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Title: Mother Goose's Bicycle Tour
Author: M. A. Bonnell
Release date: May 5, 2017 [eBook #54664]
Language: English, French
Credits: Produced by deaurider, Brian Wilcox and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER GOOSE'S BICYCLE TOUR ***
Written and Adapted
by
M. A. Bonnell
Awake, sweet hope! for she who shares the throne
Lends her own merit to make dulness bright,
Even as Luna to the insipid drop its light.
Xanthine yellow might the aster take for hue,
An emerald green the clove carnation crown,
Nor could fair England’s rose yet learn to frown.
Diadems of humble bloom and royal fleur-de-lis,
Rare crowns of love, have crowned her long ago;
And ever round her noble brow more intertwined they grow.
—M. A. BONNELL
July 3rd, 1901.
The above lines accompanied the
copy which was graciously accepted
by Queen Alexandra.
Toronto:
William Briggs.
With honest pride the rhymer sings
Her ancestress’ renown,—
Oh, proud the day that gave her birth!
And proud her natal town!
Oh, may the theme the verse redeem,
Of meagre wit and rhyming loose,
And win a kind indulgence still
For Mary Susan Goose!
Entered according to Act of the
Parliament of Canada, in the year
one thousand nine hundred, by
William Briggs, at the Department
of Agriculture.
Dedicated
By
Permission
To
Miss Liv Nansen
DEDICATION.
1.
Though pure the drifting snows of northern realms,
Dazzling the Aurora of the polar girth,
More stainless still thy fair and childish brow,
More bright the aureole that surrounds thy birth.
2.
Ofttimes a nation bends its tender gaze
To watch the blooming of a royal flower;
Child of heroic blood, genius thy heritage!
The loving interest of a world thy dower!
M. A. B.
CONTENTS.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO, MY PRETTY MAID?
MRS. THOMPKINS AND MR. HOPKINS.
CE COCHON, AN INTERESTING PIG.
THIS SHOCKING OLD MAN FROM CAPE RAY.
PETER PRADDLE BOUGHT A SADDLE.
THE KING IS RETURNING TO PARIS.
LOUIS HAD A SISTER TRÈS-PETITE.
Mother Goose’s Bicycle Tour.
THE DEPARTURE.
1.
Long years ago dear Mother Goose
For little people made, you see,
Of merry rhymes and odd conceits
A veritable pot pourri.
2.
Some riddles hard the brain to puzzle,
Tales that really seemed quite true,
Rhymes with fun just brimming o’er,
For each one something à son goût.
3.
Her fame had spread through many lands,—
A princess came from France to see
The tree that bore the golden pear:
At least such was l’on dit.
4.
But years rolled by, the dame grew old,—
Alas, the universal fate!
She found herself almost forgot,
And with her goose left tête à tête.
5.
Said Mother Goose: “My faithful bird,
Our friends neglect us, to be sure;
But never mind, we’ll just prepare
And take a pleasant little tour.
6.
Some evenings spent in brushing up
The foreign words we used to know,
Ere setting out upon our trip,
Would now be very à propos.
I’ll order from my milliner
A brand new hat and travelling suit;
And then procure some maps and guides;
We’ll surely need them whilst en route.
8.
’Tis fifty years since you and I
Our journey took the moon to see;
For fear we never should come back
We left our cards with P. P. C.
9.
What crowds there were to see us off!
What merry shout and loud hurrah!
Most certainly we undertook
Our enterprise with great éclat.
10.
And then the journey back again,
And how we made the world to stare
When home we brought the wondrous news—
The moon was made of fromage vert!
But times are changed, and people now
Doubt everything they cannot see;
And men are old before they’re young,
And even children feel ennui.
12.
No fairies now their revels hold,
Nor dare their merry pranks pursue;
The prying eye, the searchlight’s glare,
Have made them bid the land adieu.
13.
Should you in this material age
Your magic powers reveal by chance,
You’d never be a moment free
From scientific surveillance.
14.
Besides, to ride upon your back
Would outrage modern fashion’s code;
To go upon a two-wheeled thing
Is now considered à la mode.”
When thus the dame had spoke her mind,
Her banker first she went to see;
Then purchase made of many things,
Besides a flask of eau-de-vie.
16.
She meant to cross the Channel soon,
And for the future had a care;—
All those who travel on the sea
Provision make for mal de mer.
17.
Two bicycles were ordered then
From Monsieur Brun de Chambray;
To tell the truth, the dame on hers
Looked really most distinguée.
18.
The goose all unaccustomed was
To this most curious gait,
But spite of this her mistress vow’d
She thought her manner was parfaite.
“I am an awkward creature,”
Quoth the goose, “as people say;
But on the water, rest assured,
You’ll find me quite au fait.
20.
“I know you dread the noisy ship,
With all its bustle and to-do;
And for the horrid smell of tar
You have a natural dégoût.
21.
“So let us take an open boat;
The voyage is not very long.
I’m sure we’ll reach the other side
Without the slightest contre-temps.”
22.
With courage rare the dame replied,
“Your plan, I think, is for our weal;
We’ll follow it without delay.”
Her charming nature was facile.
23.
The noble, brave, and clever bird,
As one may well perceive,
For new and strange adventures now
Was quite on the qui vive.
24.
Adventures came too soon, alas!
For on that self-same day
A storm arose, and they were wrecked
In that short traversée.
25.
In this extremity most dire
The dame takes off a wooden boot,
And says, “I’ll buoy these precious bikes,
And get them sometime coûte que coûte.”
For string she ravels out her hose,
While briny waters saturate her;
Her plan will surely win success
For is it not a coup de maître!
27.
“Now bind together, mistress dear,
Before they float away,
Those oars of good Canadian pine;
They are our pis aller.
28.
“Your weight, supported by this frame,
I have the power to draw;
Nor danger fear while you retain
Such admirable sang-froid.”
29.
By strength of will, and wing, and web,
They reached a passing man-of-war,
And now to Mother Goose and bird
We must say “au revoir.”