Author of Kabumpo in Oz, Ozoplaning with the Wizard in Oz, and The Wish Express, etc.
Illustration by Charles J. Coll
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, May 4, 1919.
The Frog Brothers’ Circus
Has put up its tents
On the border of Lily Pond Park
And the crowds in the evening
Are simply immense.
(So the Meadowville papers remark.)
’Tis a three-ring affair
With some wonderful freaks,
So no wonder there’s so much festivity.
A chicken who quacks,
And a lizard who squeaks,
And the fattest old frog in captivity!
The Meadowville children
Are dancing with glee,
And whole families are thronging the roads
To the Frog Brothers’ Circus—
Wee chipmunks and mice,
Little ducklings and froglings and toads.!
Even rabbits and moles,
Even turtles and snails,
Even fairies, they tell me, attend.
And they all hurry home
With such marvellous tales
I feel sure it’s a show to commend!
There are tight-walking frogs
And trained poly-wogs
Exactly like seals, so they say;
There are merry mice clowns
From a string of strange towns,
And you just ought to hear the band play.
Frog tumblers and jugglers,
And wild leaping hares
Ridden bareback by fearless young mice—
Yes, from all that I hear
I’ve decided, my dear,
That it must be tremendously nice!
THE FORGETFUL POET
By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, October 24, 1920.
Puzzles
“Why,” says the Forgetful Poet, “why are mice so anxious to get to the moon?”
Last week’s answers were: Ireland (Emerald Isle), Delaware (Diamond State). The verse should have read:
There are capitals in every state
And periods in history,
And if you think of this a bit
You’ll puzzle out the mystery.
Halloween and scare were the words left out of the last verse.
And, now, can you make out these lines?
A man can have two faces,
If you know just what I mean;
One for every day, of course,
And one for -----!
I looked in a pool,
’Twas twelve o’clock,
To see my fate;
Oh, what a shock!
What is this homely
Face I see?
I looked again
I saw ’twas -----.
[Answers next time.]
Copyright © 2016 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
