142 COUNT EBERHARD. 125. COUNT EBERHARD. FOUR counts together sat to dine, The Margrave talked of healthful springs, Count Eberhard sat silent there- There must be something good and fair "In healthful springs and purple wine," "But you shall hear a simple tale : One night I lost my way And down to sleep I lay. "And there I dreamed that I was dead, "And men and women stood beside And shedding many tears, they cried COUNT EBERHARD. "A tear upon my face fell down, "A woodman 'mid the forest-shade The princes sat, and wondering heard, Translated from Zimmerman. ANON. 143 126. THE ORPHAN. My mother, does thy gentle eye The vesper bell !-'tis eventide, Earth's meanest flower, heaven's mightiest star, Are equal to their Maker's love: And I can say "Thy will be done,' With eyes that fix their hopes above. L. E. LANDON. 144 THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. 127. THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. HAMELIN town's in Brunswick, By famous Hanover city; The river Weser, deep and wide, A pleasanter spot you never spied ; From vermin, was Rats! pity. They fought the dogs, and killed the cats, And ate the cheeses out of the vats, And licked the soup from the cook's own ladles, And even spoiled the women's chats, At last the people in a body To the Town-hall came flocking: "Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy; And as for our corporation-shocking To think we buy gowns, lined with ermine THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. Rouse up, Sirs! Give your brains a racking, To find the remedy we're lacking, Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!" An hour they sate in council, At length the Mayor broke silence: It's easy to bid one rack one's brain- Just as he said this, what should hap Looking little, though wondrous fat; Nor brighter was his eye, nor moister Than a too-long-opened oyster, Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous For a plate of turtle green and glutinous) "Only a scraping of shoes on the mat ? Anything like the sound of a rat Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!" "Come in!"-the Mayor cried, looking bigger: 145 146 THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. But lips where smiles went out and in- Had walked this way from his painted tomb-stone !" He advanced to the council-table: And, "Please your honours," said he, "I'm able, To match with his coat of the self-same cheque And his fingers, they noticed, were ever straying As if impatient to be playing Upon his pipe as low it dangled Over his vesture so old-fangled.) "Yet," said he, "poor piper as I am, In Tartary I freed the Cham Last June from his huge swarms of gnats; Of a monstrous brood of vampyre bats : Will you give me a thousand guilders ?" |