With free leave Henry every day
  Thither repairs, until she heard
  Him talking of a fine grey bird. 
  This pretty bird, he said, indeed,
  Came every day with him to feed,
  And it lov’d him, and lov’d his milk,
  And it was smooth and soft like silk. 
  His mother thought she’d go and see
  What sort of bird this same might be. 
  So the next morn she follows Harry,
  And carefully she sees him carry
  Through the long grass his heap’d-up mess. 
  What was her terror and distress,
  When she saw the infant take
  His bread and milk close to a snake! 
  Upon the grass he spreads his feast,
  And sits down by his frightful guest,
  Who had waited for the treat;
  And now they both begin to eat. 
  Fond mother! shriek not, O beware
  The least small noise, O have a care—­
  The least small noise that may be made,
  The wily snake will be afraid—­
  If he hear the lightest sound,
  He will inflict th’ envenom’d wound. 
  She speaks not, moves not, scarce does breathe,
  As she stands the trees beneath;
  No sound she utters; and she soon
  Sees the child lift up its spoon,
  And tap the snake upon the head,
  Fearless of harm; and then he said,
  As speaking to familiar mate,
  “Keep on your own side, do, Grey Pate:” 
  The snake then to the other side,
  As one rebuked, seems to glide;
  And now again advancing nigh,
  Again she hears the infant cry,
  Tapping the snake, “Keep further, do;
  Mind, Grey Pate, what I say to you.” 
  The danger’s o’er—­she sees the boy
  (O what a change from fear to joy!)
  Rise and bid the snake “good-bye;”
  Says he, “Our breakfast’s done, and I
  Will come again to-morrow day:” 
  Then, lightly tripping, ran away.

THE FIRST TOOTH

SISTER

  Through the house what busy joy,
  Just because the infant boy
  Has a tiny tooth to show. 
  I have got a double row,
  All as white, and all as small;
  Yet no one cares for mine at all. 
  He can say but half a word,
  Yet that single sound’s preferr’d
  To all the words that I can say
  In the longest summer day. 
  He cannot walk, yet if he put
  With mimic motion out his foot,
  As if he thought, he were advancing,
  It’s prized more than my best dancing.

BROTHER

  Sister, I know, you jesting are,
  Yet O! of jealousy beware. 
  If the smallest seed should be
  In your mind of jealousy,
  It will spring, and it will shoot,
  Till it bear the baneful fruit. 
  I remember you, my dear,
  Young as is this infant here. 
  There was not a tooth of those
  Your pretty even ivory rows,
  But as anxiously was watched,
  Till it burst its shell new hatched,
  As if it a Phoenix were,
  Or some other wonder rare. 
  So when you began to walk—­
  So when you began to talk—­
  As now, the same encomiums past. 
  ’Tis not fitting this should last
  Longer than our infant days;
  A child is fed with milk and praise.