THE SPRING WALK

We had a pleasant walk to-day,

Over the meadows and far away;

Across the bridge by the water-mill,

By the green wood-side, and up the hill;

And if you listen to what I say,

I well tell you what we saw today.

Amid a hedge, where the first fresh leaves

Were peeping forth, so green and sly,

Where dasies opened to the sun,

In a broad meadow, green and white,

The lambs were racing eagerly;

We never saw a prettier sight.

We saw the yellow wall-flower wave

Upon a moldering castle wall;

And then we watched the busy rooks

Among the ancient elm-trees tall.

And leaning from the old stone bridge,

Below, we saw our shadows lie;

And through the gloomy arches watched

The swift and fearless swallows fly.

We heard the speckled-breasted lark,

as it sang somewhere out of sight;

And tried to find it, but the sky

Was filled with clouds of dazzling light.

We saw young rabbits near the wood,

We heard a pheasant's wings go "whir;"

And then we saw a squirrel leap

From an old oak-tree to a fir.

Were I to tell you all we saw,

I'm sure that it would take me hours:

For hill and meadow were alive

With bees, and birds, and buds, and

flowers.

THE ECLECTIC SERIES

THE NEW THIRD READER