are,
And some day I'd be sailing with the wind before my prow,
And all the mermaids of the sea would clamber up the bow.
They'd beckon me with laughter,
They'd beckon me with smiles,
They'd show me cakes and candies
In half a dozen styles,
They'd promise me a life of ease
Eating sweets beneath the seas,
They'd promise me a life of play--
A never ending holiday;
But I would say quite plainly,
And, oh, how stern I'd look!
Do you think that you can tempt me
While Sally is our cook?

If I were a little fire balloon
I'd float aloft to Mars,
I'd pay a call on Venus
And chatter with the stars,
And just as I'd be fluttering across the yellow moon,
The angels would come singing a solemn Sunday tune.
They'd beckon to me gravely,
They'd tell me I could stay,
They'd show me all the jewels
That pave the milky way.
They'd promise me a golden crown
And silver robes like eider-down,
They'd give me harps with shiny strings
And wonderfully fluffy wings;
BUT--I would tell them plainly
I didn't want to die--
Till all the angel cooks had learned
How Sally makes mince pie!

SONGS FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE

Bundles

A bundle is a funny thing,
It always sets me wondering;
For whether it is thin or wide
You never know just what's inside.

Especially on Christmas week,
Temptation is so great to peek!
Now wouldn't it be much more fun
If shoppers carried things undone?

The Candy Santa Claus

I'm very fond of candles
With their quaint coquettish way,
But alas! I wooed too often,
And now my life's to pay.

They knew I was important
When they decked the Christmas tree,
Yes, they hung me on the tip-top
For all the world to see.

But, alas! A lady candle
Has come with me to the top,
And I'm melting with affection,
I'm dying drop by drop.

The Tinsel Star

I'm just a shiny tinsel star,
Boxed all the time as such things are,
And only used just once a year,
Oh, life is very dull and drear!

A real star has far fields to roam,
A tinsel star must stay at home.
It is a terrible vexation
To be a silly imitation!

The Ambitious Mouse

If all the world were candy
And the sky wer