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ExUbris ELVAH KARSHNEH
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CHILDREN'S BOOK COLLECTION
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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
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THE
DUCKS AND THE FROGS, TALE OF THE BOGS. BY FANNY FIRE-FLY. With Engravings by Hartwell, from Designs by
Billings.
BOSTON: JOSEPH H. FRANCIS. M
DCCC XLIX.
Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by ALOJCZO HARTWELL, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Entered according
WHITE & POTTER,
to
'
i.
Printers,
A.
WOOD
HARTWKLL. K N
(} 11
A V
Littleton, Ma-s.
3:
W. WILCOX,
Elet-tn
t\
chanced upon a certain day,
When
cheerful
Summer, bright
and gay,
Had
brought once more her
of flowers,
To
dress
anew her pleasant bowers
When birds Made
all
and
insects
;
on the wing
the air with music ring
;
gift
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
8
When
sunshine smiled on dell and knoll,
Two Ducks
set forth to
'Twas morning
Of cooling
stroll.
and each grassy bank
dew had deeply drank
young flower was holding up sweet and freshly painted cup,
Each Its
;
take a
fair
Filled with bright
dew
drops, every one
Gay, sparkling treasures for the sun,
Who
bears
them
Holds them Till
lightly to the sky,
as vapor far
on high,
with his rays in dazzling
The rainbow on the cloud he But our two Ducks
tints,
paints.
we'll not forget,
They were not troubled by the wet
;
They rambled on, and soon they took
The path
that led
them
to a brook,
;
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
Whose With The
11
sparkling waters danced along,
a gushing, rushing, rippling song.
ramblers,
Stepped
down
They loved
when they reached to bathe,
the brink,
and take a drink.
to frolic, dive
and dash
Beneath the water with a splash.
They washed and smoothed each
Then
said,
As moving
"let's
glossy feather.
have a swim together
" !
gracefully, they went,
They heard loud tones of sad lament.
They
listened,
and did sharply look
For cause of woe
And
;
soon espied beneath some bushes,
Among
A A
in that sweet brook
the reeds and
company
tall,
green rushes,
of long-faced Frogs,
delegation from the bogs
;
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
12
Sitting with their up-turned faces,
In attitudes to please the Graces,
Around
A
a stone, on which was speaking
member
of this grave marsh meeting.
The Ducks were
pleased
;
they
knew them
For very often they did
call
At that sweet brook,
hear them sing
They thought
their
to
And now, " said they, " we will draw For much they wished to see and hear this fuss
And
received
;
near,"
and noise about,
So joined the party to find
The Frogs
all,
music quite the thing.
"
What was
-
out.
them with a smirk,
gave their hands with nervous jerk.
Bowing and smiling in return, The Ducks prepared themselves
to learn
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
From what
the Orator might say,
The cause of all
Now
15
their friends' dismay.
the chief speaker in this scene,
Dressed in a suit of bottle green,
Folding his arms across his breast,
Again the meeting thus addressed
"My
And must But I
be brief in
as these
wish
We
:
" I'm rather friends," said he, hoarse,
to
my
discourse
Ducks have joined our band,
have them understand
have not come
To break
To waken
to this fair spot,
the peace or hatch a plot
But we have met
to
form a plan
in the heart of
man,
Pity for our sad condition.
We
;
would present a grave
petition,
;
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
16
Beseeching of the
men who
rule,
That we, lone dwellers of the
May
pool,
be permitted to reside
In safety, with our scanty
We humbly
tribe.
say there's no occasion,
To send an army
of invasion
Into our loved and quiet bogs,
To murder happy, harmless Frogs. Take our own dear sons and daughters, Drag them from
their winter quarters,
Then, when no heart with pity melts,
To
cut
them up
Think what Caught and
To take
To
as food for smelts
!
a very shocking fate, killed,
and used as
those harmless
bait,
little fishes
multiply man's dainty dishes."
THE DUCKS AND FROGS. this sentence spoke,
Now,
as the
Each
brother gave a solemn croak.
Frog
The gentleman
Was
in bottle-green
quite exhausted
by
his
theme
;
He paused
a moment, wiped his brow
Then
"I think you will allow
said,
We've been a persecuted Since
first
There
is,
Where
And By
all
told,
;
race,
on earth we had a
I'm
17
place.
a land called France,
the people sing and dance
they acquire their easy grace
living
on our helpless race
And though 'Tis this that
I say
it
;
with a sigh,
makes them
all so spry."
Puffing for breath, the speaker stopped
And
quickly from the stone he hopped.
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
18
The Ducks, while
Had At
felt their
listening to this tale,
very hearts turn pale.
length, the largest of the two,
A handsome
Drake, in green and blue,
Arose, and opening wide his beak,
Bowed, coughed, and then began "
to speak.
