 | A merry-go-round of song |  |
63
A TALE OF THE TREES
Long ago, when Dame Nature had settled the bees
And the blossoms in union, she turned to the trees
For a change.
And the blossoms in union, she turned to the trees
For a change.
She discovered them met in a place like a park,
To complain very much at the absence of bark
From their trunks.
To complain very much at the absence of bark
From their trunks.
If the truth must be told, when the trees first began,
They were started in life on a sensible plan,
For their good;
They were started in life on a sensible plan,
For their good;
With a coating to keep them unhurt and serene
In their work of uplifting an ocean of green
To the blue.
In their work of uplifting an ocean of green
To the blue.
But the sun was so thumpingly hot, that in pride
They unbuttoned their bark, and conveyed it aside
To a heap,
They unbuttoned their bark, and conveyed it aside
To a heap,
Where it shrivelled and mouldered, till Autumn again
Bid the trees to remember the thunder and rain
In the wilds.
Bid the trees to remember the thunder and rain
In the wilds.
They decided to heed this grandmotherly charge;
But the clothes had got small and their waists had got large
In the sun!
But the clothes had got small and their waists had got large
In the sun!
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As they drew themselves in, and attempted to fit
The bark to their bosoms, by bit and by bit
It grew less;
The bark to their bosoms, by bit and by bit
It grew less;
Till at last it all tumbled to pieces, and lay
For the frolicsome ants to explore in their play
Or their work.
For the frolicsome ants to explore in their play
Or their work.
Then the agonised trees in their fury began
To consider the question, Who started the plan
Of undress?
To consider the question, Who started the plan
Of undress?
So the oak blamed the beech, and the beech from his place
Leaned across till he slapped the big oak in the face
With a branch!
Leaned across till he slapped the big oak in the face
With a branch!
Next the pigeons took sides in the hullabaloo,
And persistently cried, It was yoo! It was yoo-oo!
It was yoo-oo-ooo!
And persistently cried, It was yoo! It was yoo-oo!
It was yoo-oo-ooo!
And the magpies assembled in hundreds, to see
What was best to be done to enrage every tree
Rather more!
What was best to be done to enrage every tree
Rather more!
But if Nature was watching, she wisely declined
All at once to convey a new coating of rind
To the trees;
All at once to convey a new coating of rind
To the trees;
For she feared, if she took them at once from their pain,
That in August the spendthrifts might vex her again
As before.
That in August the spendthrifts might vex her again
As before.
So in May, when her million and million of bees
Were in love with the honey, she turned to the trees
For a change.
Were in love with the honey, she turned to the trees
For a change.
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She discovered them met in a place like a park,
To prepare and to sign a petition for bark
On their trunks.
To prepare and to sign a petition for bark
On their trunks.
So she wrought, in a workshop no mortal can reach,
Such a slaty-grey jerkin to give to the beech
For his own!
Such a slaty-grey jerkin to give to the beech
For his own!
With a leathery tunic of durable grey
She delighted the poplar and sent him away
In repair.
She delighted the poplar and sent him away
In repair.
To the muscular oak she presented with joy
A remarkable cassock of tough corduroy
Of the best.
A remarkable cassock of tough corduroy
Of the best.
For the sake of the cherry such genius was spent
That her blouse was a mingling of colour and scent,
As you see.
That her blouse was a mingling of colour and scent,
As you see.
Now the elm and the ash and the quince and the pear
And the bullace and medlar and hornbeam were there
For a gift,
And the bullace and medlar and hornbeam were there
For a gift,
With the willow and apple and holly and lime,
And the rest of the trees. (You will learn them in time,
I daresay!)
And the rest of the trees. (You will learn them in time,
I daresay!)
There she toiled till she almost felt ready to drop!
But she loved them so much that she hated to stop
In her task.
But she loved them so much that she hated to stop
In her task.
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Thus she dressed them in tunics and cassocks and coats,
And dismissed them to wave over barley and oats
In the fields.
And dismissed them to wave over barley and oats
In the fields.
When she thought she had done, she discovered a birch
That was standing behind her, as tall as a church,
Or a tower.
That was standing behind her, as tall as a church,
Or a tower.
“But, my darling!” cried Nature, “the pieces of stuff
That remain in my workroom are hardly enough
For your skirt!
That remain in my workroom are hardly enough
For your skirt!
“'Tis a shame! But, my love, I'm too weary to match
What your sisters have got. Would you mind a big patch
Here and there?”
What your sisters have got. Would you mind a big patch
Here and there?”
“Not a bit!” said the Birch. “What I dread is the cold
In my bones when the hurricane roars on the wold
All the night,
In my bones when the hurricane roars on the wold
All the night,
“And so long as I'm snug, not a fig shall I mind
If you patch me in front of my frock, or behind,
Rest assured.”
If you patch me in front of my frock, or behind,
Rest assured.”
“Such a sensible girl,” quoth the Goddess, “shall wear
In the patches a stuff so entrancingly fair
For the eyes,
In the patches a stuff so entrancingly fair
For the eyes,
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“That her lovers shall evermore look from the rest
Of her gown to the exquisite stain on the breast
Of the robe.
Of her gown to the exquisite stain on the breast
Of the robe.
“I will patch it with cloth that I fashioned, dear girl,
Out of silver and moonbeams and mother-of-pearl
One July.
Out of silver and moonbeams and mother-of-pearl
One July.
“Turn you round! Shut your eyes for a minute! Beware
Of the ache to behold what I do to you! There!—
It is done!
Of the ache to behold what I do to you! There!—
It is done!
“Get you gone, Silver Birch, to the whispering-place
Of the woodfolk, and show them the magical grace
Of your gown.
Of the woodfolk, and show them the magical grace
Of your gown.
“Fare you well! Till the earth is a-weary of trees,
On your bosom or waist, on your shoulders or knees,
You shall bear,
On your bosom or waist, on your shoulders or knees,
You shall bear,
“As a sign that I love you, a moonbeamy shred
Of the stuff I employed when my heart and my head
Were so tired!
Of the stuff I employed when my heart and my head
Were so tired!
“When the heart in my bosom is aching for rest,
I shall think of your frock, and the day you were dressed,
Silver Birch!”
I shall think of your frock, and the day you were dressed,
Silver Birch!”
This was ages gone by! All the trees are prepared
To forget how their ancestors dismally fared
Long ago;
To forget how their ancestors dismally fared
Long ago;
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Every oak is a model of how to behave,
Every beech is a gentleman, sober, and grave,
And polite;
Every beech is a gentleman, sober, and grave,
And polite;
But the pigeons so ponder the tale in their breast
That they cannot attend as they ought to a nest
For the young.
That they cannot attend as they ought to a nest
For the young.
They appear to have nothing whatever to do
But remark to the trees, It was yoo! It was yoo-oo!
It was yoo-oo-ooo!
But remark to the trees, It was yoo! It was yoo-oo!
It was yoo-oo-ooo!
| A merry-go-round of song | |