On the Tree Top Part 11

The Princess grew, from her very cradle Lovely and witty and good; And at last, in the course of years, had blossomed Into full sweet maidenhood.

And one day, in her father's summer palace, As blithe as the very air, She climbed to the top of the highest turret, Over an old worn stair

And there in the dusky cobwebbed garret, Where dimly the daylight shone, A little, doleful, hunch-backed woman Sat spinning all alone.

"O Goody," she cried, "what are you doing?"

"Why, spinning, you little dunce!"

The Princess laughed: "'Tis so very funny, Pray let me try it once!"

With a careless touch, from the hand of Goody She caught the half-spun thread, And the fatal spindle p.r.i.c.ked her finger!

Down fell she as if dead!

And Goody shrieking, the frightened courtiers Climbed up the old worn stair Only to find, in heavy slumber, The Princess lying there.

They bore her down to a lofty chamber, They robed her in her best, And on a couch of gold and purple They laid her for her rest,

The roses upon her cheek still blooming, And the red still on her lips, While the lids of her eyes, like night-shut lilies, Were closed in white eclipse.

Then the fairy who strove her fate to alter From the dismal doom of death, Now that the vital hour impended, Came hurrying in a breath.

And then about the slumbering palace The fairy made up-spring A wood so heavy and dense that never Could enter a living thing.

And there for a century the Princess Lay in a trance so deep That neither the roar of winds nor thunder Could rouse her from her sleep.

Then at last one day, past the long-enchanted Old wood, rode a new king's son, Who, catching a glimpse of a royal turret Above the forest dun

Felt in his heart a strange wish for exploring The th.o.r.n.y and briery place, And, lo, a path through the deepest thicket Opened before his face!

On, on he went, till he spied a terrace, And further a sleeping guard, And rows of soldiers upon their carbines Leaning, and snoring hard.

Up the broad steps! The doors swung backward!

The wide halls heard no tread!

But a lofty chamber, opening, showed him A gold and purple bed.

And there in her beauty, warm and glowing, The enchanted Princess lay!

While only a word from his lips was needed To drive her sleep away.

He spoke the word, and the spell was scattered, The enchantment broken through!

The lady woke. "Dear Prince," she murmured, "How long I have waited for you!"

Then at once the whole great slumbering palace Was wakened and all astir; Yet the Prince, in joy at the Sleeping Beauty, Could only look at her.

She was the bride who for years an hundred Had waited for him to come, And now that the hour was here to claim her, Should eyes or tongue be dumb?

The Princess blushed at his royal wooing, Bowed "yes" with her lovely head, And the chaplain, yawning, but very lively, Came in and they were wed!

But about the dress of the happy Princess, I have my woman's fears-- It must have grown somewhat old-fas.h.i.+oned In the course of so many years!

JACK AND JILL.

Little boys, sit still-- Girls, too, if you will-- And let me tell you of Jack and Jill; For I think another Such sister and brother Were never the children of one mother!

For an idle lad, As he was, Jack had No traits, after all, that were very bad.

He, was simply Jack, With the coat on his back Patched up in all colors from gray to black.

Both feet were bare; And I do declare That he never washed his face; and his hair Was the color of straw-- You never saw Such a crop--as long as the moral law!

When he went to school, It was the rule (Though 'twas hard to say he was really a fool) To send him at once, So thick was his sconce, To the block that was kept for the greatest dunce.

And Jill! no la.s.s Scarce ever has Made bigger tracks on the country gra.s.s; For her only fun Was to romp and run, Bare-headed, bare-footed, in wind and sun.

Wherever went Jack, Close on his track, With hair unbraided and down her back, Loud-voiced and shrill, She followed, until No one said "Jack" without saying "Jill."

But to succeed In teaching to read Such a harum-scarum, was work indeed!

And I'm forced to tell That her way to spell Her name was with only a single 'l.'

Yet they were content.

One day they were sent To the hill for water, and they went.

They did not drown, But Jack fell down, With a pail in his hand, and broke his crown!

And Jill, who must go And always do Exactly as Jack did, tumbled too!

Just think, if you will, How they rolled down hill-- Straw-headed Jack and bare-footed Jill!

But up Jack got, And home did trot, Nor cared whether Jill was hurt or not; While his poor bruised k.n.o.b Did burn and throb, Tear falling on tear, sob following sob!

He could run the faster, So a paper plaster Had bound up the sight of his disaster Before Jill came; And the thoughtful dame, For a break in _her_ head, had fixed the same.

But Jill came in, With a saucy grin At seeing the plight poor Jack was in; And when she saw That bundle of straw (His hair) bound up with a cloth, and his jaw

Tied up in white, The comical sight Made her clap her hands and laugh outright!

The dame, perplexed And dreadfully vexed, Got a stick and said, "I'll whip her next!"

How many blows fell I will not tell, But she did it in earnest, she did it well, Till the naughty back Was blue and black, And Jill needed a plaster as much as Jack!

The next time, though, Jack has to go To the hill for water, I almost know That bothering Jill Will go up the hill, And if _he_ falls again, why, of course _she_ will!

LITTLE BO-BEEP.

What was Bo-Peep? Can anyone guess?

Why, little Bo-Peep was a shepherdess!