The Mermaid's Dolphin Coral Ripley

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The Sea Keepers series
The Mermaid’s Dolphin
The Sea Unicorn
Coral Reef Rescue
Sea Turtle School
Penguin Island
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Books. Change. Lives.

Copyright © 2021 by Orchard Books
Cover and internal design © 2021 by Orchard Books
First U.S. edition published in 2021 by Sourcebooks Young Readers.
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of
Sourcebooks.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any
form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information
storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing
from its publisher, Sourcebooks.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are
used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is
purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Sourcebooks Young Readers, an imprint of Sourcebooks
Kids
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
sourcebookskids.com
Originally published in 2020 in Great Britain by Orchard Books, an
imprint of Hachette Children’s Group, part of the Watts Publishing
Group Limited.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ripley, Coral, author.
Title: The mermaid’s dolphin / Coral Ripley.
Description: Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks Young Readers, [2021]
| Series: Sea keepers ; 1 | Originally published in 2020 in Great
Britain by Orchard Books, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group,
part of the Watts Publishing Group Limited. | Audience: Ages 7. |
Audience: Grades 2-3. | Summary: Chosen by water magic to
become Sea Keepers, new friends Emily, Grace, and Layla are
charged with finding magical Golden Pearls before the Siren Effluvia
can, and protecting all sea creatures--including merfolk. Includes tips
for being a real-life sea keeper.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020044954 (print) | LCCN 2020044955 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Mermaids--Fiction. | Friendship--Fiction. | Water
pollution--Fiction. | Marine animals--Fiction. | Animal welfare--
Fiction. | Moving, Household--Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.R5753 Mer 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.R5753
(ebook) | DDC [Fic]--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020044954
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020044955
 Contents

Front Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven
How to Be a Real-Life Sea Keeper

Excerpt from The Sea Unicorn

Chapter One

About the Author

Back Cover
 Special thanks to Sarah Hawkins.
For my brilliant daughter, Ella Leonard.
 Chapter One

