The Oak-Tree of the forest Both east and west shall fly; And the blessings of a thousand lands Upon our ship shall lie! For she shall not be a man-of-war, Nor a pirate shall she be:-- But a noble, Christian merchant-ship To sail upon the sea. Then sing for the Oak-Tree, The monarch of the wood; Sing for the Oak-Tree, That groweth green and good; That groweth broad and branching Within the forest shade; That groweth now, and yet shall grow, When we are lowly laid! THE CAROLINA PARROT. Parrots, with all their cleverness, are not capable of keeping up a dialogue; otherwise we might suppose something like the following to be in character with their humour and experience. POLL’S MISTRESS. I’ve heard of imp, I’ve heard of sprite; Of fays and fairies of the night; Of that renowned fiend Hobgoblin, Running, racing, jumping, hobbling; Of Puck, brimful of fun; also Of roguish Robin Goodfellow. I’ve seen a hearth where, as is told, Came Hobthrush in the days of old, To make the butter, mend the linen, And keep the housewife’s wheel a-spinning. I’ve heard of pigmies, pixies, lares, Shoirim, gemedim, and fairies:-- And, Parrot, on my honest word, I hardly think thou art a bird;-- Thou art so pixy, quaint and queer; Thou art not canny, Poll, I fear! Look at that impish leer of thine! List to thy scream, thy shout, thy whine, And none will doubt but thou must be A creature of the faery. Or tell me, Poll, art thou not kin To Jack o’ lanthern? Come, begin! Answer me, Poll, was’t ’mong the fairies Thou learnt thy many strange vagaries? Speak, pretty Poll! POLL. Well, I don’t care if I tell you all. You’ve got some company, I see; a short gentleman and a tall; Many ladies, too, altogether two or three dozen, I should not wonder if they are some of you uncles and cousins! Pray am I not a very fine bird, Green, and yellow, and scarlet?-- Upon my word! That man has a coat on like our Captain! CAPTAIN. Poll, how do you do, my dear? You look well; it’s fine living here! POLL.