Don't You See?

The day was hotter than words can tell,

So hot the jelly-fish wouldn't jell.

The halibut went all to butter,

And the catfish had only force to utter

A faint sea-mew — aye, though some have doubted,

The carp he capered and the horn-pout pouted.

The sardonic sardine had his sly heart's wish

When the angelfish fought with the paradise fish.

'T was a sight gave the bluefish the blues to see,

But the seal concealed a wicked glee—

The day it went from bad to worse,

Till the pickerel picked the purse-crab's purse.

And the crab felt crabedder yet no doubt,

Because the oyster would n't shell out.

The sculpin would sculp, but had n't a model,

And the coddlefish begged for something to coddle.

But to both the dolphin refused its doll,

Till the whale was oblidged to whale them all.