THE JACKDAW OF RHEIMS
With a satisfied look, as if he would say,
" We two are the greatest folks here to-day ! "
And the priests, with awe,
As such freaks they saw,
Said, " The Devil must be in that little Jackdaw ! "
The feast was over, the board was clear'd,
The fiawns and the custards had all disappear'd,
And six little Singing-boys,—dear little souls !
In nice clean faces, and nice white stoles,
Came, in order due, 10
Two by two,
Marching that grand refectory through !
A nice little boy held a golden ewer,
Emboss'd and filPd with water, as pure
As any that flows between Rheims and Namur,
Which a nice little boy stood ready to catch
In a fine golden hand-basin made to match.
Two nice little boys, rather more grown,
Carried lavender-water, and eau de Cologne ;
And a nice little boy had a nice cake of soap, 20
Worthy of washing the hands of the Pope.
One little boy more
A napkin bore,
Of the best white diaper, fringed with pink,
And a Cardinal's Hat mark'd in " permanent ink."
The great Lord Cardinal turns at the sight
Of these nice little boys dress'd all in white :
From his finger he draws
His costly turquoise ;
And, not thinking at all about little Jackdaws, 30
Deposits it straight
By the side of his plate,
While the nice little boys on his Eminence wait ;
Till, when nobody's dreaming of any such thing,
That little Jackdaw hops off with the ring !
167