The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-09-18

There was an old woman who lived by the sea,
As shall shortly tell,
In little brown house by cedar tree,
With pig-stye, barn and well.
Now this old woman was stiff and queer;
Her husband had sailed away,
Aud her sons lay dead, this many year,
Deep down in Buzzard's Bay.
She lived alone ON the Vineyard shore,
Except for one small child;
She scowled at all who came to her door,
But for little Josh she smiled.
naughty and merry boy was he,
Who liked to have his way,
To wade all day in the edge of the sea,
And dance about in the spray.
To stone the peeps on the shining beach,
And scare his granny TO bits,
Swimming almost into the breakers reach,
Where they foam on the sandy spits.
But he had torment of his own,
A torment aud delight,
A little black Pig that lived all alone
In the woodshed day and night
wee fat pig, with a curly tail,
And eyes as bright as Goals
His ears upright like a schooner's sails,
And a nose as sharp as mole's.
The funniest pig that ever you saw,
He could scratch and bite and squeal,
And everything went to his hungry nav
He could either beg or steal.
lie would scramble out of his tiny pen,
And open the woodshed door,
Break up the nest of the setting hen,
And scamper down TO the shore;
Or into the onions just set out,
Or over the growing corn,
And rost them up with his wicked snout,
The worst pig ever was born.
Now one day Josh began to run
AS fast as he could go,
For soldiers were coming with pike and gun
From the ship that lay below.
He ran away in the woods to hide,
But Granny she staid at home;
She was old, and stiff, and weak beside,
SO she staid to see them come.
They drove her COW from the1ittle barn,
They killed her hens and cocks,
They stole her skeins of good gray yarn,
And her store of winter socks.
She bore Il all in silent rage.
Though the heart in her breast grew big;
But Granny forgot her feeble age
When7hey found little Josh's pig.
She hid it under her linsey gown,
But piggy began TO squeal;
You could almost hear 1t at Edgertown,
That shrill and angry peal.
soldier heard him quite too well,
And seized him where he lay
"Ho! no. little piggy, you've rung the bell,
III carry you, too, away"
Then piggy he squealed loud and long,
And Granny began to scold
Her weak old arms grew stiff and strong,
Her fingers they took good hold.
She caught the troopers scarlet coat,
She caught his yellow hair,
She shook till he bleated like goat,
And begged the old woman TO spare.
You awful cretur why, what do you mean
To rob an old woman so?
You sneaking, mis'able horse-marine!
You let that Little pig go!
"Youve stole my chickens, and calf, and COW,
But I've got you 10y the wig:
There's one thing You shant have anyhow
You shant have Josh's pig !"
The drum il beat loud recall,
The old womans grasp was sore,
He was deaf and daZed with piggys squal,
SO he dropped it on the floor.
When Josh came back from the wood at night
A frightened boy was he 4;
"Come in !" said Granny, "for you're all RICH
They haven't got little pig-gee y
Now all small people who read my song,
wish you wish to-day:
May you have a Granny as bold and strong,
If your pig is stolen away
Rose Terry Cooke.