Fourth Reader

Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note,
As his corse to the rampart we hurried;
Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot
O’er the grave where our hero we buried.

We buried him darkly at dead of night,
The sods with our bayonets turning;
By the struggling moonbeam’s misty light,
And the lantern dimly burning.

No useless coffin enclosed his breast,
Nor in sheet nor in shroud we wound him;
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest,
With his martial cloak around him.

Few and short were the prayers we said,
And we spoke not a word of sorrow;
But we steadfastly gazed on the face that was dead,
And we bitterly thought of the morrow.

We thought, as we hollowed his narrow bed,
And smoothed down his lonely pillow,
That the foe and the stranger would tread o’er his head,
And we far away on the billow!

Lightly they’ll talk of the spirit that’s gone,
And o’er his cold ashes upbraid him;
But little he’ll reck, if they let him sleep on
In the grave where a Briton has laid him.

But half of our heavy task was done
When the clock struck the hour for retiring;
And we heard the distant and random gun
That the foe was sullenly firing.

Slowly and sadly we laid him down,
From the field of his fame, fresh and gory!
We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone, —
But we left him alone with his glory.

    – Charles Wolfe.

THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINBAD

I desired, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at Bagdad, but it was not long before I grew weary of an indolent life. My desire to trade revived. I bought goods suitable for the commerce I intended, and put to sea a second time with a number of my friends among the merchants. We traded from island to island, and exchanged our goods with great profit to ourselves.

At length one day we landed on an island covered with several kinds of fruit trees, but we could see neither man nor animal. We went to take a little fresh air in the meadows, along the streams that watered them. While some of the merchants amused themselves with gathering flowers and fruits, I filled my bag with food, and sat down near a stream between two high trees, which formed a thick shade. I made a good meal, and afterwards fell asleep. I cannot tell how long I slept, but when I awoke the ship was gone. I got up and looked around, but could not see any of my friends who had landed with me. I perceived the ship under sail, but so far away that I lost sight of her in a short time.

In this sad condition I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in agony, beat my head and breast, and threw myself upon the ground, where I lay some time in despair. I reproached myself a hundred times for not being content with the produce of my first voyage, which might have been sufficient for me all my life. But all this was in vain, and my repentance too late.

At last I resigned myself to my condition. Not knowing what to do, I climbed up to the top of a lofty tree, and looked about on all sides, to see if I could discover anything that could give me hopes. When I gazed towards the sea, I could see nothing but sky and water; but looking over the land I beheld something white, at so great a distance, however, that I could not distinguish what it was. I came down from the tree, and, taking what provisions I had, walked towards the object. As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a great height and extent, and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found it to be very smooth. I examined it carefully to see if it was open on any side, but saw that it was not. It was, at least, fifty paces around, and so smooth that it was impossible for me to climb to the top.

Just before sunset the sky became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was much astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it caused by a bird of a monstrous size that came flying towards me. I remembered that I had often heard sailors speak of a miraculous bird called the roc, and concluded that the great dome which I so much admired must be its egg. In a few moments the bird alighted, and sat over the egg. As I perceived her coming, I crept close to the egg, so that I had before me one of her legs, which was as large as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban, in hopes that the roc, next morning, would carry me with her out of this desert island.

As soon as it was daylight, the bird flew away and carried me so high that I could not discern the earth. She afterwards descended with so much rapidity that I almost lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground, I speedily untied the knot. I had scarcely done so, when the roc, having taken up a large serpent in her bill, flew away.

The spot where I found myself was surrounded on all sides by mountains, that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity. When I compared this place with the desert island from which the roc had brought me, I found that I had gained nothing by the change.

As I walked through the valley, I saw that it was strewed with diamonds, some of which were of a surprising size. I took pleasure in looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance a great number of serpents, so large that the smallest of them was capable of swallowing an elephant. The sight of these serpents greatly terrified me, and very much diminished the satisfaction I had derived from the diamonds.

I spent the day in exploring the valley, as I found that the serpents retired in the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves from their enemy, the roc. When night came on, I went into a cave, and secured the entrance, which was low and narrow, with a great stone. I ate part of my provisions, but the serpents, which began hissing around me, put me into such extreme fear, that I could not sleep. When the sun rose, they disappeared and I came out of the cave trembling. I can justly say that I walked upon diamonds, without feeling any desire to touch them. At last I sat down, and, notwithstanding my fears, not having closed my eyes during the night, fell asleep. But I had scarcely shut my eyes when something that fell near by with a great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat, and at the same time I saw several others fall on the rocks in different places.

I had always regarded as fabulous the stories I had heard sailors and others relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the devices employed by merchants to obtain the jewels. Now I found that they had stated nothing but the truth. The fact is, that the merchants come to the neighborhood of this valley when the eagles have young ones, and throw great joints of meat into the valley; the diamonds upon whose points the joints fall stick to them. The eagles, which are stronger in this country than anywhere else, pounce upon these pieces of meat, and carry them to their nests on the precipices of the rock, to feed their young. The merchants at this time run to the nests, disturb and drive off the eagles by their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.

Until I perceived the device, I had concluded it to be impossible for me to escape from the valley which I regarded as my grave; but now I changed my opinion, and began to think upon the means of my deliverance. I collected the largest diamonds I could find, and put them into the leather bag in which I had carried my provisions. Then I took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with the cloth of my turban, and laid myself upon the ground with my face downwards, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.

I had scarcely placed myself in this position when the eagles came. Each of them seized a piece of meat, and one of the strongest having taken me up, with the piece of meat to which I was fastened, carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants immediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but recovering himself, instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel with me, and asked why I stole his goods. “You will treat me,” I replied, “with more civility, when you know me better. Do not be uneasy; I have diamonds enough for you and myself, more than all the other merchants together. Whatever they have they owe to chance, but I selected for myself in the bottom of the valley those which you see in this bag.” I had scarcely done speaking, when the other merchants came crowding about us, much astonished to see me. They were much more surprised, however, when I told them my story.

They conducted me to their encampment, and, when I had opened my bag, they were struck with wonder at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed that in all the places they had visited they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I spent the night with them, and related my story a second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the dangers I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could scarcely believe myself safe once more.

The merchants continued for several days to throw their pieces of meat into the valley, and when each was satisfied with the diamonds that had fallen to his lot, we left the place. We took shipping at the first port we reached, and finally landed at Bussorah, from whence I proceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the poor, and lived honorably upon the vast riches I had gained with so much trouble and danger.

– The “Arabian Nights’ Entertainment.”

THE DAFFODILS

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils
Beside the lake beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye