Brownies: Their Book

<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>THE BROWNIES IN THE TOY-SHOP.</h2> <div class='poem'> <span class='smcap'>As shades</span> of evening settled down,<br/> The Brownies rambled through the town,<br/> To pry at this, to pause at that;<br/> By something else to hold a chat,<br/> And in their free and easy vein<br/> Express themselves in language plain.<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table class="toystore" summary="toystore"> <tr><td align='left'><br/><br/> <span style="margin-left: 18em;">At length before a store, their eyes</span> <span style="margin-left: 18em;">Were fixed with wonder and surprise</span> <span style="margin-left: 18em;">On toys of wood, and wax, and tin,</span> <span style="margin-left: 18em;">And toys of rubber piled within.</span><br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='poem8'> Said one, "In all our wandering 'round,<br/> A sight like this we never found.<br/> When such a passing glimpse we gain,<br/> What marvels must the shelves contain!"<br/> <br/></div> <div class='poem5'> Another said, "It must be here<br/> Old Santa Claus comes every year<br/> To gather up his large supply,<br/> When Christmas Eve is drawing nigh,<br/> That children through the land may find<br/> They still are treasured in his mind."<br/> <br/></div> <div class='poem8'> A third remarked, "Ere long he may<br/> Again his yearly visit pay;<br/> Before he comes to strip the place,<br/> We'll rummage shelf, and box, and case,<br/> Until the building we explore<br/> From attic roof to basement floor,<br/> And prove what pleasure may be found<br/> In all the wonders stowed around."<br/> <br/></div> <div class='poem5'> Not long were they content to view<br/> Through dusty panes those wonders new:<br/> And, in a manner quite their own,<br/> They made their way through wood and stone.<br/> <br/> And then surprises met the band<br/> In odd conceits from every land.<br/> Well might the Brownies stand and stare<br/> At all the objects crowded there!<br/> Here, things of gentle nature lay<br/> In safety, midst the beasts of prey;<br/> The goose and fox, a friendly pair,<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</SPAN></span>Reposed beside the lamb and bear;<br/></div> <div class='poem'>There horses stood for boys to ride;<br/> Here boats were waiting for the tide,<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i140a.png" width-obs="519" height-obs="137" alt="Playing with hoops" title="" /></div> <div class='poem'> While ships of war, with every sail<br/> Unfurled, were anchored to a nail;<br/> There soldiers stood in warlike bands;<br/> And naked dolls held out their hands,<br/> As though to urge the passers-by<br/> To take them from the public eye.<br/> This way and that, the Brownies ran;<br/> To try the toys they soon began.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i140b.png" width-obs="273" height-obs="331" alt="Jack-in-the-box" title="" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='poem'> The Jack-in-box, so quick and strong,<br/> With staring eyes and whiskers long,<br/> Now o'er and o'er was set and sprung<br/> Until the scalp was from it flung<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table class="ship" summary="ship"> <tr><td align='left'><br/><br/> And then they crammed him in his case,<br/> With wig and night-cap in their place,<br/> To give some customer a start<br/> When next the jumper flew apart.<br/> The trumpets, drums, and weapons bright<br/> Soon filled them all with great delight.<br/> Like troops preparing for their foes,<br/> In single ranks and double rows,<br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></td></tr> </table></div> <div class='poem'> They learned the arts of war, as told<br/> By printed books and veterans old;<br/> With swords of tin and guns of wood,<br/> They wheeled about, and marched or stood,<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</SPAN></span></div> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="drawing and poem"> <tr><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i142a.png" width-obs="290" height-obs="288" alt="In a box" title="" /> </td><td align='left'>And went through skirmish drill and all,<br/> From room to room by bugle-call;<br/> There Marathon and Waterloo<br/> And Bunker Hill were fought anew;<br/> And most of those in war array<br/> At last went limping from the fray.<br/> The music-box poured forth an air<br/> That charmed the dullest spirits there,<br/></td></tr> </table></div> <div class='poem'> Till, yielding to the pleasing sound,<br/> They danced with dolls a lively round.<br/> <br/> There fish were working tail and fin<br/> In seas confined by wood and tin;<br/> The canvas shark and rubber whale<br/> Seemed ill content in dish or pail,<br/> And leaping all obstructions o'er<br/> Performed their antics on the floor.<br/> <br/> Some found at marbles greatest fun,<br/> And still they played, and still they won,<br/> Until they claimed as winners, all<br/> The shop could furnish, large and small.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i142b.png" width-obs="335" height-obs="106" alt="fish out of barrel" title="" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and drawing"> <tr><td align='left'>More gave the singing tops no rest&mdash;<br/> But kept them spinning at their best<br/> Until some wonder strange and new<br/> To other points attention drew.<br/> <br/> The rocking-horse that wildly rose,<br/> Now on its heels, now on its nose,<br/></td><td align='right'><ANTIMG src="images/i143a.png" width-obs="100" height-obs="115" alt="playing with a spinning top" title="" /> </td></tr> </table></div> <div class='poem'> Was forced to bear so great a load<br/> It seemed to founder on the road,<br/> Then tumble feebly to the floor,<br/> Never to lift a rocker more.<br/> <br/> No building in the country wide<br/> With more attractions was supplied.<br/> No shop or store throughout the land<br/> Could better suit the Brownie band.<br/> For when some flimsy toy gave way<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table class="teeter" summary="teeter"> <tr><td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 15em;">And 'round the room in pieces lay</span><br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='poem'> 'Twas hardly missed in such a store,<br/> With wonders fairly running o'er:<br/> To something else about the place<br/> The happy Brownie turned his face,<br/> And only feared the sun would call<br/> Before he'd had his sport with all.<br/> <br/> Thus, through the shop in greatest glee,<br/> They rattled 'round, the sights to see,<br/> Till stars began to dwindle down,<br/> And morning crept into the town.<br/> And then, with all the speed they knew,<br/> Away to forest shades they flew.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i144.png" width-obs="115" height-obs="93" alt="THE END" title="" /></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/bcover.jpg" width-obs="399" height-obs="500" alt="back cover" title="" /></div> <div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3> <p>Only the most obvious punctuation errors repaired.</p> </div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />