Tiger Tales #147 - Swanee River

"Swanee River"
By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Author of Speedy in Oz, Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, The Wish Express, "King, King! Double King!" etc.

Originally published in the Phildelphia Public Ledger, August 1, 1920.

Down, down, down, to a river deep
Fell a dear little boy who'd been sung to sleep.
To a river deep and a river wide,
Where Pixies and nixies and fairies ride

On the backs of swans, and everywhere
The big birds float on its waters fair.
Softly he dropped on a downy swan
And away it carried him--on and on

Past fairy palaces, doll-house isles--
Down the Swanee river of song for miles.
And 'twas full of swans as he thought 'twould be.
And the very same thing has occurred to me.

The big white birds were all aquiver
With glee to welcome him to their river.
They nodded their heads and winked their eyes
And floated around him with pleased little cries.

Ant then to amuse him they had a race.
And the swan that he rode came in first place.
What cheers from the pixies and nixies! Aho!
What showers of posies and feathers they throw!

Then away and away they sailed once more
And stopped for a rest by a silver shore,
Where an old, old, goose in a nightcap funny
Passed cups of tea and buns with honey.

And sang them a song in a high cracked key
Of a mouse and a robin who'd gone to sea.
There was much applause for the big swan birds,
But he little boy couldn't quite catch the words.

Then lazily on and on he sailed
Till the stars winked out an the big moon paled;
On and on till he drifted right
Into the harbor of Good Day Light!

THE FORGETFUL POET

By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, January 11, 1920.

The Puzzle Corner

The Forgetful Poet says he is going to be in fashion and write blank verse. I asked him if he were going to use a blank book for the purpose, and he was much offended. He said I never would take him seriously, and I am afraid I never will.

The Words missing from last week's verses were is and slides.

If you eat a magpie
You'll kangarue it--
If I were you
I wouldn't ------ ------!
(Well, who would?)

What Bird?

If I were going
To make a sail--,
I'd put some salt
Upon the ------

Upon the tail,
If I had luck
Of a certain sort and
Kind of -----!

To what crawling creature would you go for roofing material?

[Answers last time: The Bluebird, The Five Little Peppers, Ivanhoe, Huckleberry Finn]

[Answers next time.]

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