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THE KING of the crocodiles.

"Now, woman, why without your veil ?
And wherefore do you look so pale ?
And, woman, why do you groan so sadly,
And wherefore beat your bosom madly?"

"Oh, I have lost my darling boy,

In whom my soul had all its joy;

And I for sorrow have torn my veil,

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And sorrow hath made my very heart pale.
"Oh, I have lost my darling child,
And that's the loss that makes me wild;
He stooped by the river down to drink,
And there was a Crocodile by the brink.
"He did not venture in to swim,

He only stooped to drink at the brim ;
But under the reeds the Crocodile lay,

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And struck with his tail and swept him away. 16

"Now take me in your boat, I pray, For down the river lies my way,

And me to the Reed Island bring,

For I will go to the Crocodile King.

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"He reigns not now in Crocodilople,
Proud as the Turk at Constantinople;
No ruins of his great city remain ;
The Island of Reeds is his whole domain.

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"Like a dervise there he passes his days, Turns up his eyes, and fasts and prays;

And being grown pious and meek and mild,
He now never eats man, woman, or child.

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"The King of the Crocodiles never does wrong,
He has no tail so stiff and strong,
He has no tail to strike and slay,
But he has ears to hear what I say.
"And to the King I will complain
How my poor child was wickedly slain;
The King of the Crocodiles he is good,
And I shall have the murderer's blood."
The man replied, "No, woman, no;
To the Island of Reeds I will not go;
I would not for any wordly thing
See the face of the Crocodile King."

"Then lend me now your little boat,
And I will down the river float,
I tell thee that no worldly thing
Shall keep me from the Crocodile King.

"The King of the Crocodiles he is good,
And therefore will give me blood for blood;
Being so mighty and so just,

He can revenge me, he will, and he must."

The woman she leapt into the boat,

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And down the river alone did she float,

And fast with the stream the boat proceeds,

And now she is come to the Island of Reeds.

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The King of the Crocodiles there was seen;
He sat upon the eggs of the Queen,
And all round, a numerous rout,

The young Prince Crocodiles crawled about.

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The woman shook every limb with fear
As she to the Crocodile King came near,
For never a man without fear and awe
The face of his Crocodile Majesty saw

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She fell upon her bended knee,
And said, "O King, have pity on me,
For I have lost my darling child,
And that's the loss that makes me wild.

"A crocodile ate him for his food:
Now let me have the murderer's blood;
Let me have vengeance for my boy,
The only thing that can give me joy.

"I know that you, sire, never do wrong,
You have no tail so stiff and strong,

You have no tail to strike and slay,
But
you have ears to hear what I say."
"You have done well," the king replies,
And fixed on her his little eyes;

"Good woman, yes, you have done right;
But you have not described me quite.

"I have no tail to strike and slay,
And I have ears to hear what you say;

I have teeth, moreover, as you may see,
And I will make a meal of thee."

Wicked the word, and bootless the boast,
As cruel King Crocodile found to his cost,
And proper reward of tyrannical might;
He show'd his teeth, but he miss'd his bite.
"A meal of me!" the woman cried,
Taking wit in her anger, and courage beside;
She took him his forelegs and hind between,
And trundled him off the eggs of the Queen.

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To revenge herself then she did not fail:

He was slow in his motions for want of a tail;
But well for the woman was it the while

That the Queen was gadding abroad in the Nile.92

Two Crocodile Princes, as they play'd on the sand,
She caught, and grasping them one in each hand,
Thrust the head of one into the throat of the other,
And made each Prince Crocodile choke his brother. 96

And when she had trussed three couple this way,
She carried them off and hasten'd away,

And plying her oars with might and main,
Crossed the river and got to the shore again.

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When the Crocodile Queen came home, she found
That her eggs were broken and scatter'd around,
And that six young princes, darlings all,
Were missing; for none of them answered her call.

Then many a not very pleasant thing

Pass'd between her and the Crocodile King; "Is this your care of the nest ?" cried she;

"It comes of your gadding abroad," said he.

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The Queen had the better in this dispute,
And the Crocodile King found it best to be mute;
While a terrible peal in his ears she rung,
For the Queen had a tail as well as a tongue.

In woful patience he let her rail,

Standing less in fear of her tongue than her tail,

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And knowing that all the words which were spoken
Could not mend one of the eggs that were broken. 116

The woman, meantime, was very well pleased,
She had saved her life, and her heart was eased;
The justice she asked in vain for her son,
She had taken herself, and six for one.

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"Mash-Allah!" her neighbours exclaim'd in delight,
She gave them a funeral supper that night,
Where they all agreed that revenge was sweet,
And young Prince Crocodiles delicate meat.

R. SOUTHEY.

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DELAY.

TO-MORROW cheats us all. Why dost thou stay
And leave undone what should be done to-day?
Begin the present minute's in thy power;
But still t' adjourn, and wait a fitter hour,
Is like the clown, who at some river's side,
Expecting stands, in hopes the running tide
Will all ere long be past-Fool! not to know
It still has flowed the same, and will for ever flow.
J. HUGHES.

THE ANT AND THE CATERPILLAR.

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As an Ant, of his talents excessively vain,
Was trotting, with consequence, over the plain,
A worm in his progress remarkably slow,
Cry'd-"Bless your good worship, wherever you go;
I hope your great mightiness won't take it ill,
I pay my respects with a hearty good will."
With a look of contempt and impertinent pride,
"Begone, you vile reptile," (his antship replied);
"Go, go, and lament your contemptible fate,
But first look at me, see my limbs how complete :
I guide all my motions with freedom and ease,
Run backward and forward and turn when I please. 12
Of nature (grown weary) you shocking essay,

I spurn you thus from me-crawl out of my way.”

The reptile insulted, and vext to the soul,

Crept onwards, and hid himself close in his hole;
But nature, determined to end his distress

Soon sent him abroad in a butterfly's dress.

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