The poetical works of George MacDonald Volume Ii Part 56

_SONG-SERMON_.

In his arms thy silly lamb, Lo, he gathers to his breast!

See, thou sadly bleating dam, See him lift thy silly lamb!

Hear it cry, "How blest I am!

Here is love, and love is rest!"

In his arms thy silly lamb See him gather to his breast!

_THE DONKEY IN THE CART TO THE HORSE IN THE CARRIAGE_.

I.

I say! hey! cousin there! I mustn't call you brother!

Yet you have a tail behind, and I have another!

You pull, and I pull, though we don't pull together: You have less hardship, and I have more weather!

II.

Your legs are long, mine are short; I am lean, you are fatter; Your step is bold and free, mine goes pitter-patter; Your head is in the air, and mine hangs down like lead-- But then my two great ears are so heavy on my head!

III.

You need not whisk your stump, nor turn away your nose; Poor donkeys ain't so stupid as rich horses may suppose!

I could feed in any manger just as well as you, Though I don't despise a thistle--with sauce of dust and dew!

IV.

T'other day a bishop's cob stopped before me in a lane, With a tail as broad as oil-cake, and a close-clipped hoggy mane; I stood sideways to the hedge, but he did not want to pa.s.s, And he was so full of corn he didn't care about the gra.s.s.

V.

Quoth the cob, "You are a donkey of a most peculiar breed!

You've just eaten up a thistle that was going fast to seed!

If you had but let it be, you might have raised a crop!

To many a coming dinner you have put a sad stop!"

VI.

I told him I was hungry, and to leave one of ten Would have spoiled my best dinner, the one I wanted then.

Said the cob, "_I_ ought to know the truth about dinners, _I_ don't eat on roadsides like poor tramping sinners!"

VII.

"Why don't you take it easy? You are working much too hard!

In the shafts you'll die one day, if you're not upon your guard!

Have pity on your friends: work seems to you delectable, But believe me such a cart--excuse me--'s not respectable!"

VIII.

I told him I must trot in the shafts where I was put, Nor look round at the cart, but set foremost my best foot; It _was_ rather rickety, and the axle wanted oil, But I always slept at night with the deep sleep of toil!

IX.

"All very fine," he said, "to wag your ears and parley, And pretend you quite despise my bellyfuls of barley!

But with blows and with starving, and with labour over-hard, By spurs! a week will see you in the knacker's yard."

X.

I thanked him for his counsel, and said I thought I'd take it, really, If he'd spare me half a feed out of four feeds daily.

He tossed his head at that: "Now don't be cheeky!" said he; "When I find I'm getting fat, I'll think of you: keep steady."

XI.

"Good-bye!" I said--and say, for you are such another!

Why, now I look at you, I see you are his brother!

Yes, thank you for your kick: 'twas all that you could spare, For, sure, they clip and singe you very, very bare!

XII.

My cart it is upsets you! but in that cart behind There's no dirt or rubbish, no bags of gold or wind!

There's potatoes there, and wine, and corn, and mustard-seed, And a good can of milk, and some honey too, indeed!

XIII.

Few blows I get, some hay, and of water many a draught: I tell you he's no coster that sits upon my shaft!

And for the knacker's yard--that's not my destined bed: No donkey ever yet saw himself there lying dead.

_ROOM TO ROAM_.

Strait is the path? He means we must not roam?

Yes; but the strait path leads into a boundless home.

_COTTAGE SONGS_.

I.--BY THE CRADLE.

Close her eyes: she must not peep!

Let her little puds go slack; Slide away far into sleep: Sis will watch till she comes back!

Mother's knitting at the door, Waiting till the kettle sings; When the kettle's song is o'er She will set the bright tea-things.

Father's busy making hay In the meadow by the brook, Not so very far away-- Close its peeps, it needn't look!

G.o.d is round us everywhere-- Sees the scythe glitter and rip; Watches baby gone somewhere; Sees how mother's fingers skip!