THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 81 



But only two or three he'd caught, 

 Ere midway in the stream he brought 



A small, but struggling dace ; 

 When out the perch from ambush burst, 

 And seized him as he did the first, 



And in the selfsame place. 



" Well," said the angler, " bold you are, 

 And, just for fun, I'll see how far 



You'll go with your intent." 

 And in that mind he let him make 

 His pulls, and shakes, and strains to take, 



'Till down his throat it went. 



And down went he, quite out of sight, 

 Thinking, no doubt, that all was right, 



But soon he found 'twas wrong ; 

 For now, the angler play'd his part, 

 And with his hair made perch to smart, 



For it was pretty strong. 



He held him tight with might and main, 

 And perchy pull'd and pull'd again, 



But could not get away; 

 For from the dace the hook had slipp'd, 

 And gone clean through his upper lip, 



And there he was at bay ! 



The wondering angler swung him out, 

 Still wondering how it came about 



And often since has thought, 

 How such a change could come to pass, 

 And how the dace was saved at last, 



And how the perch was caught ! 



Yet, so it was, for we were there, 

 And saw the whole of the affair 



As plainly as could be ; 

 We, therefore, for the truth can vouch, 

 And more we search'd the perch's pouch, 



And there no dace could see. 



