 | [Poems by Cary in] The Poetical Works Of Alice and Phoebe Cary |  |
A LESSON OF MERCY.
A boy named Peter
Found once in the road
All harmless and helpless,
A poor little toad;
Found once in the road
All harmless and helpless,
A poor little toad;
And ran to his playmate,
And all out of breath
Cried, “John, come and help,
And we'll stone him to death!”
And all out of breath
Cried, “John, come and help,
And we'll stone him to death!”
And picking up stones,
The two went on the run,
Saying, one to the other,
“Oh won't we have fun?”
The two went on the run,
Saying, one to the other,
“Oh won't we have fun?”
Thus primed and all ready,
They 'd got nearly back,
When a donkey came
Dragging a cart on the track.
They 'd got nearly back,
When a donkey came
Dragging a cart on the track.
Now the cart was as much
As the donkey could draw,
And he came with his head
Hanging down; so he saw,
As the donkey could draw,
And he came with his head
Hanging down; so he saw,
All harmless and helpless,
The poor little toad,
A-taking his morning nap
Right in the road.
The poor little toad,
A-taking his morning nap
Right in the road.
He shivered at first,
Then he drew back his leg,
And set up his ears,
Never moving a peg.
Then he drew back his leg,
And set up his ears,
Never moving a peg.
Then he gave the poor toad,
With his warm nose a dump,
And he woke and got off
With a hop and a jump.
With his warm nose a dump,
And he woke and got off
With a hop and a jump.
And then with an eye
Turned on Peter and John,
And hanging his homely head
Down, he went on.
Turned on Peter and John,
And hanging his homely head
Down, he went on.
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“We can't kill him now, John,”
Says Peter, “that 's flat,
In the face of an eye and
An action like that!”
Says Peter, “that 's flat,
In the face of an eye and
An action like that!”
“For my part, I have n't
The heart to,” says John;
“But the load is too heavy
That donkey has on:
The heart to,” says John;
“But the load is too heavy
That donkey has on:
“Let 's help him;” so both lads
Set off with a will
And came up with the cart
At the foot of the hill.
Set off with a will
And came up with the cart
At the foot of the hill.
And when each a shoulder
Had put to the wheel,
They helped the poor donkey
A wonderful deal.
Had put to the wheel,
They helped the poor donkey
A wonderful deal.
When they got to the top
Back again they both run,
Agreeing they never
Had had better fun.
Back again they both run,
Agreeing they never
Had had better fun.
| [Poems by Cary in] The Poetical Works Of Alice and Phoebe Cary | |