The Rose into the Tulip's ear
Murmured: "The Lily is a sight;
Don't you believe she powders, dear,
To make herself so saintly white?
She takes some trouble, it is plain,
Her reputation to sustain."
Said Tulip to the Lily white:
"About the Rose—what do you think?—
Her color? Should you say it's quite—
Well, quite a natural shade of pink?"
"Natural!" the Lily cried. "Good Saints!
Why, everybody knows she paints!"
Oliver Herford
DA THIEF
Eef poor man goes
An' steals a rose
Een Juna-time—
Wan leetla rose—
You gon' su'pose
Dat dat's a crime?
Eh! w'at? Den taka look at me,
For here bayfore your eyes you see
Wan thief dat ees so glad an' proud
He gona brag of eet out loud!
So moocha good I do, an' feel
From dat wan leetla rose I steal,
Dat eef I gon' to jail to-day
Dey could no tak' my joy away.
So, lees'en! here ees how eet com':
Las' night w'en I am walkin' home
From work een hotta ceety street,
Ees sudden com' a smal so sweet
Eet maka heaven een my nose—
I look an' dere I see da rose!
Not wan, but manny, fine an' tall,
Dat peep at me above da wall.
So, too, I close my eyes an' find
Anudder peecture een my mind;
I see a house dat's small an' hot
Where manny pretta theengs is not,
Where leetla woman, good an' true,
Ees work so hard da whole day through,
She's too wore out, w'en com's da night,
For smile an' mak' da housa bright.
But, presto! now I'm home an' she
Ees settin' on da step weeth me.
Bambino, sleepin' on her breast,
Ees nevva know more sweeta rest,
An' nevva was sooch glad su'prise
Like now ees shina from her eyes;
An' all baycause to-night she wear
Wan leetla rose stuck een her hair.
She ees so please'! Eet mak' me feel
I shoulda sooner learned to steal.
Eef "thief's" my name
I feel no shame;
Eet ees no crime—
Dat rose I got.
Eh! w'at? O! not
Een Juna-time!
T. A. Daly