OH, yes, the Wolf is bad, it's true; But how with-out him could we do? If there were not a wolf, what good Would be the tale of RID-ING-HOOD? The Lit-tle Child from sin will fly When told the wick-ed Wolf is nigh; And when, ar-rived at Man's es-tate, He hears the Wolf out-side his gate, He knows it's time to put a-way I-dle fri-vol-i-ty and play. That's how (but do not men-tion it) This prim-er hap-pened to be writ.
An Ostrich
THIS is an Os-trich. See him stand: His head is bur-ied in the sand. It is not that he seeks for food, Nor is he shy, nor is he rude; But he is sen-si-tive, and shrinks And hides his head when-e'er he thinks How, on the Gains-bor-ough hat some day Of some fine la-dy at the play, His fea-thers may ob-struct the view Of all the stage from me or you.
The Hippopotamus
"OH, say, what is this fearful, wild In-cor-ri-gible cuss?" "This _crea-ture_ (don't say 'cuss,' my child; 'T is slang) – this crea-ture fierce is styled The Hip-po-pot-am-us. His curious name de-rives its source From two Greek words: _hippos_ – a horse, _Potamos_ – river. See? The river's plain e-nough, of course; But why they called that thing a horse, That's what is Greek to me."
The Fly
OB-SERVE, my child, the House-hold Fly, With his ex-traor-di-na-ry eye: What-ev-er thing he may be-hold Is mul-ti-plied a thou-sand-fold. _We_ do not need a com-plex eye When we ob-serve the Household Fly: He is so vol-a-tile that he In _ev-ery_ place at once can be; He is the buzz-ing in-car-na-tion Of an-i-mate mul-ti-pli-ca-tion. Ah! chil-dren, who can tell the Why And Where-fore of the House-hold Fly?