The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-01-03

Teri.
On high Olympus peak
Jove heard them cloak and creak,
And, being in merry mood. he gaily cried;
The race of simpletonsl
Even ii listened once
They'd be no better pleased or satisfied"
But from his mighty throne
He tossed o huge log down,
And thundered: " Here, | send you this for
King!"
And how the water dashed
And old and young. the frogs fiei shuddering.
sprawling and awed they fed.
Pel neil, heels over head.
Under the roots and weeds; 10 every place
Where frog could hide they hid;
The safest things they did,
But with higher regard for speed than
grace.
The huge log helpless lay,
And then lay still upon the pools still breast;
No regal order gave
To weed or frog or wave,
But silent was, and silent took its rest.
At length. as hour by hour
Passed, and no evil power
Was by this Monarch to his people shown,
They peeped from the hiding places
With blg-eyed, curious faces.
And crawled out one by one. more trustful
grown
Crawled out from rush and reed;
And a most daring deed
Was done BY one, than all his neighbors
With stroke Of pompous pride 4
He swan to the Monarcil's side.
And leaped with agile legs upon his shoulder.
Then such vauIting, skipping,
As they began therei dripping
And swarming up they came. till the great
Held one continuous row
OF nixies-such a show!
On every inch of bark there sat a frog!
They capered and they danced:
Turned summersets and pranced;
Stood on their heads and flung their heels in
Polka and waltz and Jig
They Joined in. little aud big,
With all their hearts as II no King were there.
With so much play, they cried:
!. What is King for. If he can not rule?
- Give us, on. Father Jove,
A Sovereign who will prJve
Worthy our honor, ut for this fair pooll"
Enraged was Jove at this;
He murmured: $50 IL is!
Never content always for something new!
Some fault IN ail-some wrong!
I'll send q Stork to them, that's what I II do! :"
- - Forthwith from far height
A bird came into sight,
White. borne upon its great wings easily,
Like rainless summer cloud:
And they beheid and bowed
And bent before him each q plant knee.
His long neck, long red bill,
And his legs longer still,
shod with red sandals touched their frosly
AS beautiful beyond
All else within the pond.
hero they with awe might reverence.
Long i've the Kipg!-' he heard
On All sides trilled and chirred.
And what did he2 He cast a sidelong eye
Down at the nearest bog,
Where "a little fat green frog
Was quavering praises to him, shrill and high.
All, what did he, but pick
1t up in his bill 80 quick
That the little freckled fellow never knew;
Then, with q turn of his head.
That bill so long and red
Gobbled at one fell mouthful number two.
Not only two. but three
Were swallowed instantly
His appetite was good. without lack:
Twas a sad road to take
Down that long path of neck,
For none who entered there ever came back.
And So fsom day to day
This ruler ate his way
Right through their ranks. big, middle sized
and small:
Hop as they would. fee. spring,
This greedy graceful King
Could far out-walk. out-reach. out-eat them
all.
II must be manifest it
That such relish and zest
As this he showed for frogs was fearful
thing;
So they In fright fmplored
The log might be restored,
Or even they gladly do without King.
e.. ~ e.
"Ah.friends!" Rroaned one old chief,
"How have we come to grief!
One simple humble truth we should have
known:
~ IT'S best to leave the state
OF greatness to the great;
And, weitto-do, let well enough alonel"
This was long, long ago
How long I do not know.
"And did the stork eat all the frogs?" you
Perhaps-unless some one
Glanced that way with gun,
And scared bis hungry Majesty away.
-Cdrd Dotg Bates, IN Wide AipGke.