michikee Moo, the Savoury Tart, Pride of Whittlesy Whanko"s heart.
Michikee Moo, the Cherokee Pie, Apple of Whittlesy Whanko"s eye.
Whittlesy Whanko loved her so That the other squaws did with envy glow.
And each said to the other "Now what shall we do To spoil the beauty of Michikee Moo?"
"We"ll lure her away to the mountain top, And there her head we will neatly chop!"
"We"ll wile her away to the forest"s heart, And shoot her down with a poisoned dart!"
"We"ll "tice her away to the river side, And there she shall be the Manitou"s bride!"
"Oh! one of these things we will surely do, And we"ll spoil the beauty of Michikee Moo!"
"Michikee Moo, thou Cherokee Pie, Away with me to the mountain high!"
"Nay, my sister, I will not roam; I"m safer and happier here at home,"
"Michikee Moo, thou Savoury Tart, Away with me to the forest"s heart!"
"Nay, my sister, I will not go; I fear the dart of some hidden foe."
"Michikee Moo, old Whittlesy"s pride, Away with me to the river-side!"
"Nay, my sister, for fear I fall.
And wouldst thou come if thou heardst me call?"
"Now choose thee, choose thee thy way of death, For soon thou shalt draw thy latest breath.
We all have sworn that to-day we"ll see The last, fair Michikee Moo, of thee!"
Whittlesy Whanko, hidden near, Each and all of these words did hear.
He summoned his braves, all painted for war, And gave them in charge each guilty squaw.
"Take Wah-wah-bocky, the Blue-nosed Goose!
Take Ching-gach-gocky, the Capering Moose!
Take Peeksy Wiggin, and Squawpan too, And leave me alone with my Michikee Moo!
This one away to the mountain-top, And there her head ye shall neatly chop.
This one away to the forest"s heart, And shoot her down with a poisoned dart.
This one away to the river-side, And there let her be the Manitou"s bride.
Away with them all, the woodlands through.
For I"ll have no squaw save Michikee Moo!"
Away went the braves, without question or pause, And they soon put an end to the guilty squaws; They pleasantly smiled when the deed was done, Saying "Ping-ko-chanky! oh! isn"t it fun?"
And then they all danced the Buffalo dance, And capered about with ambiguous prance; While they drank to the health of the lovers so true, Brave Whittlesy Whanko and Michikee Moo.
"I wish I had an Indian doll, Mr. Moonman!" said Fluff one night, after I had sung this ballad to her. "A little pappoose! it would be so nice!"