They went to the north, they went to the south, And into the west went they, Till they found a civil, civil engineer, And unto him did say:

‘Now tell to us, thou civil engineer, If this be fit to drink.’ And they showed him a cup of the town water, Which was as black as ink.

p. 53He took three sips of the town water, And black in the face was he; And they turned them back and fled away, Amazed that this should be.

p. 53

And he has written a broad letter And sealed it with a ring, And the letter saith that the town water Is not a goodly thing.

And they have met, and the Bailies all, And eke the Councillors, And they have ta’en the broad letter And read it within the doors.

And there has fallen a great quarrel, And a striving within the doors, And quarrelsome words have the Bailies said, And eke the Councillors.

p. 54And one saith, ‘We will have other water,’  And another saith, ‘But nay;’ And none may tell what the end shall be, Alack and well-a-day!

p. 54

p. 55ΒΡΕΚΕΚΕΚΕΞ ΚΟΑΞ ΚΟΑΞ

p. 55

I love the inoffensive frog,  ‘A little child, a limber elf,’ With health and spirits all agog, He does the long jump in a bog Or teaches men to swim and dive. If he should be cut up alive, Should I not be cut up myself?

So I intend to be straightway An Anti-Vivisectionist; I’ll read Miss Cobbe five hours a day And watch the little frogs at play, With no desire to see their hearts At work, or other inward parts, If other inward parts exist.

p. 56TO NUMBER 27X.

p. 56

Beloved Peeler! friend and guide And guard of many a midnight reeler, None worthier, though the world is wide, Beloved Peeler.

Thou from before the swift four-wheeler Didst pluck me, and didst thrust aside A strongly built provision-dealer

Who menaced me with blows, and cried  ‘Come on! Come on!’ O Paian, Healer, Then but for thee I must have died, Beloved Peeler!

p. 57A STREET CORNER

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