Title: The Animals' Rebellion
Author: Clifton Bingham
Illustrator: G. H. Thompson
Release date: November 15, 2005 [eBook #17068]
Most recently updated: December 12, 2020
Language: English
E-text prepared by Hilary Caws-Elwitt in honor of Jean Caws
The "Trip to Sea"1 had long been made,
The "Picnic"2 bills had all been paid;
But if you'll listen, I will tell
What made the animals rebel.
The Tiger was dissatisfied—
"Why should the Lion reign?" he cried;
"He's no more King of Beasts than I;
So let us all his rule defy!"
A secret meeting then he called:
And while the others stood appalled,
His wants and grievances explained,
And quickly some adherents gained.
The Fox his joy could not conceal--
"In guns," thought he, "I'll make a deal!"
The Owl, who all his speeches heard,
Took care to take down every word:
And ere the rising of the sun,
The Great Rebellion had begun!
1. "The
Animals' Trip to Sea."
2. "The
Animals' Picnic."
The King sat on his Throne one day,
His Crown upon his brow;
To him, in most obsequious way,
The Tiger made his bow.
His long petition he unrolled,
With names all written down;
The courtiers stared—their blood ran cold—
King Leo gave a frown.
"What have we here?" demanded he,
"And what does he require?"
The Elephant said, "Here I see
A traitor, royal sire!"
The Brown Bear murmured, "So do I—
He's right, without a doubt!"
The monarch cried, with flashing eye,
"Turn this intruder out!"
At midnight, in an empty hut,
Deep in the forest old,
The Rebels met with doors close shut,
Their dark schemes to unfold.
"Friends!" Tiger cried, "no more we'll brook
This despot's cruel reign;
Our charter lies before us—look!
The plan of our campaign!"
Directly Brother Fox was told,
He ransacked all his stores,
And soon was making bags of gold
And selling guns in scores.
The Brown Bear bought a blunderbuss;
And when they saw the arm,
The Bunnies all cried, "Don't shoot us!
We've not done any harm!"
The Tiger thought revolvers best,
So he bought half a score;
"No guns I've had," said Fox, with zest,
"Went off so well before!"
"Don't fear, my Bunnies, you'll be shot,
Though each has bought a gun;
I'll whisper this," said Fox: "they've got
Blank cartridge ev'ry one!"
From lair to lair the news soon spread,
And one and all leapt out of bed,
And sallied forth, with loud hurrays,
The Standard of Revolt to raise.
The Bear looked fierce, the Crocodile
Put on his most bloodthirsty smile;
The Leopard and the Wolf were there,
And cheers resounded in the air.
The Tiger roared a lengthy speech,
And called, in loudest tones, on each
To do his best when came the fray,
Not be afraid, nor run away.
Cried he: "Now, onward to the field,
To make this tyrant monarch yield!"
"Charge, Leopard, charge—on, Tiger, on!"
Were the first words of Rebellion.
Next morn a Scout the Camp alarms,
The Lion's soldiers fly to arms.
"The enemy advance!" he cries,
"And means to take you by surprise!"
In Leo's Camp, on Zootown plains,
The utmost consternation reigns.
This startling news the peaceful Camp
With preparation fills,
Resounding with the soldiers' tramp,
The noise of many drills.
The Sergeants shout, the General storms;
All round one sees and hears
The trying on of uniforms,
The clank of swords and spears.
The Fox pretended, by and by,
To be deaf, dumb and lame;
But Jacko, with a placard "Spy,"
Quite spoilt his little game.
Field Marshal Hippo shouted out,
"Arrest him on the spot!"
If he had not escaped, no doubt
He'd promptly have been shot.
Preparing for the coming fray,
The Camp was busy night and day;
The Rhino had his horn re-ground,
Because it had got blunt he found.
The Elephant had his tusks, too,
Re-sharpened till they looked like new;
In fact, the Ape's new grindstone strong
Was working nearly all day long.
All day the Camp was never still—
With marching to and fro, and drill;
And quite right too, since it appears
They hadn't been to war for years.
