Sea Lady Dancing by Thomas Crofton Croker

(An excerpt from The Wonderful Tune)

Nature Poems for Children

The big seals in motion,
Like waves of the ocean,
Or gouty feet prancing,
Came heading the gay fish,
Crabs, lobsters, and cray-fish,
Determined on dancing.

The sweet sounds they followed,
The gasping cod swallow’d—
‘Twas wonderful, really;
And turbot and flounder,
‘Mid fish that were rounder,
Just caper’d as gaily.