Verse and Prose for Beginners in Reading Part 13

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.

"BREAK, BREAK, BREAK!"

Break, break, break, On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!

And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me.

Oh, well for the fisherman's boy, That he shouts with his sister at play!

Oh, well for the sailor lad, That he sings in his boat on the bay!

And the stately s.h.i.+ps go on To their haven under the hill; But oh, for the touch of a vanished hand, And the sound of a voice that is still!

Break, break, break, At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!

But the tender grace of a day that is dead Will never come back to me.

THE ARROW AND THE SONG.

I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong, That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.

PROVERBS AND POPULAR SAYINGS.

Love me little, love me long, Is the burden of my song.

Many a true word is spoken in jest.

Many hands make light work.

Money is a good servant, but a bad master.

My mind to me a kingdom is.

Never be weary of well doing.

No cross, no crown.

No man can serve two masters.

No news is good news.

No smoke without some fire.

Not worth a pin.

Of two ills choose the least.

One cannot be in two places at once.

One good turn demands another.

THE TABLE AND THE CHAIR.

Said the Table to the Chair, "You can hardly be aware How I suffer from the heat And from chilblains on my feet.

If we took a little walk, We might have a little talk; Pray let us take the air,"

Said the Table to the Chair.

Said the Chair unto the Table, "Now, you know we are not able: How foolishly you talk, When you know we cannot walk!"

Said the Table with a sigh, "It can do no harm to try.

I've as many legs as you: Why can't we walk on two?"

So they both went slowly down, And walked about the town With a cheerful b.u.mpy sound As they toddled round and round; And everybody cried, As they hastened to their side, "See! the Table and the Chair Have come out to take the air!"

But in going down an alley, To a castle in a valley, They completely lost their way, And wandered all the day; Till, to see them safely back, They paid a Ducky-quack, And a Beetle, and a Mouse, Who took them to their house.

Then they whispered to each other.

"O delightful little brother, What a lovely walk we've taken!

Let us dine on beans and bacon."

So the Ducky and the leetle Browny-Mousy and the Beetle Dined, and danced upon their heads Till they toddled to their beds.

THE OWL.

I.

When cats run home and the light is come And dew is cold upon the ground, And the far-off stream is dumb, And the whirring sail goes round, And the whirring sail goes round; Alone and warming his five wits, The white owl in the belfry sits.

II.

When merry milkmaids click the latch, And rarely smells the new-mown hay, And the c.o.c.k hath sung beneath the thatch Twice or thrice his roundelay, Twice or thrice his roundelay; Alone and warming his five wits, The white owl in the belfry sits.

THE OWL THE p.u.s.s.y-CAT.

The Owl and the p.u.s.s.y-Cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat: They took some honey and plenty of money Wrapped up In a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar, "O lovely p.u.s.s.y, O p.u.s.s.y, my love, What a beautiful p.u.s.s.y you are, You are, You are!

What a beautiful p.u.s.s.y you are!"

p.u.s.s.y said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl, How charmingly sweet you sing!

Oh, let us be married; too long we have tarried: But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day, To the land where the bong-tree grows; And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood, With a ring at the end of his nose, His nose, His nose, With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one s.h.i.+lling Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."

So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon, The moon, The moon, They danced by the light of the moon.

PROVERBS AND POPULAR SAYINGS.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

Out of debt out of danger.