The mermaid on the sign had a glittering golden tail, long red hair,
and a friendly smile. She looked so happy that Emily couldn’t help
smiling back as she looked up at her.
“The Mermaid Café,” Mom read aloud as she came to stand next to
Emily, her arms full of boxes. “I can’t believe it’s really happening!”
Emily grinned. Her mom had wanted to have her own café for as
long as Emily could remember. And when Dad had lost his job a few
months ago, the family had decided to move to the seaside and
make her dream come true.
“It’s beautiful,” Emily said to Mom. And it was. All the shops on the
old cobblestone road were painted pretty pastel colors—minty green,
lemon yellow, and sugary pink—but Emily thought the café was the
prettiest of all, a pale blue that matched the bit of sea she could see
twinkling down at the bottom of the hill. It was so different from the
big city they’d lived in before.
“Coming through!” Dad yelled as he staggered over with more
boxes. He stopped to plant kisses on both Emily’s and Mom’s cheeks
and then went indoors, whistling. Emily hadn’t seen him so cheerful
in a long time. She was pleased her parents were happy—but she
couldn’t help feeling sad at the same time. She’d left her school, her
friends, and everything she knew, back at home. Sandcombe was so
pretty, but she didn’t know anyone here. How would it ever feel like
home?
The mermaid on the café sign looked down at her kindly. It’ll all be
fine, she seemed to say. Emily took a deep breath and followed her
parents inside.
“Our things go in the apartment upstairs, Em, and the cooking
stuff goes in the kitchen,” Mom directed. “I need to start baking and
get this café up and running! Just be careful not to let the cat—”
An orange blur streaked down the stairs and ran out the front door.
“Out,” Mom finished.
“Sorry!” Dad clattered down the stairs, ducking so he didn’t hit his
head on the old beam.
“Dad!” Emily exclaimed. “Nemo is supposed to stay inside for two
weeks so that he can get used to his new home.” She couldn’t bear
it if Nemo got lost.
Emily was too little to remember much about when her parents
had adopted her as a toddler, but she had always loved animals, so
they had promised her a pet when they officially became a family.
Nemo was old and grumpy now, but he was still her furry best
friend—what if something happened to him?
“I’m sure he’ll be fine. I know you still see him as a cute kitten, but
he can look after himself. He’s probably terrorizing some seagulls
already,” Dad said.
“Want me to help you look for him?” Mom offered.
“It’s okay, I’ll go,” Emily said. “You continue setting up the café.”
“Thanks, darling,” Mom said gratefully.
“I’ll get his bed ready for when he comes home. And yours as well,
I suppose,” Dad joked.
The bell dinged as Emily went through the front door and Mom
squealed with delight. Emily chuckled, then started to make her way
down the cobbled street, toward the seafront.
“Nemo!” she called. She knew Dad was right—Nemo was a big,
tough, ginger tomcat—but she still worried about him getting lost.
What if he was confused, or scared?
The narrow street opened up to a big harbor filled with boats, and
a little sandy beach, curved like a crescent moon. As Emily walked
along the harbor wall, she peered behind a stack of lobster traps,
keeping her eyes out for a flash of orange fur. A girl about her age
wearing blue overalls ran up the steps from the beach. Her long dark
hair had a red bow in it, and she was carrying flip flops. She stopped
in front of Emily, her bare feet covered in sand.
“Have you lost something?” she asked.
“My cat!” Emily told her. “He’s supposed to stay indoors for two
weeks because we just moved here.”
“Oh no!” said the girl sympathetically. “I’ve always wanted a cat,
but my mom’s allergic. Don’t worry, I’ll help you look! I’m sure we’ll
find him.”
“Thank you!” Emily said.
“Where’s your new house?” the girl asked as they continued along
the harbor wall.
“My parents bought a café, the blue one, up there.” Emily pointed.
“Oh wow, that’s amazing!” the girl exclaimed. “I’m Layla. I live up
the hill.”
“I’m Emily. Thank you so much for helping.”
“It’s okay, I was only collecting sea glass,” Layla said as they
walked along, searching for Nemo. She pulled some smooth, cloudy
pieces of sea glass out of the pocket of her overalls and showed
them to Emily.
“You can find different-colored ones, but red is my favorite.”
 “Is that really glass?” Emily asked, admiring the subtle colors of
the frosted glass gems in Layla’s hand.
“Glass that’s gone into the sea and gotten polished,” Layla
explained, “and then it washes back up on the beach. It’s like buried
treasure!”
Emily smiled.
“Mermaid treasure!” she added.
She usually felt nervous talking to new people, but Layla was so
chatty and friendly she didn’t feel awkward at all.
“Oooh, yes, mermaid treasure!” Layla agreed.
Just then, Emily spotted something moving in the water. Her heart
jumped. Surely it couldn’t be…
Don’t be silly! she told herself. There’s no such thing as mermaids!
But then there was a splash. “Um, what’s that?” she asked Layla.
Layla strained to look out to sea and then gasped. “I think it’s a
dolphin.”
“Oh, wow!” Emily cried. She had always wanted to see a real-life
dolphin. She’d never thought she’d live so close to them!
“It’s swimming really weirdly, though,” Layla added. “Come on!”
she said, beckoning Emily to follow.
They ran past a fishing boat that was unloading its catch and
stopped at the very end of the harbor wall.
“There’s definitely something wrong with it,” Layla said, looking
worried.
“We have to do something,” Emily said.
But how could they help the dolphin?
 Chapter Two

