160
THE BURGOMASTER GULL.
And up he sails, a splendid sight!
With "wings like banners" wide,
And eager eyes both big and bright,
That peer on every side.
With "wings like banners" wide,
And eager eyes both big and bright,
That peer on every side.
A lovely kittiwake flying past
With a slippery pollock fine,—
Quoth the Burgomaster, "Not so fast,
My beauty! This is mine!"
With a slippery pollock fine,—
Quoth the Burgomaster, "Not so fast,
My beauty! This is mine!"
His strong wing strikes with a dizzying shock;
Poor kittiwake, shrieking, flees;
His booty he takes to the nearest rock,
To eat it at his ease.
Poor kittiwake, shrieking, flees;
His booty he takes to the nearest rock,
To eat it at his ease.
The scared birds scatter to left and right,
But the bold buccaneer, in his glee,
Cares little enough for their woe and their fright,—
"'Twill be your turn next!' cries he.
But the bold buccaneer, in his glee,
Cares little enough for their woe and their fright,—
"'Twill be your turn next!' cries he.
He sees not, hidden behind the rock,
In the sea-weed, a small boat's hull,
Nor dreams he the gunners have spared the flock
For the Burgomaster Gull.
In the sea-weed, a small boat's hull,
Nor dreams he the gunners have spared the flock
For the Burgomaster Gull.
