But vainly they mounted each other's backs, And poked through knot-holes and pried through cracks; He plugg'd the knot-holes and calk'd the cracks; When he chanced to be dry, Stood always nigh, for Darius was sly! And, whenever at work he happen'd to spy At chink or crevice a blinking eye, He let the dipper of water fly: "Take that! an', ef ever ye git a peep, Guess ye'll ketch a weasel asleep!" And he sings as he locks his big strong box: 5. "The weasel's head is small an' trim, 6. An' he is little an' long an' slim, An' quick of motion an' nimble of limb, Keep wide-awake when ye're ketchin' him!" So day after day He stitch'd and tinker'd and hammer'd away, The greatest invention under the sun! "An' now," says Darius, "hooray for some fun!" 7. "Twas the Fourth of July, and the weather was dry, And not a cloud was on all the sky, Save a few light fleeces, which here and there, Half-mist, half-air, Like foam on the ocean went floating by,- 8. "Aint goin' to see the celebration?" Shouldn't wonder 'f you might see me, though, O' this jumpin', thumpin' pain in my head." 9. For all the while to himself he said,"I tell ye what! 10. I'll fly a few times around the lot, To see how it seems, then soon's I've got Over their heads I'll sail like an eagle; I'll balance myself on my wings like a sea-gull; I'll dance on the chimbleys; I'll stand on the steeple; I'll light on the liberty-pole, an' crow; An' I'll say to the gawpin' fools below, 'What world's this 'ere that I've come near?' Fur I'll make 'em b'lieve I'm a chap f'm the Moon; He crept from his bed; And, seeing the others were gone, he said, To open the wonderful box in the shed. 11. His brothers had walk'd but a little way, Ef he hadn't got some machine to try." Then Sol, the little one, spoke: “By darn An' pay him fur tellin' us that yarn!" "Agreed!" Through the orchard they creep back, "While I squint an' see what the' is to see.” 12. As knights of old put on their mail, From head to foot an iron suit, Iron jacket and iron boot, And under the chin the bail (I believe they call'd the thing a helm),— Then sallied forth to overwhelm The dragons and pagans that plagued the realm; Put on his wings and strapp'd them tight,- 13. "Hush!" Reuben said, "he's up in the shed! An' nobody near;— Guess he don'o' who's hid in here! He's riggin' a spring-board over the sill! Of his spring-board, an' teeters to try its strength, Fur to see 'f the' 's any one passin' by, 14. As a demon is hurl'd by an angel's spear, In the midst of the barn-yard, he came down, Broken tail and broken wings, And what was that? Did the gosling laugh? 'Tis a merry roar from the old barn-door, And he hears the voice of Jotham crying: 66 Say, D'rius! how do you like flyin'?" Slowly, ruefully, where he lay, Darius just turn'd and look'd that way, As he stanch'd his sorrowful nose with his cuff. "Wal, I like flyin' well enough," He said; "but the' aint sich a thunderin' sight I just have room for the moral here: On spreading your wings for a loftier flight, QUESTIONS. 1. Define Nasal Quality. 2. Why is it presented only in one form? 3. What Form and Quality do the other parts require ? LESSON XXV. In this and the following lessons "Exercises in Position, Breathing, and Gesture" will be omitted, but they should be practiced, if not daily, at least three times a week. 1. Wreathe flowers for the valiant dead. 2. Breathes there a man with soul so dead? 3. This is the place, the center of the grove. 4. Thou breathest, silent the submissive waves. 5. Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade. |