As Emily tried to think what to do, Layla suddenly started jumping

up and down and waving her arms. For a second Emily didn’t know
what she was doing, but then she noticed a girl with blond hair on a
small boat out on the water.
“Grace! Grace!” Layla yelled.
Emily watched as the girl named Grace steered the dinghy into the
harbor.
“Are you okay?” she called up to them.
“Look over there,” Layla said, pointing. “There’s something wrong
with that dolphin. We have to help it!”
“Get in,” Grace cried, steering her little boat alongside some steps
so the other two could jump in.
Emily hesitated. She wanted to help, but she was supposed to be
looking for Nemo. Just then, she spotted something orange next to a
fishing boat moored in the harbor. It was Nemo! As Emily watched,
one of the men threw him a fish, and another scratched him behind
the ears. Dad was right, Nemo had made himself at home right
away!
Emily and Layla jumped down into the dinghy and Grace handed
them both life jackets.
“Hi,” Emily said shyly.
 “This is Emily. She just moved into the blue café,” Layla chattered.
“Grace has lived here forever. She’s an expert with boats because
her granddad’s a fisherman and owns a ship called The Salty
Seahorse. We’ll all be in the same class at school!”
“We might not be,” Emily said. At her old school, each grade was
separated into three classes. But it would be amazing if they were all
in the same class, then she would know someone on the first day of
school…
To her surprise, Grace grinned. “We definitely will! There’s only one
class for our grade,” she told Emily.
“You can sit next to me,” Layla promised. Emily’s heart jumped
happily. Suddenly, lots of her worries about going to a new school
vanished.
Grace gunned the engine, and the dinghy sped along the waves.
The wind whipped Emily’s hair, and she breathed in the sea air
excitedly. But she couldn’t stop worrying about the poor dolphin. As
they got closer, Emily could see his sleek, gray body dragging
something along behind him as he struggled to swim.
“It’s caught in a net!” Layla gasped.
Grace slowly steered the boat close to the dolphin, then switched
off the engine so the sound didn’t frighten him. As the dolphin
twisted, Emily could see his fin tangled in the net.
“We have to help!” she said.
Grace started taking off her shoes. She looked like she was going
to jump in! Emily grabbed her arm before she could.
“Be careful,” she told her. “Wild animals can be dangerous if
they’re hurt and scared.”
“Good point.” Grace nodded.
She grabbed the trailing end of the net, but the dolphin just
thrashed more wildly, spraying the girls with water, and rocking the
dinghy. “I can’t untangle it like this!” she cried.
“We have to do something,” said Emily.
She racked her brain for everything she knew about dolphins. They
ate fish, they lived in groups called pods, they liked singing to one
another… “Maybe we should sing to the dolphin to soothe him,” she
suggested.
“It’s worth a try,” said Grace. “But my voice is terrible.”
“Ooh! I love singing!” said Layla. “I’m in the school choir.” She
instantly launched into “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
To Emily’s amazement, the dolphin stopped thrashing. “We’re
going to get you out, just hold still,” Emily said softly, trying to keep
him calm.
As Layla continued singing—moving on to “Happy Birthday”—Emily
and Grace reached over the side of the boat and started tugging the
net away from the dolphin’s fin. The dolphin stayed still as he
listened. He seemed to like Layla’s sweet, clear voice.
“Got it!” Emily said eventually, tugging the last piece of tangled net
away from the dolphin’s fin and then collapsing into the dinghy.
Finally, the dolphin was free! Layla stopped singing and helped Emily
and Grace haul the net into the dinghy. The dolphin looked at them
for a moment, then seemed to realize he wasn’t tangled any more.
With an excited click, he flipped his tail and swam around the boat,
splashing and squealing, then he dived and disappeared into the
green depths. The girls laughed in delight.
“Where did you learn about dolphins?” Grace asked Emily.
She shrugged. “I watch a lot of nature shows on TV. I love
animals. But it was Layla’s singing that did the trick.”
“It was your idea,” said Layla. She smiled at the others. “The three
of us make a good team.”
 Emily looked at the net coiled in the bottom of the dinghy. It was
slimy with green seaweed, and it smelled horrible!
“The dolphin would have died if we hadn’t been able to free him,”
Grace said grimly. “My granddad would never leave a net in the sea
like this.”
There was a splash of water behind them. The dolphin was back!
He circled around and around, sped away a short distance, then
came straight back to the dinghy. Then he did it again and again as
the girls watched curiously.
Emily shook her head. It was as if the dolphin was trying to tell
them something.
“This might sound strange…” Layla said. “But I think he wants us
to follow him!”
“I think you’re right,” Grace said slowly. “My dog, Barkley, acts like
that sometimes.”
Emily looked at the dolphin’s wide grin. “Do you want us to follow
you?” she asked. The dolphin seemed to nod, then spun around and
swam off.
“Follow that dolphin!” yelled Layla.
Grace turned on the engine and they raced after the flashing fins.
A couple of times they almost lost sight of him, but both times the
dolphin popped his head out of the water, looking back at them and
clicking as if he was telling them to hurry up.
The dolphin led them toward the cliffs, then disappeared under the
waves.
“Oh,” Emily said, feeling disappointed. “Maybe he wasn’t trying to
lead us somewhere.” After all, dolphins couldn’t really understand
people. But she’d been so sure.
“Look, there’s the dolphin again!” Grace said, pointing.
 The dolphin was at the entrance of a cave. Grace started steering
the boat toward it.
“Is it safe to go in there?” asked Emily nervously.
Grace nodded. “The tide’s going out, so we’ll be fine.”
She turned off the engine, and they used the paddles to maneuver
the dinghy into the cave. At first it was small and dark, but then it
opened up into a huge cavern, filled with sparkling blue-green water.
Emily gasped, and next to her she heard Grace and Layla do the
same. It was so beautiful!
There was a small, sandy beach on one side, so they paddled over
and jumped out, splashing though the water as they pulled the
dinghy up onto the shore.
“I never knew this was here,” Grace said.
“It’s a secret cave!” Layla breathed.
“Not so secret anymore,” said a voice from the water.
The girls turned. There, in the middle of the aquamarine pool, was
the dolphin. And hugging him was a girl with the brightest, most
beautiful hair Emily had ever seen. The girl smiled and waved at
them, her pink and purple hair tumbling over her shoulders. Then
she dived under, and a moment later a glittering lilac-colored tail
flipped out of the water.
Emily felt her eyes widen. The girl was a real live mermaid!
 Chapter Three

The mermaid popped her head above the water again. “Thank you
for rescuing Kai,” she said, stroking the dolphin’s nose. “He’s my best
friend. With all the awful stuff happening at home, I couldn’t bear to
lose him too.”
Emily looked at Layla, but for once her chatty new friend seemed
lost for words. “You’re welcome,” Emily said. “I’m really sorry he got
caught in a net—”
“You’re a mermaid!” Layla blurted.
“My granddad always said mermaids were real,” Grace told her. “I
don’t think he’s ever met one, though.”
The mermaid laughed. “Well, we usually try to stay hidden from
humans. But Kai thought that you would be able to help. I’m Marina,
by the way, and this is Kai.”
“I’m Layla,” said Layla, “and this is Emily and Grace.”
“We definitely will help, if we can,” Emily told her.
Kai swam over to Emily, his mouth in a wide-open smile. Then he
turned and clicked at Marina.
The mermaid frowned and twisted a strand of her purple hair
around her finger. “I don’t know…” she said hesitantly.
Kai clicked again and smacked his tail on the water.
“I don’t know what he said, but I agree with the dolphin,” Layla
joked.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
E si na festividade
D’aquelle martyr frechado
Se dá á todo o culpado
Remissão e liberdade,
De Deus na Natividade,
Á que já de agora assisto,
Muito mais logar tem isto,
E com tanta mais razão
Quanto vai por medição
De São Sebastião á Christo.

Nós os abaixo assignados

Pedimos com humildade,
Ou fundados na piedade,
Ou na amizade fiados,
Que d’esses grilhões malvados
Por seu duro e infame tracto,
Solteis o prêzo malato,
Porque tem bons fiadores
Nestes vossos servidores,
De que ha de ser bom mulato.
 Á ANTONIA
MOÇA PARDA DE PERNAMIRIM CHAMADA VULGARMENTE
CATONA

Que pouco sabe de amor

Quem viu, formosa Catona,
Que ha nessa celeste zona
Astro ou luminar maior.
Tambem a violeta é flor,
E mais é negra a violeta,
E si bem póde um poeta
Uma flor negra estimar,
Tambem eu posso adorar
Nos céus um pardo planeta.

Catona é moça luzida,

Que á pouco custo se asseia,
Entende-se como feia,
Mas é formosa entendida:
Escuza-se commedida,
E ajusta-se envergonhada,
Não é tão desapegada
Que negue á uma alma esperança,
Porque emquanto a não alcança,
Não morra desesperada.
Piza airoso e compassado,
Sabe-se airosa mover,
Calça que é folgar de ver,
E mais anda a pé folgado:
Conversa bem sem cuidado,
Ri sizuda na occasião,
Escuta com attenção,
Responde com seu desdem,
E inda assim responde bem,
E bemquista a sem razão.

É parda de tal talento,

Que a mais branca e a mais bella,
Podéra trocar com ella
A côr pelo entendimento
A um prodigio, um portento;
E si vos espanta ver,
Que adrêde me ando a perder;
Dá-me por desculpa amor,
Que é femea trajada em flor,
E sol mentido em mulher.
 Á MESMA CATONA
DESPEDINDO-SE O AUCTOR DE PERNAMIRIM PARA A VILLA
DE S. FRANCISCO

Não vos pude merecer,

Pois vos não pude agradar,
Mas eu hei de me vingar,
Catona, em mais vos querer;
Vós sempre á me aborrecer
Com odio mortal e atroz,
E eu a seguir-vos veloz,
Si sois veremos emfim
Mais firme em fugir-me a mim,
Que eu em seguir-vos á vós.

