As a faithful friend to share it;

To be with him night or day, Ever ready when he calleth,

When he biddeth, to obey.

To obey with will instinctive,

Which can neither fail nor swerve;

Asking for his faithful duty

Only love and leave to serve.

Only crumbs below his table;

Little only from his much; Words or looks of kind approval, Or the hand's electric touch.

Of the dog in ancient story

Many a pleasant tale is told;As when young Tobias journeyed To Ecbatane of old,

By the angel Raphael guided;

Went the faithful dog and good, Bounding through the Tigris meadows

Whilst they fished within the flood;

Ate the crumbs which at the wedding

Fell upon Raguel's floor;

Barked for joy to see the cattle
Gathered for the bridal store;

Barked for joy when young Tobias,
With his bride and all her train,

And the money-bags from Media,
Left for Nineveh again.

And when Anna in the doorway

Stood to watch and wait for him,Anxious mother! waiting, watching

Till her eyes with tears were dim,—

Saw she not the two men coming,
Young Tobias and his guide,
Hurrying on with their good tidings,
And the Dog was at their side!

They were coming dowered with blessings,
Like the Tigris' boundless flood,
And the Dog with joyous barking

Told the same as best he could.

Laughing at the nestling parrots
As they looked out by scores,
Playing bo-peep with their mothers
At the old tree-nursery doors.

"What cypress-berries and beech-nuts
And cockle-burrs grew there!
You may search all England over,
And find none anywhere.

But that was a luckless day

When you came there with your gun; To us there was nothing to laugh at,

For it made an end of the fun.

"You men and women are laughing,

You say,

'How the Parrot can chatter!'

But I can tell you, good people,

To us 'twas a serious matter.

"Folks do not understand parrots,

Nor the love they have for each other;

And there you shot us by dozens:

You shot my father and mother.

"You shot us, brothers and sisters,

Uncles, and aunts, and cousins,

And loving and friendly neighbours,—
You shot them down by dozens.

"You set all hearts a-beating;

For we, who are not afraid

Of the thunder and lightning of heaven,
By the sound of a gun are dismayed.

"What a time of terror it was!

What wailing was heard, and what crying,

What circling round in distress,

What settling down by the dying!

"One cannot forget such sorrow ;

Even you, overcome by the sight,

Said you could not and would not shoot parrots: And you kept your word for that night.