John Skelton

[excerpt from John Skelton’s “Philip Sparrow," ~1805]

from Philip Sparrow

Sometime he would gasp
When he saw a wasp;
A fly or a gnat,
He would fly at that;
And prettily he would pant
When he saw an ant.
Lord, how he would pry
After the butterfly!
Lord, how he would hop
After the gressop!
And when I said, “Phip, Phip!”
Then he would leap and skip,
And take me by the lip.
Alas, it will me slo
That Philip is gone me from! . . .

[gressop = grasshopper]