Our friends and all about them By Edith Bland [i.e. E. Nesbit]. Illustrated by Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, Fanny Moody and W. Gilbert Foster |
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What's that noise? |
 | Our friends and all about them |  |
What's that noise?
“Oh, listen do,” said Spot to Trim—
“Now did you ever, ever hear
Sounds like this thing upon the rim
Of our pan, is making here?”
“Now did you ever, ever hear
Sounds like this thing upon the rim
Of our pan, is making here?”
“I wonder if the thing's alive,
I wonder how it makes that sound,
Let's go and ask the wise old dog,
Who in the yard is always found.”
I wonder how it makes that sound,
Let's go and ask the wise old dog,
Who in the yard is always found.”
So off they went to Solomon—
Some other visitors were there,
But Spot and Trim, though rather shy,
Asked him the question, then and there.
Some other visitors were there,
But Spot and Trim, though rather shy,
Asked him the question, then and there.
Said Solomon, “I take the thing
You speak of, children for a bird,
The saucy mites pretend to sing,
But such a noise I never heard
You speak of, children for a bird,
The saucy mites pretend to sing,
But such a noise I never heard
Proceed from throat of dog or puss,
Or any thing of decent size,”—
The callers curled their whiskers up,
And modestly cast down their eyes!
Or any thing of decent size,”—
The callers curled their whiskers up,
And modestly cast down their eyes!
“Ah,” piped a bird upon a tree,
With an inviting fork,
“Good gracious me, good gracious me—
What rubbish dogs do talk!”
With an inviting fork,
“Good gracious me, good gracious me—
What rubbish dogs do talk!”
“Great awkward things that can but bark
At prowling cats—good lack—
To scoff at nightingale, or lark,
It takes one quite aback!”
At prowling cats—good lack—
To scoff at nightingale, or lark,
It takes one quite aback!”
“But that's the way of this big world—
Big people swagger round,
And talk big things about themselves,
And make a great big sound.”
Big people swagger round,
And talk big things about themselves,
And make a great big sound.”
“They think that size is everything—
You heard, wife, what they said—
You've often said—you know you have,
Their noise goes through your head.”
You heard, wife, what they said—
You've often said—you know you have,
Their noise goes through your head.”
“Well—well—my dear, your voice is big—
You're bigger far than I,
And that you know what big things think,
I seek not to deny!”
You're bigger far than I,
And that you know what big things think,
I seek not to deny!”
| Our friends and all about them | |