A Dying Tiger－moaned for Drink－1
I hunted all the Sand－
I caught the Dripping of a Rock
And bore it in my Hand－
His Mighty Balls－in death were thick－5
But searching－I could see
A Vision on the Retina
Of Water－and of me－
'Twas not my blame－who sped too slow－9
'Twas not his blame－who died
While I was reaching him－
But 'twas－the fact that He was dead－
I hunted all the Sand－
I caught the Dripping of a Rock
And bore it in my Hand－
His Mighty Balls－in death were thick－5
But searching－I could see
A Vision on the Retina
Of Water－and of me－
'Twas not my blame－who sped too slow－9
'Twas not his blame－who died
While I was reaching him－
But 'twas－the fact that He was dead－
(F.529/J.566)
[1] Tiger:: tiger-frog, a small frog with stripes of a tiger, also called leopard-frog or marsh-frog. moaned for Drink:: a hint for tiger-frog, not a tiger. It would be odd for Dickinson to meet a tiger.
THE MARSH FROG. This is one of our most beautiful frogs, and is remarkably active. It has a strong and disagreeable odor; and from being used as bait, it is called, in various districts, Pickerel Frog, and also Tiger and Leopard Frog. It occurs along salt marshes, and in wet meadows near ponds and streams. I observed it in the most elevated regions in the northern part of the State. Its geographical range, along the coast, extends from Maine to Virginia. Westward, it has been noticed in Ohio. ─ Zoology of New-York (1842)
Of the frog-tribe Mason mentions the tiger-frog and two species of tree-frog, but he omits the bull-frog; ─ Six Months in British Burmah (1857)