Brownies: Their Book

<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>THE BROWNIES' RETURN.</h2> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i114.png" width-obs="335" height-obs="337" alt="Brownies&#39; Return" title="" /></div> <div class='poem'> <span class='smcap'>Once</span> while the Brownies lay at ease<br/> About the roots of rugged trees,<br/> And listened to the dreary moan<br/> Of tides around their island lone<br/> Said one: "My friends, unhappy here,<br/> We spend our days from year to year<br/> We're cornered in, and hardly boast<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</SPAN></span>A run of twenty leagues at most<br/> You all remember well, I ween,<br/> The night we reached this island green,<br/> When flocks of fowl around us wailed,<br/> And followed till their pinions failed.<br/> And still our ship at every wave<br/> To sharks a creaking promise gave,<br/> Then spilled us out in breakers white,<br/> To gain the land as best we might.<br/> Since then how oft we've tried in vain<br/> To reach our native haunts again,<br/> Where roaming freely, unconfined,<br/> Would better suit our roving mind.<br/> <br/> "To-night, while wandering by the sea<br/> A novel scheme occurred to me,<br/> As I beheld in groups and rows<br/> The weary fowl in deep repose.<br/> They sat as motionless as though<br/> The life had left them years ago.<br/> The albatross and crane are there,<br/> The loon, the gull, and gannet rare.<br/> An easy task for us to creep<br/> Around the fowl, while fast asleep.<br/> And at a given signal spring<br/> Aboard, before they spread a wing,<br/> And trust to them to bear us o'er.<br/> In safety to our native shore."<br/> <br/> Another spoke: "I never yet<br/> Have shunned a risk that others met,<br/> But here uncommon dangers lie,<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</SPAN></span>Suppose the fowl should seaward fly,<br/> And never landing, course about,<br/> And drop us, when their wings gave out?"<br/> <br/> To shallow schemes that will not bring<br/> A modest risk, let cowards cling!<br/> The first replied. "A Brownie shows<br/> The best where dangers thickest close.<br/> But, hear me out: by sea and land,<br/> Their habits well I understand.<br/> When rising first they circle wide,<br/> As though the strength of wings they tried,<br/> Then steering straight across the bay,<br/> To yonder coast a visit pay.<br/> But granting they for once should be<br/> Inclined to strike for open sea,<br/> The breeze that now is rising fast,<br/> Will freshen to a whistling blast,<br/> And landward sweeping, stronger still,<br/> Will drive the fowl against their will."<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and drawing"> <tr><td align='left' valign='bottom'><ANTIMG src="images/i116a.png" width-obs="103" height-obs="232" alt="Climbing one side" title="" /> </td><td align='left'>Now at his heels, with willing feet,<br/> They followed to the fowls' retreat.<br/> 'Twas hard to scale the rugged breast<br/> Of crags, where birds took nightly rest.<br/> But some on hands, and some on knees,<br/> And more by vines or roots of trees,<br/> From shelf to shelf untiring strained,<br/> And soon the windy summit gained.<br/> With bated breath, they gathered round;<br/> They crawled with care along the ground.<br/> By this, one paused; or that, one eyed;<br/> Each chose the bird he wished to ride.<br/></td><td align='left' valign='bottom'><ANTIMG src="images/i116b.png" width-obs="129" height-obs="286" alt="Climbing Oher side" title="" /> </td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='center'> <table class="signal" summary="signal"> <tr><td align='left'><br/><br/><br/> When all had done the best they could,<br/> And waiting for the signal stood,<br/> It hardly took a moment's space<br/> For each to scramble to his place.<br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></td></tr> </table></div> <div class='poem'> Some seized a neck and some a head,<br/> And some a wing, and some a shred<br/> Of tail, or aught that nearest lay,<br/> To help them mount without delay.<br/> Then rose wild flaps and piercing screams,<br/> As sudden starting from their dreams<br/> The wondering fowl in sore dismay<br/> Brought wings and muscles into play.<br/> Some felt the need of longer sleep,<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</SPAN></span>And hardly had the strength to "cheep;"<br/> While others seemed to find a store<br/> Of screams they'd never found before<br/> &mdash;But off like leaves or flakes of snow<br/> Before the gale the Brownies go,<br/> Away, away, through spray or cloud<br/> As fancy led, or load allowed.<br/> Some birds to poor advantage showed,<br/> As, with an oddly balanced load,<br/> Now right or left at random cast,<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and drawings"> <tr><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i118.png" width-obs="429" height-obs="514" alt="Birds at top" title="" /> </td><td align='left'><div class='hang1'>They flew, the sport of every blast;</div> <div class='hang1'>While fish below had aching eyes</div> <div class='hang1'>With gazing upward at the prize.</div> <div class='hang1'>They followed still from mile to mile,</div> <div class='hang1'>Believing fortune yet would smile;</div> <div class='hang1'>While plainer to the Brownies grew</div> <div class='hang1'>The hills and vales that well they knew.</div> <div class='hang1'>"I see," said one, who, from his post</div> <div class='hang1'>Between the wings, could view the coast,</div> <div class='hang1'>"The lofty peaks we used to climb</div> </td></tr> </table></div> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and drawings"> <tr><td align='left'><div class='hang1'>To gaze upon the scene sublime."</div> <div class='hang1'>A second cried: "And there's the bay</div> <div class='hang1'>From which our vessel bore away!"</div> <div class='hang1'>"And I," another cried, "can see</div> <div class='hang1'>The shady grove, the very tree</div> <div class='hang1'>We met beneath the night we planned</div> <div class='hang1'>To build a ship and leave the land!"</div> <br/> <div class='hang1'>All in confusion now at last,</div> <div class='hang1'>The birds upon the shore were cast.</div> <div class='hang1'>Some, tumbling through thick branches, fell</div> </td><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i119.png" width-obs="435" height-obs="489" alt="A lot more birds" title="" /> </td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='poem'> And spilled the load that clung so well.<br/> Some, "topsy-turvy" to the ground,<br/> Dispersed their riders all around;<br/> And others still could barely get<br/> To shores where land and water met.<br/> <br/> Congratulations then began,<br/> As here and there the Brownies ran,<br/></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />