ll as the best,
Dropped a handful of snowflakes into the oriole's empty nest.

--_Anon._

THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat;
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the moon above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love!
What a beautiful Pussy you are--
You are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the owl, "You elegant fowl!
How wonderfully sweet you sing!
Oh, let us be married--too long we have tarried--
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away for a year and a day
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood, a piggy-wig stood
With a ring in the end of his nose--
His nose,
With a ring in the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined upon mince and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon,
And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon--
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

--_Edward Lear._

FORGET-ME-NOT.

When to the flowers so beautiful the Father gave a name
Back came a little blue-eyed one, all timidly it came;
And, standing at the Father's feet and gazing in His face
It said, in low and trembling tones and with a modest grace,
"Dear God, the name Thou gavest me, alas, I have forgot."
The Father kindly looked Him down and said, "Forget-me-not."

--_Anon._

WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST.

"To-whit! To-whit! To-whee!
Will you listen to me?
Who stole four eggs I laid,
And the nice nest I made?"

"Not I," said the cow, "moo-oo!
Such a thing I'd never do.
I gave you a wisp of hay,
But I did not take your nest away:
Not I," said the cow, "moo-oo!
Such a thing I'd never do."

"Bob-o-link! Bob-o-link!
Now, what do you think?
Who stole a nest away
From the plum tree to-day?"

"Not I," said the dog, "bow-wow!
I wouldn't be so mean, I vow.
I gave some hairs the nest