[From ACKERMANN'S "Juvenile Forget-me-not"] Some two or three weeks before Valentine's day, Sir Winter grew kind, and, minded to play, Shook hands with Miss Flora, and woo'd her to spare A few pretty snowdrops to stick in his hair, Intending for truth, as he said, to resign His throne to Miss Spring and her priest Valentine; Which trifle he asked for before he set forth, To remind him of all when he got in the North; And this is the reason that snowdrops appear 'Mid the cold of the Winter, so soon in the year. Flora complied, and, the instant she heard, Flew away with the news to each bachelor bird, Who in raptures half moved on Love's errand to start, Their songs muttered over to get them by heart: Nay, the Mavis at once sung aloud in his glee, And looked for a spot where love's dwelling should be; And ever since then, both in garden and grove, The Mavis tunes first a short ditty to love, While all the young gentlemen birds that were near Fell to trimming their jackets anew for the year: One and all they determined to seek for a mate, And thought it a folly for seasons to wait, So even agreed, before Valentine's day, To join hearts in love; but the ladies said, Nay! Yet each one consented at once to resign Her heart unto Hymen on St. Valentine; While Winter, who only pretended to go, Lapt himself out of sight in some hillocks of snow, That behind all the rest 'neath the wood hedges lay So close that the sun could not drive them away: Yet the gentlemen birds on their love errands flew, Thinking all Flora told them was nothing but true, Till out Winter came, and his frowns in a trice Turned the lady birds' hearts all as hardened as ice. In vain might the gentles in love sue and plead-- They heard, but not once did they notice or heed: From Winter they crept, who, in tyranny proud, Yoked his horses of storms to his coach of a cloud; For on Valentine's morn he was raving so high, Lady Spring for the life of her durst not come nigh; While Flora's gay feet were so numbed with the snow That she could not put on her best slippers to go. Then the Spring she fell ill, and, her health to regain, On a sunbeam rode back to her South once again; And, as both were the bridesmaids, their teasing delay Made the lady birds put off their weddings till May. Some sighed their excuses, and feared to catch cold; And the Redcap, in mantle all bordered with gold, Sore feared that the weather would spoil her fine clothes, And nought but complaints through the forest arose.