Page:Poems of Emma Lazarus vol 2.djvu/233

To her castle the young Rabbi,
Offering to his tribe her bounty.

Rarely hath he crossed the threshold,
Yet the thought that he hath crossed it.
Bums like poison in the marrow
Of the zealous youth Pedrillo.

By the blessed Saint lago,
He hath vowed immortal hatred
To these circumcised intruders
Who pollute the soil of Spaniards.

Seated in his mother's garden,
At high noon the boy Pedrillo
Flayeth with his favorite parrot.
Golden-green with streaks of scarlet.

" Pretty Dodo, speak thy lesson,"
Coaxed Fedrillo — " thief and traitor *' —
" Thief and traitor ** — croaked the parrot,
" Is the yellow-skirted Rabbi."

And the boy with peals of laughter.
Stroked his favorite's head of emerald,
Raised his eyes, and lo ! before him
Stood the yellow-skirted Rabbi.

In his dark eyes gleamed no anger.
No hot flush o'erspread his features.