THE BOASTFUL BUTTERFLY.(FROM THE ORIENTAL.)
(FROM THE ORIENTAL.)
Upon the temple domeOf Solomon the wiseThere paused, returning home,A pair of butterflies.Hedid the quite blasé(Did it rather badly),Wherefore—need I say?—Sheadored him madly.Enthusiasm sheDid not attempt to curb:“Goodness gracious me!Is n’t this superb!”Hevouchsafed a smileTo indulge her whimsy,Surveyed the lofty pile,And drawled, “Not bad—but flimsy!“Appearances, though fine,Lead to false deduction;This temple, I opine,Is shaky in construction.“Think of it, my dear.All this glittering showWould crumble—disappear—Should I but stamp my toe!“If I should stamp—like this—”His wife cried, “Heavens!don’t!”He answered, with a kiss,“Very well; I won’t.”Now, every blessed wordSaid by these butterflies,It chanced, was overheardBy Solomon the wise.
Upon the temple domeOf Solomon the wiseThere paused, returning home,A pair of butterflies.Hedid the quite blasé(Did it rather badly),Wherefore—need I say?—Sheadored him madly.Enthusiasm sheDid not attempt to curb:“Goodness gracious me!Is n’t this superb!”Hevouchsafed a smileTo indulge her whimsy,Surveyed the lofty pile,And drawled, “Not bad—but flimsy!“Appearances, though fine,Lead to false deduction;This temple, I opine,Is shaky in construction.“Think of it, my dear.All this glittering showWould crumble—disappear—Should I but stamp my toe!“If I should stamp—like this—”His wife cried, “Heavens!don’t!”He answered, with a kiss,“Very well; I won’t.”Now, every blessed wordSaid by these butterflies,It chanced, was overheardBy Solomon the wise.
Upon the temple domeOf Solomon the wiseThere paused, returning home,A pair of butterflies.
Upon the temple dome
Of Solomon the wise
There paused, returning home,
A pair of butterflies.
Hedid the quite blasé(Did it rather badly),Wherefore—need I say?—Sheadored him madly.
Hedid the quite blasé
(Did it rather badly),
Wherefore—need I say?—
Sheadored him madly.
Enthusiasm sheDid not attempt to curb:“Goodness gracious me!Is n’t this superb!”
Enthusiasm she
Did not attempt to curb:
“Goodness gracious me!
Is n’t this superb!”
Hevouchsafed a smileTo indulge her whimsy,Surveyed the lofty pile,And drawled, “Not bad—but flimsy!
Hevouchsafed a smile
To indulge her whimsy,
Surveyed the lofty pile,
And drawled, “Not bad—but flimsy!
“Appearances, though fine,Lead to false deduction;This temple, I opine,Is shaky in construction.
“Appearances, though fine,
Lead to false deduction;
This temple, I opine,
Is shaky in construction.
“Think of it, my dear.All this glittering showWould crumble—disappear—Should I but stamp my toe!
“Think of it, my dear.
All this glittering show
Would crumble—disappear—
Should I but stamp my toe!
“If I should stamp—like this—”His wife cried, “Heavens!don’t!”He answered, with a kiss,“Very well; I won’t.”
“If I should stamp—like this—”
His wife cried, “Heavens!don’t!”
He answered, with a kiss,
“Very well; I won’t.”
Now, every blessed wordSaid by these butterflies,It chanced, was overheardBy Solomon the wise.
Now, every blessed word
Said by these butterflies,
It chanced, was overheard
By Solomon the wise.
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.
He called in angry tone,
And bade a Djinn to hie
And summon to his throne
That boastful butterfly.
The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?
The butterfly flew down
Upon reluctant wing.
Cried Solomon, with a frown,
“How dared you say this thing?
“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”
“How dared you, fly, invent
Such blasphemy as this is?”
“Oh, king, I only meant
To terrify the missis.”
The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
The insect was so scared
The king could scarce restrain
A smile. “Begone! you’re spared;
But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
He called in angry tone,And bade a Djinn to hieAnd summon to his throneThat boastful butterfly.
He called in angry tone,
And bade a Djinn to hie
And summon to his throne
That boastful butterfly.
The butterfly flew downUpon reluctant wing.Cried Solomon, with a frown,“How dared you say this thing?
The butterfly flew down
Upon reluctant wing.
Cried Solomon, with a frown,
“How dared you say this thing?
“How dared you, fly, inventSuch blasphemy as this is?”“Oh, king, I only meantTo terrify the missis.”
“How dared you, fly, invent
Such blasphemy as this is?”
“Oh, king, I only meant
To terrify the missis.”
The insect was so scaredThe king could scarce restrainA smile. “Begone! you’re spared;But don’t do it again!”
The insect was so scared
The king could scarce restrain
A smile. “Begone! you’re spared;
But don’t do it again!”
So spake King Solomon.Thebutterflewaway.His wife to meet him ran:“Oh, dear, whatdidhe say?”The butterfly had hereA chance to shine, and knew it.Said he: “The king, my dear,Implored menot to do it!”
So spake King Solomon.Thebutterflewaway.His wife to meet him ran:“Oh, dear, whatdidhe say?”The butterfly had hereA chance to shine, and knew it.Said he: “The king, my dear,Implored menot to do it!”
So spake King Solomon.Thebutterflewaway.His wife to meet him ran:“Oh, dear, whatdidhe say?”
So spake King Solomon.
Thebutterflewaway.
His wife to meet him ran:
“Oh, dear, whatdidhe say?”
The butterfly had hereA chance to shine, and knew it.Said he: “The king, my dear,Implored menot to do it!”
The butterfly had here
A chance to shine, and knew it.
Said he: “The king, my dear,
Implored menot to do it!”