Part 7 (2/2)

Said the constable, ”you must come out,

”And be tried for your life, For thus killing your wife; In prison, meantime, you'll abide.”

”Oh no, I won't go,”

Cried Punch, and a blow He gave the poor man in his side.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PUNCH, TOBY, AND THE CLOWN.]

Now Punch had a pet Whom we must not forget, A dog known as Toby by name; A clown from a show One day came to know If Punch would not sell him the same.

But Punch would not part From his dog, for his heart (Though a wooden one) to him was true.

He cried, ”Give me a kiss, Dear Toby, I wis I never will sever from you.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: PUNCH AND THE DOCTOR.]

But Jack Ketch comes at last; Punch's frolics are past, There is no one his cause to befriend; His nonsense and fun Are all, alas, done; He has come to a very bad end!

If he were not of wood It would not be good To laugh at the harm he has done; But 'twas only pretence, And there was not much sense In his crimes, or his grief, or his fun.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PUNCH AND JACK KETCH.]

For a great many years, Punch's laughter and tears, Have amused both the child and the man; So I think at the last, For the sake of the past We will keep him as long as we can.

THE PETS.

_THE SHEEP._

The sheep is a very useful animal. Its wool, sheared off, makes us cloth and flannel, and all kinds of woollen goods; and its flesh, called mutton, is a chief part of our food. When sheep are little they are called lambs, and are very playful, pretty creatures.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SHEEP.]

Sheep soon learn to know the voice of their shepherd, and will follow it. In Eastern countries the shepherd walks before his flock, and they are led by his voice. There are dogs called sheep-dogs, which take care of the flocks, and protect the sheep, and keep them together. In some countries these dogs have often to fight with wolves, which attack the sheep and carry them off whenever they can; but the dogs are quite able to keep the wolf away when they are trained to do so.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RABBITS.]

On the Scottish hills the sheep-dog is often obliged to seek his charge in the snow-drifts, and to help get out a poor sheep or lamb which has got buried in it. Sheep love green meadows and pure water. You remember, I dare say, the beautiful Psalm, ”The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I shall lack nothing.”

_RABBITS._

Are the favourite pets of boys. They are merry little creatures, and it is an amusing sight to watch them running over the green turf about their warren, when they are free. They have many enemies, however, such as dogs, foxes, and weasels. But, in spite of their enemies, rabbits live a merry life together.

There are a great many different kinds of tame rabbits; some are white, with pink eyes and long ears. Rabbits have many young ones. One pair will have fifty-six little rabbits in a year. So it is lucky many other creatures feed on them. If they were left to increase, they would soon eat up every stalk of corn and all the green herbs.

The native country of the rabbit is Spain. In the Orkney Islands, where there are great numbers of rabbits, the wild ones are of a grey colour, and in winter time almost white.

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