By Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Author of The Rundelstone of Oz, Merry Go Round in Oz, The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, The Moorchild, etc.
Author of The Rundelstone of Oz, Merry Go Round in Oz, The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, The Moorchild, etc.
Originally published under her maiden name Eloise Jarvis in Literary Youth, Spring 1930, Oklahoma City Junior High Schools. An editorial note says of the work, “Eloise Jarvis really saw the ‘strange, weird denizens of the forest’ which she pictures here, while on a camping trip in Oregon last summer.”
Dusk! The time when all the strange, weird denizens
Of the shadowy forest
Come out to laugh and play.
The bats, like tiny, winged mice,
The owls, whose questioning “Who? Who? Who?”
Breaks the deepening silence of the calm summer night.
The fireflys, who light from time to time
Wee fairy circles, with their rosy glow.
All dear, friendly enemies
Whose carefree hearts know no foe.
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, December 15, 1918.
Sir Solomon Makes His Christmas List
Sir Solomon Tremendous Wise
Beside his fire sat thinking;
Upon the hearth his faithful cat
All solemnly lay blinking.
The sage’s scientific brow
With furrows deep was knotted.
He held in hand a lengthy scroll
On which at times he jotted.
He’d several blots upon his robe;
His hair in disarray
Stood straight on end, and as he penned,
I heard the old dear say:
“Two peacocks and a pair of gloves,
Three puppies and a sled.
A chain and locket—no—I guess
I’ll get a watch instead!
“What shall I give my cook? Oh, my!
I almost had forgotten
Sir Hubert Herbert Harrington
And Madam Finley Wotten.
“There now, except their Majesties,
The Queen and King, that’s all.
Let’s see—ahem!—this choosing gifts
Is quite a ticklish call.
“They’ve golden chains and rings and cups
And dogs and silks and baskets;
They’ve rugs and jugs and silver mugs
And jewels in lovely caskets.”
The poor sage rubbed his head in vain—
’Tis hard to find a thing,
One must admit, both fine and fit
To please a Queen or King.
Then suddenly he gave a chuckle
And off upstairs he hurried,
And in his laboratory huge
Both back and forth he scurried.
And soon beneath his clever hands
There grew Supposyville,
With stages, pages, courtiers, tradesmen,
Blacksmith shop and mill.
“I’ve noticed,” laughed Sir Solomon,
“That when it comes to toys
The grownups like ’em just as well
As little girls and boys.
“And when the toy’s mechanical
The children stand around,
While dad and mother make ’em start
And stop!” Well, I’ll be bound.
(That is the truth.)
Copyright © 2026 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
