THE PIRATE FROG
Some boys whose names I do not know,
Went out to sail their boat one day:
Fast to her stern they tied a line
So she could not sail far away
But little did those boys suspect
That, just beyond a floating log,
With all his trusty followers,
There lay in wait the Pirate Frog.
On came the ship; out sprang the frogs
A desperate, determined crew.
They climbed aboard with reckless speed
And each one found his work to do.
One cut the line, one raised the flag,
The captain seized the helm to steer;
And thus, on peaceful Plunkett’s Pond,
Began the Pirate Frog’s career.
Upon the shore of Plunkett’s Pond
Three turtles basked beneath the sun;
’Twas afternoon, the spot was warm,
And they were dozing every one.
Their eyes were closed, they did not see
Around the point a sail appear,
Nor did they know, until too late,
The dreaded Pirate Frog was near.
The pirate crew made haste to land:
They ran to where the turtles lay,
Turned all three quickly on their backs,
Then, hoisting sail, sped fast away.
For hours the turtles strained and scratched
To turn themselves, but all in vain,
Till Mrs. Muskrat came that way
And set them right side up again.
As out of Turtle Bay he sailed,
The Pirate Frog the waters scanned,
And soon he steered his stolen ship
To catch some ducklings far from land.
Around the downy neck of one
A lasso made of cord he cast,
And, though the victim struggled hard,
The cord was strong; the knot held fast.
The other ducklings hurried home,
When this unequal fight began:
All breathlessly they told the news
To Uncle Peter Pelican.
He hurried out across the pond,
And first he cut the duckling’s cord;
Which gave the frightened pirates time
To dive to safety overboard.
Far up the shores of Plunkett’s Pond,
Within a deep and marshy bay,
Amid the rustling rushes green,
The muskrats’ cozy village lay.
Now, when the older rats were gone,
The little ratlings had no fear;
’Twould have been different had they known
The dreaded Pirate Frog was near.
But soon the pirates’ flag was seen
The town was taken by surprise.
One baby rat was caught and bound
And dragged on ship despite his cries.
But soon his bonds were gnawed apart
And he for safety scaled the mast,
His weight aloft o’erset the ship
And he laughed best for he laughed last.
’Twas in July; the sun was hot,
The pond was smooth, the air was still.
The Pirate’s vessel lay becalmed
Without a breeze the sail to fill;
But soon a plan had been devised
To move the ship without a sail:
A diving frog took down a line
And tied it ’round a bull-head’s tail.
The big fish felt a gentle tug,
Then saw the line and jumped with fright.
He tried in vain to shake it off,
And swam away with all his might.
This way and that, at race-horse speed,
He crossed the pond from side to side,
But where he went the ship went, too,
And all the frogs enjoyed the ride.
For weeks the wicked Pirate Frog
Had filled the water folk with fright;
They hid themselves throughout the day,
While few dared venture out at night.
Had he not grown too rash and bold
They might be living that way still;
But his career closed when he tried
To stop the busy water mill.
He planned to drive his stolen ship
Against the wheel and tie it fast.
Nor did he think, on starting out,
That this exploit would be his last.
Too late he saw his grave mistake,
He tried in vain to reach the shore
The pirates’ ship was ground to bits,
And Plunkett’s Pond knew them no more.
Old Daddy Longlegs sat him down
And wept in deepest woe.
“Alas!” he cried, “The summer’s gone
“And soon will come the snow.
“My children beg for warmer clothes,
“But yet I must refuse
“For each one has so many feet
“I can’t buy overshoes.”
