The black cat—look! he leaves his wonted place,

And hark! he speaks: “Then, king of cats am I!

And with this first and last word for good-by,

Up, up the chimney he hath vanished quite.

“Our dear, our good Black Prince!” the children cry;

“We always thought he should be king by right,

But we shall miss him sadly, both by day and night.”

X

The legend saith (I know no more than you,

Reader of fairy lore with fancy fraught),