Eagle and Stag
In lonely distant Highland glen,
Far away from abode of men,
A herd of deer they quietly graze,
No foe appears where e’er they gaze.
But there was one with flashing eyes
Was glaring on them from the skies,
Dooming the one whose antlered horns,
The monarch of the glen adorns.
The king of birds while high in air,
Resolves that he will boldly dare
To attack this fine, noble beast.
And from its heart’s blood have a feast.
He circles downwards in his flight,
Floats calm, takes aim, then with his might,
Like bullet strikes the mighty deer,
Whose frame doth tremble all with fear.
He doth not fear without a cause,
For eagle’s buried deep his claws
In the neck of this noble buck,
And with sharp beak its blood doth suck.
For fierce bird with powerful swing,
Lashes the deer with each big wing;
And with strong eflibrts too it trys
For to pick out Voth of its eyes.
But now the deer doth know its foe,
And with its antlers strikes it blow;
Makes it sprawl among the heather,
And doth ruffle up each feather.
But bird quick takes aerial flight,
And descends with power and might
Further back on the deer’s haunches,
Out of reach of antler branches.
But deer it was both wise and bold,
He down the hill with eagle rolled;
But bird he closer to it clung,
And from deer’s side the blood it wrung.
The stag, though suffering cruel harm,
Yet not o’erwhelm’d with alarm;
He threw himself heels over head,
Until at last the eagle fled.
And high again in air he flew,
Once more the contest to renew,
But deer made his escape full good
In the shade of a neighboring wood.
And bird descending for its prey,
Finds it hath swiftly fled away;
Eagle then like a hungry sinner
Had to seek elsewhere for its dinner.
And now it homeward takes its flight,
Its golden plumes in a sad plight,
To a high rock where its throbbing breast
May there find rest in its own nest.
And soon around the antler’d deer,
The does do crowd his heart to cheer,
Rejoicing he was so brave
As to drive off the winged knave.