Pepper Salt | Page 6

cases.
Howard Pyle

[Illustration: Ye song of ye foolish old woman. This is an illustrated poem, with the top half being an old woman going up then down a hill. The bottom is the poem, with court jesters on either side, left side titled Hope in Adversity, right titled Fear in Prosperity.]
Ye song of ye foolish old woman.
I saw an old woman go up a steep hill, And she chuckled and laughed, as she went, with a will. And yet, as she went, Her body was bent, With a load as heavy as sins in Lent.
"Oh! why do you chuckle, old woman;" says I, "As you climb up the hill-side so steep and so high?" "Because, don't you see, I'll presently be, At the top of the hill. He! he!" says she.
I saw the old woman go downward again; And she easily travelled, with never a pain; Yet she loudly cried, And gustily sighed, And groaned, though the road was level and wide.
"Oh! why, my old woman," says I, "do you weep, When you laughed, as you climbed up the hill-side so steep?" "High-ho! I am vexed, Because I expects," Says she, "I shall ache in climbing the next."
H. Pyle

[Illustration: A newspaper puff. This is a full page illustrated poem depicting the geese acting out the poem.]
A NEWSPAPER PUFF
Twelve geese In a row (So these Always go). Down-hill They meander, Tail to bill; First the gander. So they stalked, Bold as brass As they walked To the grass.
Suddenly Stopped the throng; Plain to see Something's wrong Yes; there is Something white! No quiz; Clear to sight. ('Twill amuse When you're told 'Twas a news- Paper old.)
Gander spoke. Braver bird Never broke Egg, I've heard: "Stand here Steadily, Never fear, Wait for me."
Forth he went, Cautious, slow, Body bent, Head low. All the rest Stood fast, Waiting for What passed.
Wind came With a caper, Caught same Daily paper. Up it sailed In the air; Courage failed Then and there. Scared well Out of wits; Nearly fell Into fits. Off they sped, Helter-skelter, 'Till they'd fled Under shelter.
Poor geese! Never mind; Other geese One can find, Cut the same Foolish caper At empty wind In a paper.
H. Pyle

[Illustration: Three Fortunes. This is a full page illustrated poem, depicting: the three as they start the journey, the shoemaker with his lady, the tailor and baker on the path, the tailor lounging in the Inn, and the baker wandering "To Nowhere."]
THREE FORTUNES
A merry young shoemaker, And a tailor, and a baker, Went to seek their fortunes, for they had been told, Where a rainbow touched the ground, (If it only could be found,) Was a purse that should be always full of gold.
So they traveled day by day, In a jolly, jocund way Till the shoemaker a pretty lass espied; When quoth he, "It seems to me, There can never, never be, Better luck than this in all the world beside."
So the others said good-bye, And went on, till by-and-by They espied a shady inn beside the way; Where the Hostess fair,--a widow-- In a lone seclusion hid; "Oh, Here is luck!" the tailor said, "and here I'll stay."
So the baker jogged along, All alone, with ne'er a song, Or a jest; and nothing tempted him to stay. But he went from bad to worse, For he never found the purse, And for all I know he is wandering to this day.
It is better, on the whole, For an ordinary soul, (So I gather from this song I've tried to sing,) For to take the luck that may Chance to fall within his way, Than to toil for an imaginary thing.
H. Pyle

[Illustration]
CLAUS & HIS WONDERFUL STAFF
Hans and Claus were born brothers. Hans was the elder and Claus was the younger; Hans was the richer and Claus was the poorer--that is the way that the world goes sometimes.
Everything was easy for Hans at home; he drank much beer, and had sausages and white bread three times a day; but Claus worked and worked, and no luck came of it--that, also, is the way that the world goes sometimes.
One time Claus spoke to Hans of this matter. "See, Hans," said he, "you should give me some money, for that which belongs to one brother should help the other."
But Hans saw through different colored spectacles than Claus. No; he would do nothing of the kind. If Claus wanted money he had better go out into, the world to look for it; for some folks said that money was rolling about in the wide world like peas on a threshing-floor. So said Hans, for Claus was so poor that Hans was ashamed of him, and wanted him to leave home so as to be rid of him for good and all.
This was how Claus came to go out into the