Away went Gilpin, out of breath,

And sore against his will, Till at his friend the calender's His horse at last stood still.

The calender, amazed to see

His neighbour in such trim,

Laid down his pipe, flew to the gate,

And thus accosted him:

"What news? What news? Your tidings tell,

Tell me you must and shall

Say why bareheaded you are come,

Or why you come at all?"

Now Gilpin had a pleasant wit,

And loved a timely joke; And thus unto the calender, In merry guise he spoke :

"I came because your horse would como;
And, if I well forebode,

My hat and wig will soon be here,
They are upon the road."

The calender, right glad to find
His friend in merry pin,
Return'd him not a single word,

But to the house went in;

Whence straight he came with hat and wig,

A wig that flowed behind,

A hat not much the worse for wear,

Each comely in its kind.

He held them up, and in his turn
Thus showed his ready wit:
"My head is twice as big as yours,
They therefore needs must fit.

"But let me scrape the dirt away
That hangs upon your face;
And stop and eat, for well you may
Be in a hungry case."

Said John, "It is my wedding-day,
And all the world would stare,
If wife should dine at Edmonton,
And I should dine at Ware."

So turning to his horse, he said,
"I am in haste to dine;

'Twas for your pleasure you came here, You shall go back for mine."

Ah, luckless speech and bootless boast!
For which he paid full dear;
For, while he spake, a braying ass
Did sing most loud and clear.

Whereat his horse did snort, as he
Had heard a lion roar,

And galloped off with all his might,
As he had done before.

Away went Gilpin, and away
Went Gilpin's hat and wig;

He lost them sooner than at first-
For why?-they were too big.

Now Mrs. Gilpin, when she saw

Her husband posting down Into the country far away,

She pulled out half-a-crown;

And thus unto the youth she said,

That drove them to the Bell,

"This shall be yours when you bring back My husband safe and well."

The youth did ride, and soon did meet

John coming back amain,
Whom in a trice he tried to stop,
By catching at his rein;

But not performing what he meant,
And gladly would have done,
The frighted steed he frighted more,

And made him faster run.

Away went Gilpin, and away
Went postboy at his heels,

The postboy's horse right glad to miss

The lumbering of the wheels.

Six gentlemen upon the road
Thus seeing Gilpin fly,

With postboy scampering in the rear,

They raised the hue and

cry:

"Stop thief! stop thief! a highwayman!"

Not one of them was mute;

And all and each that passed that way

Did join in the pursuit.

And now the turnpike gates again in short space;

Flew

open

The toll-men thinking as before
That Gilpin rode a race.

And so he did, and won it too,
For he got first to town;

Nor stopp'd till where he had got up,
He did again get down.

Now let us sing, long live the king,
And Gilpin long live he;

And when he next doth ride abroad,
May I be there to see!

35

THE SUMMER NOW IS HERE.

COME, come, come, the summer now is here. Come out among the flowers,

And make us pretty bowers.

Come, come, come, the summer now is here.

Come, come, come, the summer now is here. Come cull the pretty posies,

The violets and roses.

Come, come, come, the summer now is here.

Come, come, come, the summer now is here,
Come ramble in the bushes

And hear the song of thrushes.

Come, come, come, the summer now is here.

- 36

A GOOD-NIGHT SONG.

To bed, to bed, my curly head,
To bed and sleep so sweetly;
Merry and bright with morning light
Be up and dressed so neatly.

Then for a walk and pleasant talk
About the birds and flowers;
And all the day in work and play,
We'll pass the happy hours.
And then to bed, to rest the head,
And sleep until the morrow;
And every day thus glide away,
Without a shade of sorrow.

THE SPIDER AND THE FLY.

WILL you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly, ""Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;

The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,

And I have many curious things to shew you when you're there." "Oh, no, no," said the little Fly; "to ask me is in vain ; For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again.”

“I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high; Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly: "There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,

And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!"

'Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, " for I've often heard it said,

They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed."