Milmy-Melmy

MILMY-MELMY

By RACHEL POMEROY.

MANY hundred years ago,
People say,
Lived in busy Rhineland
Giants gay;
Folks of mighty stature,
Made so tall,
They would hit the sky in walking —
Stars and all.

When one stretched him on a mount
For a nap,
Why, the clouds would fit him
Like a cap;
In the valley under
Sprawled his toes;
How he could get out of bed
No one knows!

Did he snore a little loudish
(Do you wonder)?
People only thought it
Heavy thunder.
Did he have the nightmare,
Knock-a-knock!
Everybody grimly muttered:
"Earthquake shock!"

One of these tremendous fellows,
I suppose,
Could have hung your father
On his nose.
Half a score like you, sir,
(Don't look pale!)
Might have straddled see-saw
His thumb-nail.

He'd have been a crony
Worth the knowing!
For they were the kindest
Creatures going.
So good-natured, somehow,
In their ways;
Not a bit like naughty giants
Now-a-days.

Well, the biggest one among 'em,
So they tell me,
Had a pretty daughter —
Milmy-Melmy;
Ten years old precisely —
To a T;
Stout enough to make a meal of
You and me.

On her birthday, Milmy-Melmy,
All alone,
Started on a ramble —
Unbeknown.
Left her toys behind her
For a run; —
Big as elephants and camels,
Every one.

Through the country, hill and valley,
Went she fast;
Willows bent to watch her
As she passed;
Hemlock slender, poplar
Straight and high,
Brushed their tops against her fingers,
Tripping by.

Half a mile to every minute —
Like enough,
Though she found the going
Rather rough;
Men folk, glancing at her,
Cried aloud:
"We shall have a shower shortly —
See the cloud!"

Milmy-Melmy thought it rather
Jolly play
Nurse to leave behind, and
Run away;
In her life (imagine
If you can)
She had never seen a woman,
Or a man.

Three times thirty leagues of trudging
(Listen now)
Brought her to a plowman
At his plow;
Getting rather tired,
Stubbed her toe;
Stooped to see what sort of pebble
Hurt her so.

Picking up the plow and plowman,
Oxen, too,
Milmy-Melmy stared at
Something new!
Stuck them in her girdle,
Clapped her hands
Till the mountain echoes answered
Through the lands.

"Here's a better birthday present,"
Shouted she,
"Than the leather dollies
Made for me.
These are living playthings —
Very queer;
La! the cunning little carriage —
What a dear!"

So into her apron, tying
The new toy,
Off she hurried homeward
Full of joy;
Stood it on a table
In the hall;
Ran to bring her father to it,
Told him all.

"Milmy-Melmy," cried the giant,
"What a shame!
You must take the plaything
Whence it came.
These are useful workers,
Daughter mine,
Getting food for human beings, —
Corn and wine.

"Never meddle with such tiny
Folks again;
Only ugly giants love to
Trouble men."
Milmy-Melmy pouted
('T was n't nice),
But she carried back the playthings
In a trice.

When she 'd made her second journey,
Little sinner
Really felt too tired
For her dinner
So to bed they put her,
Right away,
And she had her birthday pudding
The next day.

What the plowman did about it,
Mercy knows!
Must have thought it funny,
I suppose.
If you want a moral,
Ask a fly
What he thinks of giants such as
You and I!

—St. Nicholas, June 1875, pp. 457-458.

Note: Each second line should be indented approximately 2 em spaces. Left quote marks were hanging outside the left margin.