LESSON 6

THE HUMMING-BIRD

THE humming-bird! the humming-bird!

So fairy-like and bright;

It lives amongst the sunny flowers,

A creature of delight!

In the radiant islands of the East,

Where fragrant spices grow,

A thousand thousand humming-birds

Go glancing to and fro.

Like living fires they flit about,

Scarce larger than a bee,

Amongst the broad palmetto leaves,

And through the fan-palm tree.

There builds her nest the humming-bird,

Within the ancient wood,

Her nest of silky cotton-down,

And rears her tiny brood.

She hangs it to a slender twig,

Where it waves light and free,

As the campanero tolls his song

While rocks the mighty tree.

All crimson is her shining breast,

Like to the red, red rose;

Her wing is the changeful green and blue

That the neck of the peacock shows.

Thou happy, happy humming-bird,

No winter round thee lowers;

Thou never saw’st a leafl ess tree,

Nor land without sweet fl owers:

A reign of summer joyfulness

To thee for life is given;

Thy food the honey from the fl ower,

Thy drink the dew from heaven!

—MARY HOWITT

fai´-ry-like　thou´-sand　change´-ful　sum´-mer　spic´-es

sun´-ny　crim´-son　pea´-cock　joy´-ful-ness　liv´-ing

isl´-ands　shin´-ing　leaf´-less　hon´-ey　hap´-py