Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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tven the prim-looking goddess, threw manners to the winds, and extending themselves prone upon the heavenly floor, diligently applied an eye to the star-holes, tluit they might view Rustum ' s acrobatics in his aerial flight to- wards earth. ] [ost interested among the divine spectators, was the god of mischief himself. He will blimp hard, observed Boreas. ' His movements canni)t be termed graceful. remarked the prim- looking goddess. The god oi n ' .ischief sat back on his heels, and eyed the Goddess who had lirst spoken as she sprawled in rather an ungainl,- fashion before her star-hole. Neither, O Sister, he said, can thy ] resent ])osture be so termed. The prim-looking goddess hastily rose to her feet, as did all the Im- mortals, looking very ashamed of themselves, and so they missed the wel- come that Rustum was given by the villagers. He landed plump in the middle of the market-place, where all the peasants, having perceived Rustum descending from the clouds, had gathered in great excitement. Hast thou been to heax en . ' they demanded breathlessly. Yea. gasped Rustum. What happened? they cried. I was thrown out as an imposter, returned Rustum gloomilv. for- getting that he should keep up appearances. What? roared the angry villagers, and thou didst declare that thou wast the favoured t f the gods! .And forthwith the y ran to their huts to fetch their clubs. Rustum. with an energy remarkable considering his late breathless flight from the heavens, took to his heels, and was far away before the peasants had returned. As to when he stopped running-, or where his steps led hi ' m. nobody can tell — not, I believe, even the all-knowing gods. D. C. VI. 13

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trembling: Rustum found himself gazing into the grinning visage of a mons- ■ rous white ape. • , . Not so fast, mortal, cried the ape in the deep, guttural tones that had hrst so alarmed the wise mail. Oh holy ape, do not betray me to the wrath of the gods! implored the wretched man. The sacred ape vouchsafed no reply, but flinging Rustum over his shoulder, proceeded with long, swinging strides in the direction of the open portal of the Hall of Assembly. Entering, the great beast made his wa toward the dais from which not long before Boreas had addressed the divine audience. With one powerful arm the white ape held high, before the astonished gaze of the Immortals. Rustum ' s limp body, and cried in his mighty voice : Mortal feet have polluted the sacred precincts of our abode ! So to Rustum ' s confused senses came the sound of angr,-, protesting voices, one and all denouncing the human in their midst. Gathering to- gether what breath remained to him, the poor wise man shouted with all his might : I am a god ! I am a god ! I am a god ! Both Rustum and the outraged populace of the heavens ceased their clamour, while Boreas spoke. Let it not be said that the gods dealt unfairly with a mortal, he declared. Let him walk the heavenly floor. If he be immortal, he will survive the trial. This suggestion received the approbation of all but the sacred ape. When it comes to roses, growled he, a god is out of the running with an ape Then sniffling the air, he added decidedly: I am not mistaken, this is a mortal. Notwithstanding the ape ' s disa pproval. Rustum, all the gods and god- dresses thronging round, was led by Boreas down a flight of marble steps, from the foot of which stretched a level floor of gold so bright that Rus- tum ' s eyes were dazzled. What am I to do? asked he, bewildered, when they had reached the last step. You are to proceed five hundred paces over the sacred way which none but Immortal feet may tread in safety, said Boreas. The floor is filled with many a hole — Rustum groaned — - called by mortals stars. But tis only the gleam of the sacred way piercing to the underside of blue, commonly known as the sky. If you be mortal — in a stern tone — you will surely fall, and your body be hurled through space. As to whether you would in that case reach your native earth, he added with a shrug- of his massive shoulders, I cannot tell you. Rustum, trembling, set out on his treacherous path. I am lost, he cried aloud. Scarcely were the words uttered than he felt his foothold giving way. Next instant he was toppling head over heals into space, and, iri his dizzy somersaults, was catching a glimpse now of the rapidly-nearing earth, now of the treacherous star-points glimmering in the sky. So great was the excitement among the Immortals, that one and all, 12

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WISHES. I He upon the mossy bank Under the old oak tree, And watch the fleecy clouds float past So high and light and free I wish I were a fleecy cloud Drifting in the sky, For oh ! it must be lovely To go floating up so high. I stand upon the jag-ged cliffs, Watching the white sea-spray And I see the boundless ocean Go stretching far away. I wish I were an ocean wave Tipped with sparkling foam ; For oh ! it must be lovely O ' er the great wide sea to roam. I stand in a peaceful valley, And looking up I see On the mountain tops above me A lofty old pine tree. I wish I were a lofty pine Upon a mountain crest ; Of all the things Fd like to be I would like that the best. — M. D. IILa. OH! IT ' S A LOVELY LIFE. Tune — Oh ! It ' s a lovely war Oh, oh, oh it ' s a lovely life Who wouldn ' t be a schoolgirl, eh ! Oh, we ' d much rather work than play! As soon ar we enter the hall We feel just as glad as can be For we know we ' ll have fun Now school has begun And do we complain ? Not we ! Oh. oh. oh. it ' s a lovely life Why do we want to stay in bed When we can go to school instead? Translate Latin and do a sum What shall we do when the holidays come? Oh ! Oh ! oh, it ' s a lovely life. M. B-J. VI. 14