Grimm Tales Made Gay

I have pleasure in acknowledging the courteous permission of the editors to reprint in this form such of these verses as were originally published in Harper’s Magazine, The Century, Life, The Smart Set, The Saturday Evening Post, The Home Magazine, and the London Tatler. G. W. C. The Contents How the Babes in the Wood Showed They Couldn’t be Beaten How Fair Cinderella Disposed of Her Shoe How Little Red Riding Hood Came to be Eaten How the Fatuous Wish of a Peasant Came True How Hop O’ My Thumb Got Rid of an Onus How the Helpmate of Blue-Beard Made Free with a Door How Rumplestilz Held Out in Vain for a Bonus How Jack Made the Giants Uncommonly Sore How Rudeness and Kindness Were Justly Rewarded How Beauty Contrived to Get Square with the Beast How a Fair One no Hope to His Highness Accorded How Thomas a Maid from a Dragon Released How a Beauty was Waked and Her Suitor was Suited How Jack Found that Beans May go Back on a Chap How a Cat Was Annoyed and a Poet Was Booted How Much Fortunatus Could Do with a Cap How a Princess Was Wooed from Habitual Sadness How a Girl was too Reckless of Grammar by Far How the Peaceful Aladdin Gave Way to His Madness How a Fisherman Corked up His Foe in a Jar Envoi How the Babes in the Wood Showed They Couldn’t be Beaten A man of kind and noble mind Was H. Gustavus Hyde. ’Twould be amiss to add to this At present, for he died, In full possession of his senses, The day before my tale commences. One half his gold his four-year-old Son Paul was known to win, And Beatrix, whose age was six, For all the rest came in, Perceiving which, their Uncle Ben did A thing that people said was splendid. For by the hand he took them, and Remarked in accents smooth: “One thing I ask. Be mine the task These stricken babes to soothe! My country home is really charming: I’ll teach them all the joys of farming.” One halcyon week they fished his creek, And watched him do the chores, In haylofts hid, and, shouting, slid Down sloping cellar doors:— Because this life to bliss was equal The more distressing is the sequel. Concealing guile beneath a smile, He took them to a…