THE SWALLOW

BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

Fly away, fly away, over the sea,
Sun-loving swallow, for summer is done;
Come again, come again, come back to me,
Bringing the summer, and bringing the sun.

When you come hurrying home o'er the sea,
Then we are certain that winter is past;
Cloudy and cold though your pathway may be,
Summer and sunshine will follow
you fast.

An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. "What," said she, "shall I do with this sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig."

On her road home, she came to a stile; but the pig would not go over the stile.

She went a little farther, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog

"Dog, dog, bite pig!

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the dog would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a stick. So she said—

"Stick, stick, beat dog!

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the stick would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a fire. So she said—

"Fire, fire, burn stick!

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the fire would not.

She went a little farther, and she met some

water. So she said—

"Water, water, quench fire!

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the water would not.

She went farther, and she met an ox.

said

"Ox, ox, drink water!

Water won't quench fire;

So she

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite-pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the ox would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a butcher.

So she said

"Butcher, butcher, kill ox!

Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the butcher would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rope.

So she said—

"Rope, rope, hang butcher!
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the rope would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said—

“Rat, rat, gnaw rope!

Rope won't hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the rat would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a cat.

So she said—