by Ernest Thompson Seton
Ah Yi! Yah-Ho-Ho!
By Grace Keir, Aiyahyde Tribe of Brooklyn, NY
There is a chestnut tree with a great hole,
It stands in the Forest upon a moss knoll,
Deep in its heart is a sleepy old owl,
Who stays out all night while the coyotes all howl.
Chorus:
Ah, Yi! Yah-ho-ho! Yah-ho-ho! Aih!
Ah, Yi! Yah-ho-ho! Yah-ho-ho! Aih!
Out on the stream where the ripples run down,
Close to the bank where the leaves they are brown,
There's where the caddis-fly hangs his net
Hoping to catch all the mites that get wet.
Up on the topmost cliff, high in the mountain,
Scarce dirt for nourishment, distant the fountain,
There from the millionth seed grows a great pine,
His spirit is bold and his health it is fine.
Look at that black-oak branch with its strange knot,
To know what it is we would give quite a lot,
There's where the gall-fly a cradle has made
And in the middle her baby is laid.
Woods have a carpet of all shades of brown,
The leaves from the past years--they seem to be blown!
But no, if you look quite sharp, there you will see
Six baby partridge chicks watching just me!
