The Lion is a kingly beast. He likes a Hindu for a feast. And if no Hindu he can get, The lion-family is upset. He cuffs his wife and bites her ears Till she is nearly moved to tears. Then some explorer finds the den And all is family peace again.
Animals and Insects
Song Cycle by Louis Gruenberg (1884 - 1964)
1. The Lion
Language: English
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "The Lion", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]2. An Explanation of the Grasshopper
Language: English
The Grasshopper, the Grasshopper, I will explain to you: -- He is the Brownies' racehorse, The fairies' Kangaroo.
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "An Explanation of the Grasshopper", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]3. The Spider and the Ghost of the Fly
Language: English
Once I loved a spider When I was born a fly, A velvet-footed spider With a gown of rainbow-dye. She ate my wings and gloated. She bound me with a hair. She drove me to her parlor Above her winding stair. To educate young spiders She took me all apart. My ghost came back to haunt her. I saw her eat my heart.
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "The Spider and the Ghost of the Fly", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]4. A Dirge For A Righteous Kitten
Language: English
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong. Here lies a kitten good, who kept A kitten's proper place. He stole no pantry eatables, Nor scratched the baby's face. He let the alley-cats alone. He had no yowling vice. His shirt was always laundried well, He freed the house of mice. Until his death he had not caused His little mistress tears, He wore his ribbon prettily, He washed behind his ears. Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "A Dirge For A Righteous Kitten", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]5. The Mysterious Cat
Language: English
I saw a proud, mysterious cat, Too proud to catch a mouse or rat -- Mew, mew, mew. But catnip she would eat, and purr. And goldfish she did much prefer -- Mew, mew, mew. I saw a cat -- 'twas but a dream, Who scorned the slave that brought her cream -- Mew, mew, mew. (Unless the slave were dressed in style, And knelt before her all the while -- Mew, mew, mew.) Did you ever hear of a thing like that? Oh, what a proud mysterious cat. Mew ... mew ... mew.
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "The Mysterious Cat", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]6. The Mouse That Gnawed the Oak‑Tree Down
Language: English
The mouse that gnawed the oak-tree down Began his task in early life. He kept so busy with his teeth He had no time to take a wife. He gnawed and gnawed through sun and rain When the ambitious fit was on. Then rested in the sawdust till A month of idleness had gone. He did not move about to hunt The coteries of mousie-men. He was a snail-paced, stupid thing Until he cared to gnaw again. The mouse that gnawed the oak-tree down, When that tough foe was at his feet -- Found in the stump no angel-cake, Nor buttered bread, nor cheese nor meat -- The forest roof let in the sky. "This light is worth the work" said he. "I'll make this ancient swamp more light." And started on another tree.
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "The Mouse That Gnawed the Oak-Tree Down", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]7. Two Old Crows
Language: English
Two old crows sat on a fence rail,
Thinking of effect and cause,
Of weeds and flowers,
And nature's laws.
One of them muttered, one of them stuttered,
One of them stuttered, one of them muttered.
Each of them thought far more than he uttered.
One crow asked the other crow a riddle:
The muttering crow asked the stuttering crow,
"Why does a bee have a sword to his fiddle?"
"Bee-cause," said the other crow,
("Bee-cause,)
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B-cause,"
Just then a bee flew close to their rail: --
"Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ZZZZZZZZZ."
And those two black crows turned pale,
And away those crows did sail.
Why?
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B-cause,"
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B-cause,"
"Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ZZZZZZZZZ."
Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "Two Old Crows", appears in The Chinese Nightingale and Other Poems, first published 1920
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]Total word count: 572