Neighbors, I'm not a coward bird
But the sad
Would
story I have heard,
cause the boldest one to quake,
And makes my
every feather shake.
I like the plan that
To
write a
And
list
you propose,
of these your woes,
ask for mercy from these
But havo If stated I think
it
men
;
done by some smart pen
by some able
your fortunes
;
writer,
may be
brighter."
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
21
Just at this moment, up there sprung
A
Frog quite
one so young
pert, for
;
Said he, " I vote for emigration, 'Twill save us all this botheration
" !
Our proud Drake turned, in great surprise, While grave rebuke flashed from his eyes. Said he, "
To
see
it
makes
young
my
blood run cold,
folks so smart
There's not a Duckling of
That would presume
Young
sir, I
and
my
And
till
rude
;
will a lesson give, live
:
your counsel others seek,
then think twice before you speak
For you, the elders of I
brood,
to be thus
That may be useful while you
Wait
bold.
hope you here will
this tribe,
still reside.
!
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
22
In every pleasant brook and marsh, You'll meet with cares and
trials
harsh
;
If you'll but try to be contented,
Much
My
that's
lady
wrong
Duck and
will be prevented. I
'tis
plain,
Are wiser than when here we came.
We
thought our
When
was very hard,
shut within the poultry yard
Although
With
lot
'tis
large,
water, and
and well supplied
all else
beside
For happiness and comfort
Yet much we wished
Our wings
And
We He
;
for
are clipped,
this too costs us
too,
something new.
we cannot
many
fly,
a sigh.
seldom pass our owner's gate, keeps his poultry rather straight.
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
We
should not have been out to-day,
But Duck and
And
And
I just
we came
as
Fretful
We
23
we
felt,
ran away
to bathe this
morn,
and quite forlorn
thought our lot in all
;
life
;
so sad,
our troubles quite too bad.
Could we have got our brood away,
We
had quit town
this very day.
As gloomily we stepped The
air
was
From happy
filled
with
creatures,
along,
many
a song
gay and bright,
Rejoicing in the morning light.
The dew,
o'er flowers
and
trees
Like diamonds pure, in drops
was
it
flung,
hung
;
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
24
All nature seemed reproaching us,
For making
dismal
all this
But we grew calmer
Of all
For
we walked,
these cheering things
And hearing
Much
as
all
your
fuss.
griefs
we
talked.
and
sighs,
better feelings did arise.
let
me
you, friends and brothers,
tell
Listening to the woes of others,
And
pitying their deep distress,
Will ever make our own seem
Then Patience
less.
whispers, (pray regard her,)
Your
lot
Now,
gossips, I
am
Our Ducklings
too
though hard, might
still
be harder.
tired of speaking,
we must be seeking
;
THE DUCKS AND FROGS. Although
To
see
And
it
makes our
heart-strings quiver,
yon bright and pleasant
hearing
its
25
river
;
cool waters splashing,
We long beneath
them
to
be dashing.
Yet we must
close this visitation,
And without
farther hesitation,
Resist our very strong desire,
And cheerful
to
our homes
Our kindest wishes So,
now good
rest
retire.
with you,
friends, we'll bid adieu."
The Ducks then smoothed each
And
gracefully walked off together.
The Frogs with courtesy
And
ruffled feather,
arose,
stretched themselves high on their toes
;
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
26
And so
far
They gave
Then
conquered
all their fears,
their friends three parting cheers
as they
sank upon the grass,
This resolution they did pass "
Here, now, before
we
We pledge ourselves, With
patience
and
;
:
separate,
to bear
our fate
if ill betide,
We'll try to find some brighter
Our homes with
And
!
side.
cheerful tones shall ring,
over every care we'll spring."
They stopped
;
each folded his green dress
About him with much cheerfulness Shook hands
all
round, and
said "
Then merrily they hopped away.
;
good day,"
THE DUCKS AND FROGS.
When And Out
these bright people all were gone,
I sat
musing quite
alone,
of this their simple preaching,
Came Each
the lesson they'd been teaching. reader too can see
little
What
Tis
seems so very clear to me.
this
:
that dark-browed Discontent
Must from our
hearts be quickly sent
Whate'er may be our daily
Think
A
29
all is well,
generous
;
lot,
and grumble not
;
pity feel for all,
And
charity for great
One
other hint
That children
we
all
and
small.
also find,
should bear in mind,
THE DUCKS
30
Treat aged people
With
reverence
;
strangers too, it is
Take warning from
And keep
A:ND FROGS.
their due.
that
Frog
so young,
a bridle on the tongue
These teachings seem so very
We hope they
!
plain,
are not given in vain.
BOSTON<
> JOSEPH.H.rRANCIS <