Quizera vos persuadir,

Porque vos saibaes haver,
Que sou mais firme em querer,
Que vós ligeira em fugir:
Eu não hei de desistir
D’esta minha pretenção,
Quer vós o approveis, quer não,
Porque vêr me importaria
Si talvez faz a porfia
O que não fez a razão.
Mil vezes o tempo faz
O que á razão não conveio,
Metterei pois tempo em meio,
Porque elle nos metta em paz:
Vós estaes muito tenaz
Em dar-me um e outro não,
E eu, levado da affeição,
Espero tempo melhor,
Onde o que não obra amor
Vença o tempo, obre a razão.

Catona, a minha esperança

Me dá por conselho são,
Que espere, porque o rifão
Diz que quem espera alcança:
Tudo tem certa mudança,
O bem males ameaça,
O mal para bem se passa,
Que como a fortuna joga,
O braço que hoje me affoga,
Talvez amanhã me abraça.
 Á ANNICA
UMA MULATA DA CAJAHYBA

Annica, o que me quereis,

Que tanto me enfeitiçaes,
Uma vez quando cantaes,
E outra quando appareceis?
Si por matar-me o fazeis,
Fazei esse crime atroz
De matar-me sós por sós,
Para que eu tenha o soccorro,
Que vendo que por vós morro,
Viva de morrer por vós.

Matar-me eu o soffrerei,
Mas soffrei tambem chegar-me,
Que ter asco de matar-me
Jámais o consentirei:
Fugir e matar não sei,
Anna, como o conseguis?
Mas si a minha sorte o quiz
E vós, Anna, o intentaes,
Não podeis matar-me mais
Do que quando me fugis.
Chegae e matar-me já:
Não chegando estou já morto;
Coisa que se me tem absorto,
Matar-me quem não me dá:
Chegae, Anna, para cá,
Para dar-me essa ferida,
Porque fugir de corrida
E matar-me d’essa sorte,
Si o vejo na minha morte,
O não vi na minha vida.

Não sei que pós foram estes

Que na alma me derramastes?
Não sei com que me matastes?
Não sei o que me fizestes?
Sei que aqui me apparecestes,
E vendo-vos com antolhos,
Topei com tantos abrolhos
Na vossa dura conquista,
Que me tirastes a vista
E me quebrastes os olhos.
 Á UMA MULATA
DE PERNAMIRIM CHAMADA LUZIA

Parti o bolo, Luzia,

Que a mim mesmo me acommoda:
Não deis a fatia toda,
Dae-me parte da fatia:
Quem pede como eu pedia,
Pede tudo o que lhe importa
E acceita o que se lhe corta,
E quem dá com manha e arte
Seus dados sempre reparte,
Si tem mais pobres á porta.

Não é bem que tudo eu cobre,

E é bem que um pouco me deis;
Dae-me um pouco e alegrar-me-heis:
Com pouco se alegra o pobre;
Não deis coisa que me sóbre,
Dai-me siquer um bocado;
Mas o que vos persuado
Que deis com manha e com arte,
Dando vós e de tal parte,
Sempre será grande o dado.
Si á todos cinco sentidos
Não tendes coisa que dar,
Dae ao de vêr e apalpar,
Os dois sejam preferidos:
Não deis que ouvir aos ouvidos,
Mas dae aos olhos que vêr
E ao tacto em que se entreter;
Deitemos á bom partir
Os dois sentidos a rir
E os demais a padecer

As mãos folgam de apalpar,

Os olhos folgam de vêr,
Os dois logrem seu prazer,
Os tres sintam seu pezar:
Que depois que isto lograr,
Virá o mais por seu pé,
Que inda que ninguem me dê,
Nem eu o tome á ninguem,
Morrerá vosso desdem
Ás forças de minha fé.
 A ANTONIA
MOÇA PARDA, CHAMADA A MARIMBONDA, QUE MORAVA NA
RUA DA POEIRA, E A VIU O P. NO CAMPO DA PALMA DEBAIXO
DE UMA URUPEMBA EM CASA DE UMA AMIGA. ALLUDE AO
REMEDIO SYMPATHICO DE SE QUEIMAR A CASA DOS
MARIMBONDOS, PARA SE EXTINGUIR LOGO A DÓR DAS
SUAS PICADAS

