A man once had a swan and goose
Among his birds and beasts.
The one was destined for a pet,
The other for a feast.
Sometimes you saw them sailing
Gracefully on the current, side by side,
Sometimes they played a game of tag,
Or plunged into the tide.
One day the master ordered
The cook to kill the goose,
And roast it for his dinner;
It was fat and fit for use.
But the cook had taken a drop too much,
And it had gone to his head;
So when he went out for the goose
He took the swan instead.
He seized the swan fast by the throat,
And would have kill'd it soon:
But the bird saw he was to die,
And he his throat did tune,
And warbled out his farewell lay.
The cook straight dropped his knife
In great surprise, "what! what!" cried he,
"Shall I take the life
Of a musical bird like this?
No, no! it must not be.
So to the garden he shall go back
And ne'er be kill'd by me."
[Illustration]