And many a wood-mouse dwelleth there, Beneath the old wood-shade, And all day long has work to do, Nor is, of aught, afraid. The green shoots grow above their heads, And roots so fresh and fine, Beneath their feet, nor is there strife ’Mong them for _mine and thine_. There is enough for every one, And they lovingly agree; We might learn a lesson, all of us, Beneath the green-wood tree! THE CUCKOO. “Pee! pee! pee!” says the merry Pee-Bird; And as soon as the children hear it, “The Cuckoo’s a-coming,” they say, “for I heard, Up in his tree the merry Pee-Bird, And he’ll come in three days, or near it!” The days go on, one, two, three; And the little bird singeth “pee! pee! pee!” Then on the morrow, ’tis very true, They hear the note of the old Cuckoo; Up in the elm-tree, through the day, Just as in gone years, shouting away; “Cuckoo,” the Cuckoo doth cry, And the little boys mock him as they go by. The wood-pecker laughs to hear the strain, And says “the old fellow is come back again; He sitteth again on the very same tree, And he talks of himself again!--he! he! he!” The stock-doves together begin to coo When they hear the voice of the old cuckoo; “Ho! ho!” say they, “he did not find Those far-away countries quite to his mind, So he’s come again to see what he can do With sucking small birds’ eggs, coo-coo!” The black-bird, and throstle, and loud missel-cock, They sing altogether, the Cuckoo to mock; “What want we with him? let him stay over sea!” Sings the bold, piping reed-sparrow, “want him? not we!” “Cuckoo!” the Cuckoo shouts still, “I care not for you, let you rave as you will!” “Cuckoo!” the cuckoo doth cry, And the little boys mock him as they go by. “Hark! hark!” sings the chiff-chaff, “hark! hark!” says the lark, And the white-throats and buntings all twitter “hark! hark!” The wren and the hedge-sparrow hear it anon, And “hark! hark!” in a moment shouts every one. “Hark! hark!--that’s the Cuckoo there, shouting amain! Bless our lives! why that egg-sucker’s come back again!” “Cuckoo!” the Cuckoo shouts still, “I shall taste of your eggs, let you rave as you will!” “Cuckoo!” the Cuckoo doth cry, And the little boys mock him as they go by.