A yel-low But-ter-fly one day,
Grown tired of play and tired of fly-ing,
Up-on a this-tle blos-som grey
With out-spread wings was i-dly ly-ing.
The stur-dy bees went hum-ming by,
Draw-ing sweet ho-ney from the clo-ver,
Nor stir-red the yel-low But-ter-fly,
For he was but an i-dle ro-ver.
Two lit-tle girls, named Anne and May,
Came by with mirth and laugh-ter ring-ing,
Anne ran to seize the in-sect gay--
May fol-low-ed fast and ceased her sing-ing.
"Oh! dar-ling An-nie, let it be,
Your touch will rob its plumes of beau-ty;
And God, who made both you and me,
Has taught us kind-ness is a du-ty."
"GO A-WAY, RO-VER!"
"You big black dog, go, go a-way!
I will not let you bite
My lit-tle pet; it can-not play,
You gave it such a fright!
"I think you want to eat it up
Be-cause it is so small,
But if you dare to touch my pup
For help I mean to call;
"And then pa-pa will bring a stick,
And make you run a-way;
So, Ro-ver, you had best go quick,
And leave us here to play!"
* * * * *
Why, Ro-ver, is quite good and tame--
You need not be a-fraid;
He on-ly wants to have a game,
You sil-ly lit-tle maid!
[Illustration: In sum-mer time, a-long our coasts.
The Mack-a-rel swarm in count-less hosts.]
[Illustration: We all at Mon-keys love to gaze,
And watch their fun-ny tricks and ways.]
[Illustration: A bird so fool-ish is the Nod-dy,
It may be caught by a-ny-bo-dy.]
[Illustration: The harm-less Newt is to be seen
In stag-nant ponds, with duck-weed green.]
[Illustration:"GO AWAY, ROVER!"]
[Illustration: LUCY AND ARTHUR.]
[Illustration]