Part 2 — "HARE AND HOUNDS."

"What shall we do?" the children said, By the spirit of frolic and mischief led, Frank and Lulu and Carrie, three As full of nonsense as they could be; Who never were known any fun to stop Until they were just about ready to drop. Frank, whose "knowledge-box" surely abounds With games, spoke up for "Hare and Hounds." "Down the cellar, or up the stair, Here and there, and everywhere, You must follow, for I'm the Hare!" Lulu and Carrie gave quick consent, And at cutting their papers and capers went, For the stairs were steep, and they must not fail To have enough for a good long trail. Away went the Hare Right up the stair, And away went the Hounds, a laughing pair; And Tony, who sat Near Kitty, the cat, And was really a dog worth looking at, With a queer grimace Soon joined the race, And followed the game at a lively pace! Then Puss, who knew A thing or two, Prepared to follow the noisy crew, And never before or since, I ween, Was ever beheld such a hunting scene! The Hare was swift; and the papers went This way and that, to confuse the scent; But Tony, keeping his nose in air, In a very few moments betrayed the Hare, Which the children told him was hardly fair. I cannot tell you how long they played, Of the fun they had, or the noise they made; For the best of things in this world, I think, Can ne'er be written with pen and ink. But Bridget, who went on her daily rounds, Picking up after the "Hare and Hounds," Said she didn't mind hearing their lively capers, But her back was broke with the scraps o' papers. Carrie, next day, couldn't raise her head; Frank and Lulu were sick in bed; The dog and cat were a used-up pair, And all of them needed the doctor's care. The children themselves can hardly fail To tack a moral upon this trail; And I guess on rather more level grounds They'll play their next game of "Hare and Hounds."