Unknowing what the rogue had done,
The youth went on his way,

And reached his weary journey's end

Just at the close of day.

He showed the dame his magic goat,

And told her of his power;

"Good sooth!" he cried, "'t was well for us The Northwind stole the flour!"

"I much misdoubt," the dame replied,
"Your wondrous tale is true;
'T is little good, for hungry folk,
Your silly goat can do!"

"Good Master Bill!" the lad exclaimed,
"Make money!” — but, alas ! -
'T was nothing but a common goat,
And nothing came to pass!

Then to the Northwind, angrily,
He sped with might and main ;
"Your foolish goat is good for naught;
I want my flour again!"

"I have it not," the Northwind growled,
66 Nor can I give you aught,
Except this cudgel, — which, indeed,
A magic charm has got ;

"For you have but to tell it this:

'My cudgel! - hit away!'

And, till you bid it stop again,

The cudgel will obey!”

Returning home, he stopt at night
Where he had lodged before;

And feigning to be fast asleep,
He soon began to snore.

And when the host would steal the staff,
The sleeper muttered, "Stay,
I see what you would fain be at ;
Good cudgel! - hit away!"

The cudgel thumped about his ears,
Till he began to cry,

66

"O stop the staff, for mercy's sake! Or I shall surely die!”

But still the cudgel thumped away

Until the rascal said,

"I'll give you back the cloth and goat, O spare my broken head!”

And so it was the lad reclaimed

His table-cloth and goat;

And, growing rich, at length became

A man of famous note;

He kept his mother tenderly,

And cheered her waning life;

And married

as you may suppose

A princess for a wife;

And while he lived, had ever near,

To favor worthy ends,

A cudgel for his enemies,

And money for his friends!

THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT.

A HINDOO FABLE.

I.

T was six men of Indostan

IT We

To learning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind.

II.

The First approached the Elephant,

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:

"God bless me!— but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

III.

2

The Second, feeling of the tusk,

Cried: "Ho! - what have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Thus boldly up and spake :

I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a snake!"

V.

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,

And felt about the knee.

"What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he; "'T is clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!"

VI.

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,

Said: "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!”

VII.

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

VIII.

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL.

So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen !

THE TREASURE OF GOLD.

A LEGEND OF ITALY.

I.

A BEAUTIFUL story, my darlings,

Though exceedingly quaint and old,

Is a tale I have read in Italian,
Entitled, The Treasure of Gold.

II.

There lived near the town of Bologna

A widow of virtuous fame, Alone with her only daughter, Madonna LUCREZIA by name.

III.

A lady whom changing fortune
Had numbered among the poor;

And she kept an inn by the wayside,
For the use of peasant and boor.

IV.

One day at the door of the tavern
Three roving banditti appeared,

And one was a wily Venetian,
To guess by his curious beard.