1. ۱What a pretty tale you told me
2. ۲ Once upon a time
3. ۳--Said you found it somewhere (scold me!)
4. ۴ Was it prose or was it rhyme,
5. ۵Greek or Latin? Greek, you said,
6. ۶While your shoulder propped my head.
7. ۷
8. ۸Anyhow there's no forgetting
9. ۹ This much if no more,
10. ۱۰That a poet (pray, no petting!)
11. ۱۱ Yes, a bard, sir, famed of yore,
12. ۱۲Went where suchlike used to go,
13. ۱۳Singing for a prize, you know.
14. ۱۴
15. ۱۵Well, he had to sing, nor merely
16. ۱۶ Sing but play the lyre;
17. ۱۷Playing was important clearly
18. ۱۸ Quite as singing: I desire,
19. ۱۹Sir, you keep the fact in mind
20. ۲۰For a purpose that's behind.
21. ۲۱
22. ۲۲There stood he, while deep attention
23. ۲۳ Held the judges round,
24. ۲۴--Judges able, I should mention,
25. ۲۵ To detect the slightest sound
26. ۲۶Sung or played amiss: such ears
27. ۲۷Had old judges, it appears!
28. ۲۸
29. ۲۹None the less he sang out boldly,
30. ۳۰ Played in time and tune,
31. ۳۱Till the judges, weighing coldly
32. ۳۲ Each note's worth, seemed, late or soon,
33. ۳۳Sure to smile "In vain one tries
34. ۳۴Picking faults out: take the prize!"
35. ۳۵
36. ۳۶When, a mischief! Were they seven
37. ۳۷ Strings the lyre possessed?
38. ۳۸Oh, and afterwards eleven,
39. ۳۹ Thank you! Well, sir,--who had guessed
40. ۴۰Such ill luck in store?--it happed
41. ۴۱One of those same seven strings snapped.
42. ۴۲
43. ۴۳All was lost, then! No! a cricket
44. ۴۴ (What "cicada"? Pooh!)
45. ۴۵--Some mad thing that left its thicket
46. ۴۶ For mere love of music--flew
47. ۴۷With its little heart on fire,
48. ۴۸Lighted on the crippled lyre.
49. ۴۹
50. ۵۰So that when (Ah joy!) our singer
51. ۵۱ For his truant string
52. ۵۲Feels with disconcerted finger,
53. ۵۳ What does cricket else but fling
54. ۵۴Fiery heart forth, sound the note
55. ۵۵Wanted by the throbbing throat?
56. ۵۶
57. ۵۷Ay and, ever to the ending,
58. ۵۸ Cricket chirps at need,
59. ۵۹Executes the hand's intending,
60. ۶۰ Promptly, perfectly,--indeed
61. ۶۱Saves the singer from defeat
62. ۶۲With her chirrup low and sweet.
63. ۶۳
64. ۶۴Till, at ending, all the judges
65. ۶۵ Cry with one assent
66. ۶۶"Take the prize--a prize who grudges
67. ۶۷ Such a voice and instrument?
68. ۶۸Why, we took your lyre for harp,
69. ۶۹So it shrilled us forth F sharp!"
70. ۷۰
71. ۷۱Did the conqueror spurn the creature
72. ۷۲ Once its service done?
73. ۷۳That's no such uncommon feature
74. ۷۴ In the case when Music's son
75. ۷۵Finds his Lotte's power too spent
76. ۷۶For aiding soul development.
77. ۷۷
78. ۷۸No! This other, on returning
79. ۷۹ Homeward, prize in hand,
80. ۸۰Satisfied his bosom's yearning:
81. ۸۱ (Sir, I hope you understand!)
82. ۸۲--Said "Some record there must be
83. ۸۳Of this cricket's help to me!"
84. ۸۴
85. ۸۵So, he made himself a statue:
86. ۸۶ Marble stood, life size;
87. ۸۷On the lyre, he pointed at you,
88. ۸۸ Perched his partner in the prize;
89. ۸۹Never more apart you found
90. ۹۰Her, he throned, from him, she crowned.
91. ۹۱
92. ۹۲That's the tale: its application?
93. ۹۳ Somebody I know
94. ۹۴Hopes one day for reputation
95. ۹۵ Thro' his poetry that's--Oh,
96. ۹۶All so learned and so wise
97. ۹۷And deserving of a prize!
98. ۹۸
99. ۹۹If he gains one, will some ticket
100. ۱۰۰ When his statue's built,
101. ۱۰۱Tell the gazer "'Twas a cricket
102. ۱۰۲ Helped my crippled lyre, whose lilt
103. ۱۰۳Sweet and low, when strength usurped
104. ۱۰۴Softness' place i' the scale, she chirped?
105. ۱۰۵
106. ۱۰۶"For as victory was nighest,
107. ۱۰۷ While I sang and played,--
108. ۱۰۸With my lyre at lowest, highest,
109. ۱۰۹ Right alike,--one string that made
110. ۱۱۰'Love' sound soft was snapt in twain
111. ۱۱۱Never to be heard again,--
112. ۱۱۲
113. ۱۱۳"Had not a kind cricket fluttered,
114. ۱۱۴ Perched upon the place
115. ۱۱۵Vacant left, and duly uttered
116. ۱۱۶ 'Love, Love, Love,' whene'er the bass
117. ۱۱۷Asked the treble to atone
118. ۱۱۸For its somewhat sombre drone."
119. ۱۱۹
120. ۱۲۰But you don't know music! Wherefore
121. ۱۲۱ Keep on casting pearls
122. ۱۲۲To a--poet? All I care for
123. ۱۲۳ Is--to tell him that a girl's
124. ۱۲۴"Love" comes aptly in when gruff
125. ۱۲۵Grows his singing, (There, enough!)