قراءة كتاب The Peacock and Parrot, on their Tour to Discover the Author of "The Peacock At Home"
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
اللغة: English
The Peacock and Parrot, on their Tour to Discover the Author of "The Peacock At Home"
الصفحة رقم: 6
And found themselves, shortly, once more, en chemin.
They walk’d, and they flutter’d, they hopp’d, and they flew,
And weary enough ere the evening grew:
And each, in his crop, certain treasures had hoarded.
Exerting their energies, both then proceeded,
Tho’ many disasters their progress impeded:
His train now again poor Sir Argus tormented,
And the loss of some feathers cou’d not be prevented:
The Parrot was ruffled, and torn, and distrest,
But still, curiosity reign’d in his breast:
This, this was the spur that our Travellers sped,
And urg’d them both onward, tho’ almost half dead.
At length, to their joy, at no very late hour,
They reach’d the Owl’s residence, Ivy-clad-Tower.
But what were their feelings, when after such rambling,
They still must encounter fresh clawing and scrambling?
The sage Bird of Night had long chosen her station
Aloft, where she sat in profound meditation:
Which no glaring Sun-beam had ever pervaded;
Within it, the Stranger had never intruded,
And there she had liv’d, from all Idlers secluded.
How great, then, were now her dismay and surprise;
Thrice she call’d on Minerva, and thrice rubb’d her eyes;
But doubted not long; for the Visitors now
Came full in her presence, and made a low bow.
The Dame, tho’ annoy’d, did not wish to be rude,
So she wisely receiv’d them as well as she could.
A frugal repast was prepar’d very soon,
Which together they shar’d, by the light of the Moon.
Some berries and seeds, the Owl thought would suffice,
In addition to her stew of Small-birds and Mice;
And if no costly Viands awaited them here,
Keen hunger made up for the want of good cheer.
The supper dispatch’d, our illustrious Guest,
Till his Story was told, not a moment cou’d rest;
For a few scraps of learning, by way of dessert:
But the Peacock had no inclination to wait,
And the Parrot was still more impatient to prate:
So the Poem was read, and the Owl vow’d she never
Had heard any Verses she thought half so clever.