The oldest there had never known
Such preparations to be shown;
Indeed, they'd never had, somehow,
A great Rebellion until now.
Next day took place the Grand Review,
Before His Majesty,
The troops marched past in order true--
A splendid sight to see.
The speech he made filled all with pride,
As brave as brave could be:
"For Country and for King," he cried,
"On, on to victory!"
Then marched they forth unto the fray
A battle fierce took place next day;
I'm told it was a fearful fight,
That lasted quite from morn till night.
Through hail of shot and rain of lead,
His Rebel band the Tiger led;
And found that when the fight was done
A brilliant victory was won.
In vain King Leo's gallant band
(The Prince of Tails was in command)
Essayed the Rebel force to beat—
The effort ended in defeat.
Their cocoa-nuts, with deadly aim,
The Monkeys threw, but all the same;
Though Jumbo streams of water poured,
The enemy a victory scored.
Alas! for he so bravely fought,
Poor Jumbo wounded lay;
The ambulance they quickly brought
To where he fell that day.
"To Hospital this instant!" cried
The Surgeon in command;
"Don't let them say he would have died
If we'd not been at hand!"
"But, wait," he said, "till I with care
Have quite examined him!"
He probed him here, and probed him there,
And tested every limb.
"It's but a nervous shock!" he said,
"Since he's so large and fat;
You can't take him, and so, instead,
You'd better take his hat!"
Ere dusk the King's troops had retreated,
By Tiger's Rebel band defeated;
They ran pell-mell and helter-skelter,
For any place to give them shelter.
The Elephant, though he was wounded,
Ran faster than the big Baboon did;
The Owl to Camp flew like a bird
To tell the King what had occurred.
Rejoicings in the Rebel Camp
Were great indeed that night;
Each tent hung out a Chinese lamp
To celebrate the fight.
They sang and shouted, o'er and o'er,
Until their throats were tired;
They let off fireworks by the score,
A "feu de joie" was fired.
When Wolf, who's not a marksman good,
Shot holes in Bear's new hat,
Bear never even said, "You should
Apologise for that!"
In short, they would, as like as not,
Have kept it up till day;
Had someone not found out they'd shot
Their powder all away.
Next morn, with victory elate,
"Why should we wait or hesitate?
We'll march at once, without delay,
Upon the Capital!" cried they.
"That's capital!" a Monkey said,
(But he at once was sent to bed!)
But, all the same, it was agreed,
So General Tiger took the lead.
With flying flags and drums rat-tan
The Rebels' onward march began.
Cried Tiger, "Leoville one mile!"
"That's nothing!" said the Crocodile.
But Wolf, who kept a good look-out,
Saw Private Whiskers out on scout.
"Ha, ha," cried he, "I've caught a spy—
That means promotion by and by!"
"Great victory!" said Wolf, with pride,
And showed his prize with rapture;
"Well done, indeed," the Tiger cried,
"A most important capture!"
Soon with the Lion's gallant troops
The Rebels were engaged;
This way and that, 'midst wildest whoops
The tide of battle raged.
The Elephant first sounded "Charge!"
And valiant deeds performed;
The Rebels saw his trunk so large,
And trembled when he stormed.
At first, though, neither side gained much;
But when 'twas paw to paw,
The Owl, in his report, said, "Such
A fight I never saw!"
Said Wolf, "No more at war I'll scoff,
I think I'd best begone!"
And when the foe's last gun went off
The battle still went on.
But, oh! the finest sight to see
Was Leo's Giraffe Cavalry;
As down the battle plain they tore,
The Rebels saw that all was o'er.
As on the Monkey troopers swept,
The Bunnies to their holes all crept;
The foe who set triumphant out
Was first a rabble, then a rout!
The Owl, in "Zooland," said, next day:
"Our troops like chaff swept them away;
Their praises let us loudly sing,
Who won the day for Leo, King!"
The leader, Tiger, soon was caught,
And into Camp a prisoner brought;
A warning to this very day,
To all who at Rebellion play.
