(

The wind has seized his grey coat,
Nigh turned it inside out ;

His cap o’er hedges vanished :
He almost feels in doubt.

But gaining now the bean-tree,
Without the ass he tied,

And clambering up soon warmed him.

To dare he does decide.

A little flickering rushlight,
Enough to guide his eyes,
Showed that the pair were sleeping :
His double noose he tries.

The first cast short has fallen,
And caught the Giant’s nose ;
He lifts it, rather frightened,
As you may well suppose.
Again the lasso dashes,
And twines around their necks,
Seeming to draw itself tight—
Such luck he ne’er expects.

Then down the ladder sliding,
He drew the long rope tight,

106

 

Which quick as thought he managed |

With the donkey to unite.

Gently he strained the cable,
Then with a sudden dash
He urged the jackass forward,
When lo! a horrid crash.

The weak partition broken,

The monsters are dragged through,

Right headlong down the tree-trunk.
What now, can Reynard do?

)

Ah! there’s the old straw rubbish ;
His lantern glass has broke ;

A spark the flame has kindled,
And dense the clouds of smoke.

He wisely backed the jackass,
Whose heels defend the gap
If either’s a survivor,
By any sad mishap.

Jack waited near an hour,

But nought the silence broke ;
The fire burnt itself out,

The wind had cleared the smoke.

And then he finds the couple,
A pair of giant wrecks:

The fall had done its duty,
Had broken both their necks.

Where shall he hide the bodies ?
At first he cannot tell ;

The ass drags them to water—
All is well that ends well.

Again young Reynard entered
The tree as it struck four ;

What wonders next will greet him?
Of monsters are there more?

He glanced around with caution,
There’s nought in human shane ;
Except above each jar top
The stern parts of each ape.

In licking up the treacle,
O’erbalanced there’s no doubt ;

They’re kept in that position,
Because they can’t get out.