Title : Night Fall in the Ti-Tree
Author : Violet Teague
Geraldine Rede
Release date : April 18, 2012 [eBook #39475]
Language : English
Credits : E-text prepared by Katie Hernandez, Jason Isbell, Robert Cicconetti, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by International Children's Digital Library (http://en.childrenslibrary.org)
Note: | Images of the original pages are available through International Children's Digital Library. See http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/BookPreview?bookid=ntitree_00410005&route=text&lang=English&msg=&ilang=English |
Imprinted now for the first time by hand at the Sign of the Rabbit,
89 Collins Street, the 13th of July, 1905.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Night falls in the Ti-Tree,
Dusk fades from the hill— The Frogs on their banjoes Are strumming their fill With a will. |
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Banjoes in the near pond
Bones in the other— In ecstasy Crickets Outshrill one another. Shrill.... Shrill.... |
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The Birds are all hushed now
The moon's in the sky— Around and around us The little Bats fly, Waveringly. |
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The Rabbits have nibbled
Sweet grass on the furrow, Have frisking and flirting Loped to their burrow, Safe on their burrow. |
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Safe on their burrow.
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Are you glad, little Rabbits
To have played yet a day? Does no foresight show you What may happen some day? Wellaway! |
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For commonest, direst,
Of wild folk's mishaps Is to find yourselves caught in Man's merciless traps— Devil's own snaps. |
They set them and lay them
In your very door, Then craftily strew them With sand and leaves o'er, Craftily o'er. |
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You step out unwitting,
Bright moon inviting— Ah! What a spring when You taste its fierce biting; Steel chain affrighting, You scream in your anguish, A mute thing by kind! You make but the search easy When Death comes to find, O easily find! |
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Yet God was on your side,
Else why did He make Such long ears to hearken? Such bright eyes to wake? |
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And so, little Rabbits,
In danger some day, Remember Who's for you, Flirt tails and away! |
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