Artful Anticks

The Audacious Kitten.

“Hurray!” cried the kitten, “Hurray!” As he merrily set the sails; “I sail o’er the ocean to-day To look at the Prince of Wales!”

“O kitten! O kitten!” I cried, “Why tempt the angry gales?” “I’m going,” the kitten replied, “To look at the Prince of Wales!

“I know what it is to get wet, I’ve tumbled full oft into pails And nearly been drowned--and yet I must look at the Prince of Wales!”

“O kitten!” I cried, “the Deep Is deeper than many pails!” Said the kitten,“I shall not sleep Till I’ve looked at the Prince of Wales!”

“O kitten! pause at the brink, And think of the sad sea tales.” “Ah, yes,” said the kitten, “but think, Oh, think of the Prince of Wales!”

“But, kitten!” I cried, dismayed, “If you live through the angry gales You know you will be afraid To look at the Prince of Wales!”

Said the kitten, “No such thing! Why should he make me wince? If ‘_a Cat may look at a King_,’ A kitten may look at a Prince!”

The Artful Ant.

Once on a time an artful Ant Resolved to give a ball, For tho’ in stature she was scant, She was not what you’d call A shy or bashful little Ant. (She was not shy at all.)

She sent her invitations through The forest far and wide, To all the Birds and Beasts she knew, And many more beside. (“You never know what you can do,” Said she, “until you’ve tried.”)

Five score acceptances came in Faster than she could read. Said she: “Dear me! I’d best begin To stir myself indeed!” (A pretty pickle she was in, With five-score guests to feed!)

The artful Ant sat up all night, A-thinking o’er and o’er, How she could make from nothing, quite Enough to feed five-score. (Between ourselves I think she might Have thought of that before.)

She thought, and thought, and thought all night, And all the following day, Till suddenly she struck a bright Idea, which was--(but stay! Just what it was I am not quite At liberty to say.)

Enough, that when the festal day Came round, the Ant was seen To smile in a peculiar way, As if--(but you may glean From seeing tragic actors play The kind of smile I mean.)

From here and there and everywhere The happy creatures came, The Fish alone could not be there. (And they were not to blame. “They really could not stand the air, But thanked her just the same.”)

The Lion, bowing very low, Said to the Ant: “I ne’er Since Noah’s Ark remember so Delightful an affair.” (A pretty compliment, although He really wasn’t there.)

They danced, and danced, and danced, and danced; It was a jolly sight! They pranced, and pranced, and pranced, and pranced, Till it was nearly light! And then their thoughts to supper chanced To turn. (As well they might!)

Then said the Ant: “It’s only right That supper should begin, And if you will be so polite, Pray take each other in.” (The emphasis was very slight, But rested on “_Take in_.”)

They needed not a second call, They took the hint. Oh, yes, The largest guest “took in” the small, The small “took in” the less, The less “took in” the least of all. (It was a great success!)

As for the rest--but why spin out This narrative of woe?-- The Lion took them in about As fast as they could go. (And went home looking very stout, And walking very slow.)

And when the Ant, not long ago, Lost to all sense of shame, Tried it again, I chance to know That not one answer came. (Save from the Fish, who “could not go, But thanked her all the same.”)

The GIFTED ANT.

A gifted ant, who could no more Than keep starvation from her door, Once cast about that she might find An occupation to her mind.

An ant with active hands and feet Can, as a rule, make both ends meet. Unhappily, this was not quite The case with her of whom I write.

“Since I am gifted,” she’d explain, “I ought to exercise my brain. The only thing for me, it’s clear, Is a professional career!”

But no profession could she find, Until one day there crossed her mind The proverb bidding sluggards gaze Upon the ant to learn her ways.

“The very thing!” she cried. “Hurray! I’ll advertise without delay. Things are come to a pretty pass, If I can’t teach a sluggard class!”

She set to work without delay, And wrote some cards that very day; And hung them in the grass--a plan To catch the sluggard’s eye. They ran