Each according to its manner,— Rule and Rod and folded line. E’en the old green garden barrow, On whose forefront perched a sparrow, Bobbed along on shaky legs! Then there came the refuse-bin, On whose lid of rusty tin Danced a group of clothes-pegs! After these the yard-broom strode, Gruff and grim with seeming ire; And from out his dark abode Rolled a coil of fencing wire! Then emerged the “steps” a-striding,— On their top a cat was riding,— Tail erect and back all arched! Right behind, its white face gleaming, From beneath its banner streaming,— Bravely on the flagpole marched! And, not wishing to be listed From a gathering so strange, Came the scythe all bent and twisted, With the axe, well out of range! Other things were there in dozens! Little folk the garden cozens,— Such as round the Lattice play! Snails and Slugs and Red-spot Spiders! Thrifty Ants (those rare providers!) And the Slaters clothed in grey! Churchmen, too: The green-robed Mantis, Praying for the lost Atlantis,— Or at least they seemed to be! Lawyers, clad in black and white: Magpies properly bedight, And the Lark of Minstrelsy! Parrot politicians, too, Talking, talking, as they do,— Of the scarcity of corn! When the spring lambs should be shorn! What would happen without rain— Would the farmers sow again? But by far the rarest sight, Of that wondrous Autumn night, Were three lovely kittens white;— Who, within a basket sleeping, As, ’twas thought, in safest keeping, Woke to find that, all undone, Their pink ribbons, one by one, Had been knotted to their basket Tightly as a sailor’s gasket! And, as if by Magic brought, The basket to a carriage wrought! ‘Twas all so very, very queer, No kitten outside Fairy-land Could ever, ever understand What made the basket disappear, And, in the twinkling of a star, Be turned into a basket car! But a bright-eyed little mouse, Watching from within the house, Saw exactly what took place! Four brown spiders spun the wheels Round about four cotton reels. Two red robins wove the hood Out of grass and chips of wood. Two jays built the driver’s place Jutting from the basket’s face. Two blue wrens, so spry and neat, Fixed behind a “dicky” seat! For the lamps, two glow-worms bright, Shed their lustre on the night! Two woodpeckers made the pole From a slender wattle, whole! Then, the basket car to draw, Four white gulls, in ropes of straw, To the carriage firmly tied, With each other proudly vied, As they paced along! A whip-bird drove the willing team, By the star-light’s silver gleam! At his side a soldier-ant, (Sort of footman-Adjutant!) Care-free quite of war’s alarms Sat with loosely folded arms!