There grew a little flower 'Neath a great oak tree: When the tempest 'gan to lower Little heeded she: No need had she to cower, For she dreaded not its power-- She was happy in the bower Of her great oak tree! Sing hey, Lackaday! Let the tears fall free For the pretty little flower and the great oak tree! When she found that he was fickle, Was that great oak tree, She was in a pretty pickle, As she well might be-- But his gallantries were mickle, For Death followed with his sickle, And her tears began to trickle For her great oak tree! Sing hey, Lackaday! Let the tears fall free For the pretty little flower and the great oak tree! Said she, "He loved me never, Did that great oak tree, But I'm neither rich nor clever, And so why should he? But though fate our fortunes sever, To be constant I'll endeavour, Ay, for ever and for ever, To my great oak tree!" Sing hey, Lackaday! Let the tears fall free For the pretty little flower and the great oak tree! [Illustration] OLD PAUL AND OLD TIM When rival adorers come courting a maid, There's something or other may often be said, Why _he_ should be pitched upon rather than _him_. This wasn't the case with Old PAUL and Old TIM. No soul could discover a reason at all For marrying TIMOTHY rather than PAUL; Though all could have offered good reasons, on oath, Against marrying either--or marrying both. They were equally wealthy and equally old, They were equally timid and equally bold; They were equally tall as they stood in their shoes-- Between them, in fact, there was nothing to choose. Had I been young EMILY, I should have said, "You're both much too old for a pretty young maid, Threescore at the least you are verging upon"; But I wasn't young EMILY. Let us get on. No coward's blood ran in young EMILY'S veins, Her martial old father loved bloody campaigns; At the rumours of battles all over the globe He pricked up his ears like the war-horse in "Job." He chuckled to hear of a sudden surprise-- Of soldiers, compelled, through an enemy's spies, Without any knapsacks or shakos to flee-- For an eminent army-contractor was he. So when her two lovers, whose patience was tried, Implored her between them at once to decide, She told them she'd marry whichever might bring Good proofs of his doing the pluckiest thing.