The Gargoyle often makes its perch On a cathedral or a church, Where, mid ecclesiastic style, It smiles an early-Gothic smile. And while the parson, dignified, Spouts at his weary flock inside,...
SEE the Gi-raffe; he is so tall There is not room to get him all U-pon the page. His head is high-er - The pic-ture proves it - than the Spire. That's why the na-tives, when they race...
It chanced that Allah, looking round, When he had made his creatures, found Half of an Eagle and a pair Of extra Lion legs to spare. So, hating waste, he took some glue And made a Gryphon of the two....
They certainly contrived to raise Queer ladies in the olden days. Either the type had not been fixed, Or else Zoology got mixed. I envy not primeval man This female on the feathered plan....
"OH, say, what is this fearful, wild In-cor-ri-gible cuss?" "This crea-ture (don't say 'cuss,' my child; 'T is slang) - this crea-ture fierce is styled The Hip-po-pot-am-us....
The Hydra Hercules defied, Its nine diminished heads must hide Before the baneful modern beast Who has a thousand heads at least. See how in horrid tiers they rise, With straining ears and bulging eyes,...
Biologists are prone to sniff At hybrids like the Hyppogriff. In evolution's plan, they say, There is no place for such as they. A horse with wings could not have more...
To call a Jinn the only thing One needed was a magic ring. You rubbed the ring and forth there came A monster born of smoke and flame, A thing of Vapor, Fume and Glare Ready to waft you anywhere....
THIS is the Le-o-pard, my child; His tem-per's any-thing but mild. The Le-o-pard can't change his spots, And that - so say the Hot-ten-tots - Is why he is so wild. Year in, year out, he may not change,...
Although a Fishwife in a sense, She does not barter Fish for Pence. Fisher of Men, her Golden Nets For foolish Sailormen she sets. All day she combs her hair and longs...
No book of monsters is complete Without the Minotaur of Crete. Yet should I draw him you would quail, So in his place I draw a veil. O stars, that from Creation's birth...
THIS, Chil-dren, is the famed Mon-goos. He has an ap-pe-tite ab-struse; Strange to re-late, this crea-ture takes A cu-ri-ous joy in eat-ing snakes - All kinds, though, it must be con-fessed,...
The Lord forgive if we transgress Thus to familiarly address One of our betters. But Jamie, do you no recall The slate whereon you learned to scrawl Your Humble Letters? ...