XLIII.

Whether some comrade of the dead,
Or Satan took it in his head,

To steal the corpse-the corpse had fled ! "Tis only written,

That "there was nothing in the bed,

But twelve were bitten!"

They saw he was a dwarfish man,
And very small and thin;

Not seven such would matter much,
And so they took him in.

They laugh'd to see his little hat,
With such a narrow brim;

They laugh'd to note his dapper coat,
With skirts so scant and trim.

But barely had they gone a mile,
When, gravely, one and all,
At once began to think the man
Was not so very small :

His coat had got a broader skirt,

His hat a broader brim,

His leg grew stout, and soon plump'd out A very proper limb.

Still on they went, and as they went,

More rough the billows grew,

And rose and fell, a greater swell

And he was swelling too!

And lo! where room had been for seven,
For six there scarce was space!

For five-for four!-for three !-not more
Than two could find a place!

There was not even room for one!
They crowded by degrees-
Aye-closer yet, till elbows met,
And knees were jogging knees.

S

They saw he was a dwarfish man,
And very small and thin;

Not seven such would matter much,
And so they took him in.

They laugh'd to see his little hat,
With such a narrow brim;

They laugh'd to note his dapper coat,
With skirts so scant and trim.

But barely had they gone a mile,
When, gravely, one and all,
At once began to think the man
Was not so very small :

His coat had got a broader skirt,
His hat a broader brim,

His leg grew stout, and soon plump'd out
A very proper limb.

Still on they went, and as they went,
More rough the billows grew,
And rose and fell, a greater swell—
And he was swelling too!

And lo! where room had been for seven,

For six there scarce was space!

For five!-for four!-for three !-not more Than two could find a place!

There wasnt even room for one!
They er ded by degrees-
ye-closet, till elbows met,
And k were jogging knees.

S