What wondrous heroes thou didst rear Behind thy ramparts roughly-raised! Europe, the wide world far and near, Thy glorious gallantry amazed. Thine annals, to posterity As bright examples, will recall Thy long heroic agony; Nay, more--thy great heroic fall. FROM POLONSKI. _ON SKOBELEF._ He stood alone! Around, from East, from West, By Russia watched from far, A giant--nay! a god of war. Beneath the hostile fire he stood Unmoved, in reckless hardihood. His snow-white vest on battle-field Seemed covered by St. Michael’s shield. And now his life is reft; that strength Broken at length.... FROM KRYLOF. _FABLE._ Whene’er companions don’t agree, They work without accord; And naught but trouble doth result, Although they all work hard. One day a Swan, a Pike, a Crab, Resolved a load to haul. All three were harnessed to the cart, And pulled together all. But though they pulled with all their might, That cart-load on the bank stuck tight. The Swan pulled upwards to the skies, The Crab did backwards crawl, The Pike made for the water straight: This proved no use at all. Now, which of them was most to blame ’Tis not for me to say, But this I know--the load is there Unto this very day. CHILD’S SONG. _LITTLE BIRDIE._ The first in the spring, From its earliest day, To God do I sing; He feeds me alway. I sow not, nor spin, I toil not for food; I love the sweet spring-- Blithe, then, is my mood. My nest’s in the field; I live in the sky; I skim o’er the meads; Through flower-beds I fly. At times o’er the streams Like arrow I sweep; The swiftest of steeds Can’t pace with me keep. And yet I am caught By one little grain, And thus, for my life, A prisoner remain. For grain, as a snare, With cunning is set; One glance--and lo! there, The bird’s in the net. FROM LAL. _ADVICE._ They say a Greek philosopher Thought long, both night and day, How for the cure of human woes To find the surest way. “The bad,” he found, “without a doubt, Dwelt but in woman’s ways.” So he advised, most earnestly, “Don’t on a woman gaze.” Now, I before you put the case-- Did he find right or wrong? If he found right, then his advice Was hardly worth a song. To those who wish with certainty From marriage bonds to fly, I give this counsel, “Constantly On women keep an eye.” _THE TITULYÁRNYI SOVÉTNIK._[14] He----was a Ninth-class Councillor, And she----a General’s daughter. He timidly declared his love; She spurned him when he sought her.