Part 28 (1/2)

Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree, The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

Now, what from the egg shall we see?

A beautiful bird.

Bird from the egg, Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

Now, what on the bird may be?

A beautiful feather.

Feather on the bird, Bird from the egg, Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadow Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.

Now, what from the feather will be?

A beautiful bed.

Bed from the feather, Feather from the bird, Bird from the egg, Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadow Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.

Now, what in that bed may be?

A beautiful child.

Child in the bed, Bed from the feather, Feather from the bird, Bird from the egg, Egg from the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadow Standeth a fine pear tree, The fine pear tree hath leaves, too, And on it these things all be.

c.o.c.k-ALU AND HEN-ALIE

BY MARY HOWITT

In this tale is shown to you How large the boast of c.o.c.k-alu; But, when he comes to act, you'll see Small hope indeed for Hen-alie; And thus you clearly will perceive That who has great things to achieve Must not stand talking but must do, Else he will fail like c.o.c.k-alu.

For he who would perform the most Will utter no vainglorious boast; But still press onward, staunch and true, With but the honest end in view.

c.o.c.k-alu and Hen-alie sat on the perch above the bean-straw. It was four o'clock in the morning, and c.o.c.k-alu clapped his wings and crowed; then, turning to Hen-alie, he said: ”Hen-alie, my little wife, I love you better than all the world, you know I do. I always told you so! I will do anything for you; I'll go round the world for you, I'll travel as far as the sun for you! You know I would! Tell me, what shall I do for you?”

”Crow!” said Hen-alie.

”Oh, that is such a little thing!” said c.o.c.k-alu, and crowed with all his might. He crowed so loud that he woke the farmer's wife, and the dog and the cat, and all the pigeons and horses in the stable, and the cow in the stall. He crowed so loud that all the neighbors' c.o.c.ks heard him and answered him, and they woke all their people; and thus c.o.c.k-alu woke the whole parish.

”I've done it rarely this morning!” said c.o.c.k-alu; ”I told you I would do anything to please you!”

The next morning, at breakfast, as Hen-alie was picking beans out of the bean-straw, one stuck in her throat; and she was soon so ill that she was just ready to die.

”Oh, c.o.c.k-alu,” said she, calling to him in the yard, where he stood clapping his wings in the suns.h.i.+ne, ”run and fetch me a drop of water from the silver-spring in the Beech-wood! Fetch me a drop quickly, while the dew is in it; for that is the true remedy.”

But c.o.c.k-alu was so busy crowing against a neighbor that he took no notice.

”Oh, c.o.c.k-alu, do run and fetch me the water from the silver-spring, or I shall die; for the bean sticks in my throat, and nothing but water with dew in it can cure me! Oh, c.o.c.k-alu, dear, run quickly!”