 | Sketches of Natural History |  |
13
THE MONKEY.
Monkey, little merry fellow,
Thou are nature's punchinello!
Full of fun as Puck could be;
Harlequin might learn of thee!
Thou are nature's punchinello!
Full of fun as Puck could be;
Harlequin might learn of thee!
Look now at his odd grimaces!
Saw you e'er such comic faces?
Now like learned judge, sedate;
Now with nonsense in his pate!
Saw you e'er such comic faces?
Now like learned judge, sedate;
Now with nonsense in his pate!
Nature, in a sunny wood,
Must have been in merry mood,
And with laughter fit to burst,
Monkey, when she made thee first.
Must have been in merry mood,
And with laughter fit to burst,
Monkey, when she made thee first.
14
How you leaped and frisked about,
When your life you first found out;
How you threw, in roguish mirth,
Cocoa nuts on mother earth;
When your life you first found out;
How you threw, in roguish mirth,
Cocoa nuts on mother earth;
How you sate and made a din
Louder than had ever been,
Till the Parrots, all a-riot,
Chattered too to keep you quiet;
Louder than had ever been,
Till the Parrots, all a-riot,
Chattered too to keep you quiet;
Little, merry Monkey, tell
Was there kept no chronicle?
And have you no legends old,
Wherein this, and more is told?
Was there kept no chronicle?
And have you no legends old,
Wherein this, and more is told?
How the world's first children ran
Laughing from the monkey-man,
Little Abel and his brother,
Laughing, shouting to their mother?
Laughing from the monkey-man,
Little Abel and his brother,
Laughing, shouting to their mother?
15
And could you keep down your mirth,
When the floods were on the earth;
When from all your drowning kin,
Good old Noah took you in?
When the floods were on the earth;
When from all your drowning kin,
Good old Noah took you in?
In the very Ark, no doubt,
You went frolicing about;
Never keeping in your mind,
Drowned monkeys left behind!
You went frolicing about;
Never keeping in your mind,
Drowned monkeys left behind!
No, we cannot hear of this;
Gone are all the witnesses;
But I'm very sure that you
Made both mirth and mischief too!
Gone are all the witnesses;
But I'm very sure that you
Made both mirth and mischief too!
Have ye no traditions,—none,
Of the court of Solomon?
No memorial how ye went
With Prince Hiram's armament?
Of the court of Solomon?
No memorial how ye went
With Prince Hiram's armament?
16
Were ye given, or were ye sold
With the peacocks and the gold?
Is it all forgotten quite,
'Cause ye neither read nor write?
With the peacocks and the gold?
Is it all forgotten quite,
'Cause ye neither read nor write?
Look now at him! Slyly peep,
He pretends he is asleep;
Fast asleep upon his bed,
With his arm beneath his head.
He pretends he is asleep;
Fast asleep upon his bed,
With his arm beneath his head.
Now that posture is not right,
And he is not settled quite—
There! that's better than before,
And the knave pretends to snore!
And he is not settled quite—
There! that's better than before,
And the knave pretends to snore!
Ha! he is not half asleep!
See, he slyly takes a peep!
Monkey, though your eyes were shut
You could see this little nut.
See, he slyly takes a peep!
Monkey, though your eyes were shut
You could see this little nut.
17
You shall have it, pigmy brother!
What, another? and another?
Nay, your cheeks are like a sack,—
Sit down, and begin to crack.
What, another? and another?
Nay, your cheeks are like a sack,—
Sit down, and begin to crack.
There, the little ancient man
Cracks as fast as crack he can!
Now good bye, you merry fellow,
Nature's primest punchinello!
Cracks as fast as crack he can!
Now good bye, you merry fellow,
Nature's primest punchinello!
| Sketches of Natural History | |