Field Marshal Leo then and there
A stern Court-Martial held;
The prisoner, with defiant air,
Explained why he rebelled.
"Such conduct," said the President,
"Admits of no defence;
But since you ask it, I'll consent
To hear the evidence."
'Twas heard—in "Zooland" of that week
You'll find the Owl's report;
The President then rose to speak,
The sentence of the Court.
"On all counts guilty he appears—
The prisoner's sentenced to
A lenient term—a hundred years
Confinement in the Zoo!"
The other Rebels, when they heard
Of what to Tiger had occurred,
Surrendered everyone next day,
And threw down arms without delay.
The Bear said, "I don't want to keep
My blunderbuss—'twas much too cheap!"
The Leopard and the Crocodile
Threw theirs upon the growing pile.
Of loyalty each took the oath,
While Jumbo and Lord Rhino, both
Promoted Colonels by the King,
Kept watch that each his gun did bring.
And Colonel Jumbo winked his eye
To Colonel Rhino, standing by:
"We'd be Field Marshals soon, no fear,
If we'd Rebellions ev'ry year!"
This done, the prisoners were sent
Off to perpetual banishment;
Forbidden thenceforth, under pain
Of death, to e'er come back again!
Oh, sad indeed that Rebel band,
That bade farewell to dear Zooland.
T'was soon remarked by not a few
That Hippo was not seen;
The rumour ran—alas! too true—
That he had wounded been.
Then messengers went out and found
The hero of the strife;
His wounds with bandages were bound
By his most loving wife.
The King himself, when he was told,
In person—came to see;
"When well," said he, "oh, hero bold,
Sir Hippo you shall be!"
With Surgeon's skill and wifely care
He soon recovered quite;
Now there's no soldier anywhere
Like Sir John Hippo, Knight.
With clash of brass and drums that banged,
With flags that flew and bells that clanged,
They celebrated, as you see,
The King's return from victory.
Rejoicings reigned on every hand,
The noise was great, the music grand;
They bought up all the butchers' shops,
Gave everyone free steaks and chops.
Buns, nuts and cakes were given away,
The children had a holiday;
His people came from far and nigh
To see King Leo riding by.
The cavalry were there, of course,
And everyone next day was hoarse;
For 'twas not often they could see
A King return from victory.
Next day the King an order gave
That he would distribute
His medals to his soldiers brave,
Both cavalry and foot.
The medals were the very best—
Some putty and some tin;
The King unto each hero's breast
Affixed them with a pin.
Now ended is the strife and fray,
Dispersed the Rebel train;
There's joy in Jumbo Hall to-day,
For Daddy's home again.
Watch Mamma Jumbo's beaming face
To see him safe and sound,
Of battle showing not a trace,
Although with glory crowned.
'Tis good once more to see him curl
His big trunk with delight,
And toss in air his baby girl
Before she says good-night.
While Tommy vows, when he is tall,
He'll fight with might and main;
Oh, all is joy at Jumbo Hall
Now Daddy's home again.
By the same Author and Artist.
The most fascinating thing of the kind we ever saw. — The Guardian.
Is brimful of fun from cover to cover. — The Queen.
Is extremely funny and decidedly original. —St. James's Gazette.
A hearty welcome to the nursery will be accorded to "The Animals' Trip to Sea." — The New York Churchman.
The cleverest thing we have seen for many moons in the shape of a picture-book for children. — Boston Herald.
Cannot fail to elicit shouts of laughter from the observing little ones. — The Boston Beacon.
It is a highly enjoyable book for children of all ages. — The Guardian.
Absolutely brimming over with wit and humour. — The Baptist.
The illustrations should bring a smile to the most sedate countenance. — Liverpool Courier.
This book deserves to be a favorite with holiday gift buyers. — Chicago Record Herald.
Is made up of humorous rhymes and quite as humorous pictures. — The Dial (Chicago).
The pictures are both colored and in black and white, and practical experience enables us to state positively that they do in point of fact immensely amuse young children. — The Outlook (New York).
