THE
DELILA LINCE
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Listen, my children, and you shall hear Of the animals’ ball that was quite near To where I lived in a grassy plot,
When we danced all night and never got caught.
The music was furnished by a band of frogs That played their tunes in the nearby bogs.
They played all night with hardly a rest,
And the band was certainly one of the best.
Peter Rabbit was the first to arrive on the scene, For he don’t miss anything that come, I ween, But ne was ail done, s• W (lanced a clog While the music echoed from every bog.
I■yf/	He hadn’t stopped dancing when who did he see
'/־T But a little striped chipmunk up in a tree ///(('sf Who cheered him and said “You are doing just fine; ‘ ׳ When I choose a partner I’ll take you for mine.”
Just then a growl made poor Peter jump,
And Old Black Bear stood up on a stump,
And it seems as though every corner and nook Was filled with animals trying to look.
So Peter sa t down with a shamed-faced grin While they shouted and clapped and raised a big din.
The Kangaroo shouted: “Get partners all;
I’am going ¿o call off at our animals’ ball,
For I’ve a game leg and I can’t dance much
And I am hobbling around on my grandfather s crutch.
Such rushing and shouting you never saw.
Each one of us held his partner’s paw.
“Bow to your partners,” he called loud and clear; “Now to your neighbor, now wing your ‘Dear’.”
Such laughing and squealing and good times they had. They forgot that at each other they’d ever been mad, And had hunted them down to try for their life When looking for food in this world of strife.
The kangaroo shouted quite loudly again:
“Women take women, and men take men.”
So around they all circled, till the old Kangaroo Cried: “Now find your partner and take her with you.
And Peter he danced with all his might,
And said he could dance there most every night. But the sun was creeping around that way And the first they knew it was nearly day.
The animals scattered for home right fast,
And of course Peter Rabbit was quite the last When he got home to his old Brier Patch He tiptoed around and lifted the latch.
But Mrs. Peter was up and had started to bake; And little Peter was crying; he had the toothache. She scolded her spouse for staying out so long; But he soon explained that he’d done no wrong.
“But the next time I go I’ll take you, too,
And we’ll dance to the call of the old Kangaroo.”