The "Ark" Alphabet.
S stands, first, for Shem—that great Patriarch old;
Next, for Sheep, whose soft fleeces are worth more than gold
To people who live where the winters are cold.
T stands for the Tiger—a terrible beast!
If he dared, he would make on good Noah a feast.
U stands for the Urchin, which Hedgehog we call;
It rolls itself up in a round prickly ball.
V stands for the Vampire—a terrible bat;
And for Viper, whose head is remarkably flat.
W stands for the Wolf, who his old courage lacks,
Because he no longer can hunt with the packs.
X stands for Xiphias.—Noah did not provide
In the Ark for a creature that swam at its side.
Y stands for the Yak, which we call "grunting cow;"
Its tail for an ornament serves the Turks now.
Z stands for the Zebra: his beauty's contest:
In stripes brown and yellow his soft skin is drest.
