Из полного собрания бессмыслиц

Zikky wikky mikky bee,

Witchy witchy mitchy kee,

Sikky tikky wee.

VII

Then when so completely drest,

Back they flew, and reached their nest.

Their children cried, “O Ma and Pa!

How truly beautiful you are!”

Said they, “We trust that cold or pain

We shall never feel again!

While, perched on tree, or house, or steeple,

We now shall look like other people.

Witchy witchy witchy wee,

Twikky mikky bikky bee,

Zikky sikky tee.

The Pelican chorus

King and Queen of the Pelicans we;

No other Birds so grand we see!

None but we have feet like fins!

With lovely leathery throats and chins!

Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!

We think no Birds so happy as we!

Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill!

We think so then, and we thought so still!

We live on the Nile. The Nile we love.

By night we sleep on the cliffs above;

By day we fish, and at eve we stand

On long bare islands of yellow sand.

And when the sun sinks slowly down

And the great rock walls grow dark and brown,

Where the purple river rolls fast and dim

And the Ivory Ibis starlike skim,

Wing to wing we dance around,—

Opening our mouths as Pelicans ought,

And this is the song we nightly snort;—

Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!

We think no Birds so happy as we!

Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill,—

We think so then, and we thought so still!

Last year came out our Daughter, Dell;

And all the Birds received her well.

To do her honour, a feast we made

For every bird that can swim or wade.

Herons and Gulls, and Cormorants black,

Cranes, and Flamingoes with scarlet back,

Plovers and Storks, and Geese in clouds,

Swans and Dilberry Ducks in crowds.

Thousands of Birds in wondrous flight!

They ate and drank and danced all night,

And echoing back from the rocks you heard

Multitude-echoes from Bird and Bird,—

Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!

We think no Birds so happy as we!

Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill,

We think so then, and we thought so still!

Yes, they came; and among the rest,

The King of the Cranes all grandly dressed.