Original Size — Medium-Size
Drawing near the huge chair with a reverent air,
With knee lowly bent, hand on heart, and head bare,
“Quite delighted, I’m sure,” so Puss courteously spake,
“The acquaintance of one so distinguished to make,
For skill that’s gigantic in arts necromantic,
Whose fame—not to speak it in terms sycophantic—
Is driving with envy all wizards quite frantic,
European, or Asian, or e’en Transatlantic!”
Here Puss bowed again with a courtier-like antic.
Even wizards, I fear, or so ’t would appear,
Cannot always, unmoved, artful flattery hear.
The Ogre said, “Ugh!
Pray who are you?
In return for these compliments what can I do?
For since I’m not vain, it seems pretty plain
You would not tell me this without some hope of gain.”
Says Pussy, “Quite right—you ’re very polite—
Of your magical powers I’d fain have a sight.
There’s one now report says is yours, the which borders
On what is impossible.” “Pray give your orders,
And I ’ll open your eyes with a little surprise,
And prove that report does not always tell lies.”
“Well, since you’re so kind—what a wonderful dodge I call
Is the power of assuming all shapes zoological—
Ape, bear, lion, elephant, wolf, hippopotamus
(The latter a beast
Scarcely known in the least
Till the Pacha of Egypt obliging got ’em us),
Tiger, peccary, leopard, gnu, paradoxurus;
Or e’en if you wish
A bird or a fish—
The penguin, for instance, or Buckland’s silurus.”
Said the Ogre, “He! he!
You quickly shall see—
That’s only child’s-play to a wizard like me!”
So without more ado, hands and knees on he sunk,
His ears turned to flaps, and his nose to a trunk,
And his form all at once took so quickly to swelling,
He threatened to knock off the roof of his dwelling.
“Bravo!” cried the cat; “that’s capital, that!
You ‘re almost as big as the Heidelberg vat!
But can you now, please, with just as much ease
Into smaller dimensions at once yourself squeeze?
Say, turn from the elephant, big as the house,
Sans any embarrassment, into a mouse?”
Bulk, big legs, and trunk
Immediately shrunk!
In three seconds—no more—
Was a mouse on the floor
Where the elephant stood but an instant before.
At one bound, quick as thought,
That mouse Pussy caught,
And before any aid from his charms could be sought,
Or help could be had from the spirits who followed him,
Had given the magician one grip—and then swallowed him!
Then back to the door
Puss hastened once more,
Just in time to receive the state carriage and four.
He helped to descend
His master and friend,
Who was still in bewilderment how it would end,
And proceeded to bring
The Princess and the King
Through all the grand rooms,
Where pages and grooms—
Who were glad with the Marquis their old situations
To hold in the castle—made low salutations.
To cut my tale short,
They returned to the court,
And, since nobody wished their attachment to thwart,
The young folks were married,
And he his bride carried
To his castle, where happily ever they tarried;
And the cat was provided—
The King so decided—
With a cushion of silk
And a gallon of milk
Every day of his life till the day that he died-ed.
I ‘ve only to add
The fortunate lad
Sent and fetched his two brothers so cruel and bad,
And recalling the past
To their memory, at’ last
Told his present good fortune, which made them aghast;
And then, bidding them better in future behave them,
To be nobly revenged on them both—he forgave them!