she was half lady and half cat—

what is so wonderful in that?

half of our lady friends (so say

the other half) are cats to-day.

in egypt she made quite a stir,

they carved huge images of her.

riddles she asked of all she met

and all who answered wrong, she ate.

when œdipus her riddle solved

the minx—i mean the sphinx—dissolved

in tears. what is there, when one thinks,

so wonderful about the sphinx?