How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower!
How skillfully she builds her cell!
How neat she spreads her wax!
And labors hard to store it well With the sweet food she makes.
In works of labor or of skill, I would be busy too; For Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.
In books, or work, or healthful play, Let my first years be past, That I may give for every day Some good account at last.
A MORNING SONG
My G.o.d, who makes the sun to know His proper hour to rise, And to give light to all below, Doth send him round the skies.
When from the chambers of the east His morning race begins, He never tires, nor stops to rest, But round the world he shines.
So, like the sun, would I fulfill The business of the day: Begin my work betimes, and still March on my heavenly way.
Give me, O Lord, thy early grace, Nor let my soul complain That the young morning of my days Has all been spent in vain.
A CRADLE HYMN
Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber!
Holy angels guard thybed!
Heavenly blessings without number Gently falling on thy head.
Sleep, my babe; thy food and raiment, House and home, thy friends provide; All without thy care or payment, All thy wants are well supplied.
How much better thou"rt attended Than the Son of G.o.d could be, When from heaven He descended, And became a child like thee!
Soft and easy is thy cradle; Coa.r.s.e and hard thy Saviour lay, When His birthplace was a stable, And His softest bed was hay.
Lo, He slumbers in His manger, Where the horned oxen fed; Peace, my darling, here"s no danger, Here"s no ox a-near thy bed.
Mayst thou live to know and fear Him, Trust and love Him all thy days; Then go dwell forever near Him, See His face, and sing His praise!
LEWIS CARROLL
JABBERWOCKY
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimbel in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Banders.n.a.t.c.h!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought-- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O Frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimbel in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM
"You are old, father William," the young man said "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?"
"In my youth," father William replied to his son, "I feared it might injure the brain; But now that I"m perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again."
"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- Pray, what is the reason of that?"
"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks, "I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box-- Allow me to sell you a couple?"
"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-- Pray, how did you manage to do it?"
"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife; And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw Has lasted the rest of my life."
"You are old," said the youth; "one would hardly suppose That your eye was as steady as ever; Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- What made you so awfully clever?"
"I have answered three questions, and that is enough,"
Said his father; "don"t give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I"ll kick you downstairs!"
THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER