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Aux Animaux
In Holland, at the Hague, you know,
Well-regulated people go
To the Hotel Ozanimo.
(The spelling I've carnegified;
I often do this on the side).
Here all Creation lives in peace,
And therefore Wonders never Cease!
[Illustration]
ERIC'S
BOOK OF BEASTS
DONE IN WATER-COLORS
AND ACCOMPANIED WITH APPROPRIATE
JINGLES BY
DAVID STARR JORDAN
INTERPRETED IN BLACK AND
WHITE BY
SHIMADA SEKKO
[Illustration]
PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY
PUBLISHERS·SAN FRANCISCO
Copyright, 1912
By Paul Elder & Company
Prefatory Note
These cartoons were made one by one in moments of leisure to please a
small boy. They are now reprinted in the hope of pleasing other small
boys and girls. They were originally in color, but for the present
purpose they have been made over in black and white by a Japanese
artist, who has given them life by occasional quaint touches of his own.
David Starr Jordan
Stanford University, California
January 19, 1912
L'Envoi
I write and paint in doggerel
Though all the Muses shriek and yell!
I go serenely on my way
Not caring what such folks may say!
Contents
Page
Aux Animaux _Frontispiece_
Prefatory Note iii
L'Envoi v
Eric's Planet 2
The Caravan 4
Jack the Rabbit 6
An Elephant 8
The 'Potamus 10
My Crocodile 12
The Giraffe 14
A Goat 16
The 'Possum 18
Old Sea Catch 20
Quail 22
The Ptarmigan 24
The Pelican 26
The Man 28
The Fish 30
The Lion 32
Horned Toad 34
A Hospitable Reptile 36
A Social Lobster 38
Cats and Kings 40
Little Children 42
Six Kings 44
An Aspiring Monkey 46
Old Time Folks 48
The Wunx 50
Totem Poles 52
Organ and Organ Man 54
In Moonlight 56
Hunter and Deer 58
The Gazelle 60
A Bulldog by the River 62
The Squidgecumsquees 64
Road to Mandalay 66
Mitgard Serpent 68
Saint Georgeing the Dragon 70
Flotsam and Jetsam 72
The Atoll 74
Storm Wind 76
Eric in the Dark 78
Mars' Stars and Pa's 80
The Porcupine 82
The Purple Cow 84
I and Gnu 86
Bobo 88
The Lone Salmon 90
Bean Soup 92
A Lost Shadow 94
The Gazibou 96
In Junglest Africa 98
Eric Fishing 100
Eric's Bulldog 102
The Steering Gear 104
Brother Knight 106
My Daddy's Family 108
Christmas Past 110
The Last Act 112
Inca _Tail-piece_
ERIC'S BOOK OF BEASTS
[Illustration]
Eric's Planet
Eric said to Jupiter:
"Here I am. Good
morning, Sir,
What are your small
planets worth?
Give me one. I'll
take the Earth."
[Illustration]
The Caravan
Van! Van! Caravan!
Who is the camel and
which is the man?
[Illustration]
Jack the Rabbit
Jack the Rabbit
Has the habit
When you look him
in the face
He is in some other
place.
[Illustration]
An Elephant
I never saw an Elephant
But that's no symptom
that I sha'n't.
[Illustration]
The 'Potamus
My little 'Potamus and I
Walk hand in hand when
roads are dry,
But when the clouds
begin to rain,
I creep into his mouth
again.
[Illustration]
My Crocodile
My Crocodile is good to me—
He is as nice as he can be;
But when I go out for a ride,
I'd rather not come back
inside.
[Illustration]
The Giraffe
If the Giraffe were not so tall
He'd be an Awful Cannibal,
But just before he goes to bed
He sits awhile upon his head.
[Illustration]
A Goat
This little beast is called
a Goat,
He isn't anything of note,
But give him a tomato can
And he's a match for any
Man.
[Illustration]
The 'Possum
The 'Possum sees the
little boy;
It does not seem to
give him joy.
[Illustration]
Old Sea Catch
Old Sea Catch comes out
on the shore
To Roar,
And then he thinks it's
time once more
To Roar,
And then he thinks he'll
have to roar
Some more!
[Illustration]
Quail
I would not like to be a
Quail,
And have Salt sprinkled
on my Tail.
[Illustration]
The Ptarmigan
The Ptarmigan lives in
the Snow;
Can Eric see him? I
don't know.
[Illustration]
The Pelican
If I were born a Pelican,
I'd try my best to be a Man!
[Illustration]
The Man
If I were born a Man, I'd wish
I might associate with Fish.
[Illustration]
The Fish
If I were born a fish—
but then,
No use to wish: Men
must be Men.
[Illustration]
The Lion
The Lion looks like Santa
Claus,
I think that this should
give him paws.
When he on Lionizing's
bent,
He always looks benevolent.
[Illustration]
Horned Toad
Phryne is the beast, his name,
Eric loves him just the same;
On his back, see, if you please,
Eric's name in Japanese.
[Illustration]
A Hospitable Reptile
This Reptile is a hardened
sinner;
But when a friend drops in
for dinner,
He greets him with an
open smile,
And makes him merry
quite a while.
O let us, like this Reptile,
be
Renowned for Hospitality!
[Illustration]
A Social Lobster
The Lobster's home is in
the Sea;
It is as humble as may be.
But he has wandered far
afield,
And now his presence is
revealed
Within our best Society.
This Lesson to us all is
sent
To lend us due Encouragement.
[Illustration]
Cats and Kings
A Cat may look at any King,
If he cares for that sort of
thing;
And, if he likes the likes of
that,
Most any King can see a Cat.
[Illustration]
Little Children
Little children at their play,
Happy, scrappy all the day.
[Illustration]
Six Kings
There were six Kings of
Yvetôt;
They stood up there all in
a row,
And every time they looked
around
They cast their eyes upon
the ground.
I do not like to look at
Kings—
They do such very awful
things;
For actions such as this
must tend
To make one's hair stand
up on end!
[Illustration]
An Aspiring Monkey
Once a Monkey in Japan
Vowed his destiny was Man;
So he climbed up in a tree,
Then I saw him wink at me.
[Illustration]
Old Time Folks
These twain our ancestors
must be,
(Arboreal, undoubtedly)
But this is true; it seems
to me,
If Adam looked like this
and Eve,
(With no intention to
deceive)
Thus in Creation's Rosy
Dawn,
I'm glad that I came later
on.
[Illustration]
The Wunx
In their dugout lives the Wunx
With his jolly family;
Tasting happiness in chunks,
Just the same as you and me:
Not much use the world to
roam—
Happiness is found at home.
(After J. W. R.)
[Illustration]
Totem Poles
O, my Prophetic Soul!
I see a Totem Pole—
The only Ancient Screed
That Hempl cannot read!
[Illustration]
Organ and Organ Man
The children sing in far Japan;
The children sing in Spain;
The organ and the organ man
Are singing in the rain!
R. L. S.
[Illustration]
In Moonlight
The squally Cat and squeaky
Mouse;
The howly Dog, by the door
of the house;
The Bat that hangs to his bed
till noon,
They all come out by the light
of the moon.
R. L. S.
[Illustration]
Hunter and Deer
"The Hunter still the Deer
pursues,
The Hunter and the Deer
a shade."
[Illustration]
The Gazelle
I never loved a fond Gazelle
But it would jump and snort
and yell.
[Illustration]
A Bulldog by the River
A Bulldog by the river's brim,
A sinful Bulldog was to him.
[Illustration]
Squidgecumsquees
The Cats catch Mice and the
Goblins chase the Elves,
But the Squidgecumsquees
they swallow themselves.
(After J. W. R.)
[Illustration]
Road to Mandalay
On the Road to Mandalay
Where the Flying Fishes play
And the Dawn come up like
thunder
Out of China, 'cross the Bay.
R. K.
[Illustration]
Mitgard Serpent
It was the Mitgard Serpient,
He grabbed the Earth and
away he went;
(The Mitgard Serpent was a
Cat
With a dozen legs, or about
like that).
He swallowed his tail with
all his might,
Then spit on his claws and
held on tight;
And so the world went round
all right.
And 'twas sometimes day and
sometimes night,
And 'twas always dark when
it wasn't light.
[Illustration]
Saint Georgeing the Dragon
There once was a brave
Knight of Pendragon,
Who tried to Saint George
an old Dragon;
But the Dragon had Claws
At the ends of his Paws,
(With no adequate Pauses
At the ends of his Clauses).
At last when the scrimmage
was done,
The Dragon had most of
the Fun!
[Illustration]
Flotsam and Jetsam
There once was a person
in Spatsum
Who et some and gave to
his cat some;
But just what he et
That I cannot tell yet,
But 'twas probably
Flotsam and Jetsam.
[Illustration]
The Atoll
I know a magic circle in the
Sea
Etched on the blue with pale
gray coral sand.
A mountain sank there once,
amid the spray,
Its widening eddies stiffened
into land
With lazy surges flapping
on the strand!
[Illustration]
Storm Wind
One day the Storm Wind
came to town
And the Barometer went
down.
And all the dogs and cats
had wings—
And so had all the other
things.
[Illustration]
Eric in the Dark
Little Eric in the dark
Saw a Boojum and a Snark
With a bunch of Gobelins;
Also many other things.
Such, a small boy sees in
dreams
When by night he ups and
screams.
[Illustration]
Mars' Stars and Pa's
The Sun is down,
The lazy Hound;
The Moon is up,
The little Pup.
I see the Stars;
One of 'em's Mars,
I think the others
Must be Pa's.
The Stars shine bright,
I'm sure it's night;
Then go to bed,
You sleepy-head!
[Illustration]
The Porcupine
The Porcupine's awake at
Dawn
To see how Eric's coming on.
[Illustration]
The Purple Cow
"I never saw a Purple Cow!"
How can I paint one? This
is How!
[Illustration]
I and Gnu
When we have nothing else
to do
We ride together, I and Gnu;
And if I'm feeling extra smart,
I take him spinning in my
cart!
[Illustration]
Bobo!
Comes the Bobo from his lair,
Cats and squirrels in his hair.
Eric's not a bit afraid;
He knows how such beasts
are made.
[Illustration]
The Lone Salmon
Little Eric caught a Salmon
Wandering through the field!
Mother said: "It is alarmon'
What our waters yield."
[Illustration]
Bean Soup
Bean soup is bad!
It makes me mad
When mother gives such
stuff to me.
But when I pour
It on the floor
I'm just as happy as I can be.
When Mother spanks
I give her thanks,
Because I know 'tis good
for me.
A happy Boy
Am I. O Joy!
What time my Daddy
paints for me!
[Illustration]
A Lost Shadow
Eric and his little Shadow
Went out walking in the
Meadow.
Little Shadow got away—
Haven't seen him since
that day.
[Illustration]
The Gazibou
Here we go, O Gazibou!
Eric's not afraid of you;
You may scratch and
reach and cough
But you cannot throw
him off!
[Illustration]
In Junglest Africa[A]
When politicians bungle
'Tis quiet in the Jungle—
For all the Beasts are tired
Because a Man is fired.
And may the parrot teach us
This lesson of the hour—
That going out of Office
Is going into Power.
[A] The cartoon is suggested by one in the "Indianapolis
News," 1910.
[Illustration]
Eric Fishing
Little Eric went a-fishing
With his rod and line and
hook,
And his wishing cap for
wishing
Half the minnows in the
brook.
This is what he caught by
wishing:
Trout and flying-fish and
whale.
This is what he caught by
fishing:
One small tadpole by the
tail!
[Illustration]
Eric's Bulldog
Bulldog is a fearsome thing—
Eric leads him with a string.
[Illustration]
The Steering Gear
Brother Knight pounds away
with his hammer so gay,
While Daddy does stunts
with his pen;
And mother sits clear at the
steering gear
And bosses all three of us
men.
[Illustration]
Brother Knight
Brother Knight is fond of curls;
Half his ancestors were girls!
So your daddy says; but, then,
Half of mine were gentlemen.
Thus we understand each other
As a sister does a brother.
'Tis a combination fine—
Will you be my Valentine?
[Illustration]
My Daddy's Family
Brother Knight, he is all right,
With Harold, Edith and the
rest;
But of all my Daddy's family
I like myself the best.
[Illustration]
Christmas Past
Content am I but just to
sign the checks;
Nor wot what mystery is
brewing next!
[Illustration]
The Last Act
Eric's grown up with the
men;
He won't need these things
again.
Sweep them out! He'll find
his Joy
With some other sort of Toy!
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Little Incas have long ears,
May they sleep a thousand years!
AND SO HERE ENDETH "ERIC'S BOOK OF BEASTS" WHICH DAVID STARR JORDAN DID
WITH HIS PEN AND PAINT BOX, BUT THE PICTURES WERE TOO BEE-YOUTIFUL AND
'SPENSIVE; SO HE GOT HIS FRIEND, SHIMADA SEKKO, TO TRANSLATE THEM INTO
CALM BLACK AND WHITE. PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY OF SAN FRANCISCO HAVE MADE
THEM INTO A BOOK, WITH GREAT GLEE. AT THEIR TOMOYE PRESS JOHN SWART
DESIGNED THE TYPE FACE, AND JEAN OLIVER HELPED WITH THE DECORATIONS—AND
IT WAS ALL FINISHED AND SENT OUT INTO THE WORLD FOR GOOD BOYS AND GIRLS
IN THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY, 1912
End of Project Gutenberg's Eric's Book of Beasts, by David Starr Jordan