Fui hoje ao Campo da Palma,

Onde com subito estrondo
Me investiu um marimbondo,
Que me picou dentro da alma:
Era já passada a calma,
E eu me sentia encalmado,
Corrido e injuriado,
Porque sendo obrigação
Metter-lhe eu o meu ferrão,
Eu fui o que vim picado.

Fiz por fecha-lo na mão,

Mas o marimbondo azedo
Me picava em qualquer dedo
E escapava por então:
Desesperada funcção
Foi esta, pois me fui pondo
Tão abolhado em redondo
Por cara, peito e vasios,
Que estou com febres e frios
Morrendo do marimbondo.
Dizem que a vingança está
Em lhe saber eu da casa,
Porque deixando-lh’a em braza,
Um fogo outro abrandará:
Mas temo não arderá,
Por mais que toda uma matta
Lhe applique com mão ingrata,
Porque o que eu lhe hei de pôr
Ha de ser fogo de amor,
Que inda que abraza, não mata.

Nesta afflicção tão penosa

D’onde me virá o soccorro?
Morrerei, pois por quem morro,
Morro uma morte formosa:
Esta dôr tão tormentosa
Me levará de maneira,
Que, ou ella queira ou não queira,
Em chegando á sua rua,
Si acaso se mostrar crua,
Tudo irá numa poeira.
 SAUDOSO
DE PERNAMIRIM, E POR OCCASIÃO DE HAVER VISTO NA
VILLA DE S. FRANCISCO, ONDE ESTAVA, UM MOLEQUE
CHAMADO MOÇORONGO, ESCREVE A UM AMIGO D’AQUELLE
SITIO

ROMANCE

Veiu aqui o Moçorongo

Tão occulto e escondido,
Que não sei si o tenha a elle,
Si a vós por meu inimigo.

Chegou terça feira á tarde,

Metteu-se em casa de Chico,
Passou a tarde e a noite,
E o peior é que dormindo.

Porque havia de dormir

O Moçorongo maldicto,
Sabendo que estava eu
Desvelado e affligido?

Amanheceu quarta feira,

Chegou o nosso Arcebispo,
Gastou-se toda a manhã
Com visitas e visitos.

Deu meio dia, e fui eu

Para casa dos amigos
Esfaimado como um cão,
E como um lobo faminto.
Quando o cão do Moçorongo
Sahiu do seu escondrijo,
E sem lhe occorrer o encontro
Deu de focinhos commigo.

Alegrei-me, e enfadei-me,
Que ha casos em que é preciso
Que se mostre ao mesmo tempo
Alegre um peito e mofino.

Amofinou-me a traição
Com que elle esteve escondido,
E alegrei-me de encontrar
Com gente d’esse districto.

Perguntei logo por vós,

Por Ignacio e Antonico,
Por Luzia e por Catona,
E mais gente d’esse sitio.

Todos estão com saude,

Me disse o crioulo esquivo,
Um tanto triste da cara,
Pouco alegre do focinho.

Mas eu fiz-lhe muita festa,

Assim por ser seu amigo,
Como por ser cousa vossa,
E neste pasto nascido.

Perguntei si me escreveras,
Zombou d’isso, e deu-me um trinco
Zombou com cara risonha,
Trincou com dedo tangido.
D’isto formo a minha queixa,
D’isto fico mui sentido,
Pois sei que tendes papel,
Tinteiro, penna e juizo.

Mais andar lá nos veremos,

E vereis que de sentido
Vos hei de estrugir a vozes,
E me hei de espojar a gritos.

Meus recados a Luzia,

E que estou já de caminho,
Porque só ella me farta,
E á fome aqui me entizico.
 ESCREVE
TAMBEM QUEIXOSO A SEU AMIGO IGNACIO, MORADOR EM
PERNAMIRIM, EM QUEM FALLA NO ROMANCE ANTECEDENTE.

ROMANCE

Senhor Ignacio, é possivel

Que quizestes desdizer
D’aquella boa opinião
Que eu tinha na vossa fé?

É possivel que um amigo,

De que tanto confiei,
Nem por escripto me falla,
Nem em pessoa me vê?

É possivel que uma ausencia

Tanta potestade tem,
Que ao vivo morto reputa
No que toca ao bem querer?

Si isto em vós a ausencia faz,

Como em meu peito o não fez?
Não sois vós o meu ausente,
Que em meu peito viveis?

O certo é, meu amigo,

Disse amigo, mas errei,
Que não sois amigo já,
Sois o meu socio talvez.
Fostes socio nos caminhos
D’aquella terra infiel,
Onde Luzia traidora,
E Catona descortez,

Me privaram dos sentidos,

E me deixaram crueis
O corpo uma chaga viva
A golpes de seus desdens.

Mas eu me não queixo d’ellas,

Que de nenhuma mulher,
Má ou boa, ha de queixar-se
Homem que juizo tem.

Queixo-mo de vosso tio,

Que se foi por me empecer
Esta terceira jornada
Para acabar o entremez.

Praza a Deus que ache Simoa,

A quem amante foi ver,
Como ha de achar Antonica
Farta de xesmininez.

D’aquella Antonica fallo,

Que pôz no negro poder
Das Quitas, para que a guardem,
E a guardarem ao revez.

Que a Silvestre a entregaram,

O qual, como vós sabeis,
Apezar dos dias sanctos
Lhe deu tanto que fazer.
Mas pois em Pernamirim,
E em suas cousas toquei,
Neste mesmo assumpto quero
Me façais uma mercê.

Dizei-me si está o Antonio

Recolhido a seu vergel,
Onde era geral Adão
Das Evas que Deus lhe deu.

E si acaso tiver vindo,

Vos peço que lhe mandeis
Este romance fechado
Em um molhado papel.

Porque no molhado veja

O chôro com que lancei
Estes versinhos tão tristes
Por amar e querer bem,

A elle, que me fugiu

D’esta casa, ha mais de um mez,
E á Catona que o imita
No esquivo e no infiel.

E com isto, e outro tanto

Que me fica por dizer,
Adeus, até que tenhais
Quem vos traga a meu vergel.
 Á ANTONIO DE ANDRADE
SENDO DESPENSEIRO DA MISERICORDIA

Senhor Antonio de Andrade,

Não sei si vos gabe mais
As franquezas naturaes,
Ou si a christã charidade:
Toda esta nossa Irmandade,
Que á pasmos emmudeceis,
Vendo as obras que fazeis,
Não sabe decidir não
Si egualaes o amor de irmão,
Ou si de pae o excedeis.

Ou, senhor, vós sois parente

De toda esta enfermaria,
Ou vos vem por recta via
Ser pae de todo o doente:
Quem vos vê tão diligente,
Tão caritativo e tão
Inclinado á compaixão,
Dirá de absorto e pasmado,
Que entretanto mal curado,
Só vós fostes homem são.
Aquella mesma piedade,
A que vos move um doente,
Vos mostra evidentemente
Homem são na qualidade:
De qualquer enfermidade
São aphorismos não vãos,
Que enfermarão mil irmãos:
Mas si o contrario se alude
Somente a vossa saude
Foi contagio de mil sãos.

Quem não sarou d’esta vez

Fica muito temeroso,
Que lhe ha de ser mui penoso
Acabar-se-vos o mez:
Ninguem jámais isto fez,
Nem é coisa contingente
O ficar toda esta gente
Com perigo tão atroz,
Que se acabe o mez á vós
Para mal de outro doente.
 AO CAPITÃO
JOÃO RODRIGUES DOS REIS, HOMEM GENEROSO E
ALENTADO, GRANDE AMIGO DO P.

Meu capitão dos Infantes,

Que por vossas boas artes,
Sois homem de muitas partes,
Nascendo só em Abrantes:
Por vossos ditos galantes,
Discretos e cortezãos,
E por largueza de mãos
Á todos nos pareceis
Não sómente João dos Reis,
Si não o rei dos Joãos.

O principe, que de juro

Senhorêa os corações,
Como lá disse Camões,
Que sois vós o conjecturo:
Tanto nisto me asseguro,
Que em ver como procedeis,
Presumo que descendeis
De algum principe de França,
D’onde tendes por herança
Esse appellido dos Reis.