A little boy once played so loud That the Thunder, up in a thunder-cloud, Said, "Since _I_ can"t be heard, why, then, I"ll never, never thunder again!"
II
And a little girl once kept so still That she heard a fly on the window-sill Whisper and say to a lady-bird,-- "She"s the stilliest child I ever heard!"
James Whitcomb Riley.
[Footnote 6: _From "The Book of Joyous Children," copyright 1902, by Chas. Scribner"s Sons._]
_The Dream of a Girl Who Lived at Seven-Oaks_
Seven sweet singing birds up in a tree; Seven swift sailing-ships white upon the sea; Seven bright weather-c.o.c.ks shining in the sun; Seven slim race-horses ready for a run; Seven gold b.u.t.terflies, flitting overhead; Seven red roses blowing in a garden bed; Seven white lilies, with honey bees inside them; Seven round rainbows with clouds to divide them; Seven pretty little girls with sugar on their lips; Seven witty little boys, whom everybody tips; Seven nice fathers, to call little maids joys; Seven nice mothers, to kiss the little boys; Seven nights running I dreamt it all plain; With bread and jam for supper I could dream it all again!
William Brighty Rands.
_The Dream of a Boy Who Lived at Nine-Elms_
Nine grenadiers, with bayonets in their guns; Nine bakers" baskets, with hot-cross buns; Nine brown elephants, standing in a row; Nine new velocipedes, good ones to go; Nine knickerbocker suits, with b.u.t.tons all complete; Nine pair of skates with straps for the feet; Nine clever conjurors eating hot coals; Nine st.u.r.dy mountaineers leaping on their poles; Nine little drummer-boys beating on their drums; Nine fat aldermen sitting on their thumbs; Nine new knockers to our front door; Nine new neighbours that I never saw before; Nine times running I dreamt it all plain; With bread and cheese for supper I could dream it all again!
William Brighty Rands.
_A Little Boy"s Pocket_
Do you know what"s in my pottet?
Such a lot of treasures in it!
Listen now while I bedin it: Such a lot of sings it holds, And everysin dats in my pottet, And when, and where, and how I dot it.
First of all, here"s in my pottet A beauty sh.e.l.l, I pit"d it up: And here"s the handle of a tup That somebody has broked at tea; The sh.e.l.l"s a hole in it, you see: n.o.body knows dat I dot it, I teep it safe here in my pottet.
And here"s my ball too in my pottet, And here"s my pennies, one, two, free, That Aunty Mary dave to me, To-morrow day I"ll buy a spade, When I"m out walking with the maid; I tant put that here in my pottet!
But I can use it when I"ve dot it.
Here"s some more sings in my pottet, Here"s my lead, and here"s my string; And once I had an iron ring, But through a hole it lost one day, And this is what I always say-- A hole"s the worst sing in a pottet, Be sure and mend it when you"ve dot it.
Unknown.
_A. Apple Pie_
a
A was once an apple-pie, Pidy, Widy, Tidy, Pidy, Nice insidy, Apple-pie!
b
B was once a little bear, Beary, Wary, Hairy, Beary, Taky caky, Little bear!
c
C was once a little cake, Caky, Baky, Maky, Caky, Taky caky, Little cake!
d
D was once a little doll, Dolly, Molly, Polly, Nolly, Nursy dolly, Little doll!
e
E was once a little eel, Eely, Weely, Peely, Eely, Twirly, tweely, Little eel!
f
F was once a little fish, Fishy, Wishy, Squishy, Fishy, In a dishy, Little fish!
g
G was once a little goose, Goosy, Moosy, Boosey, Goosey, Waddly-woosy, Little goose!
h
H was once a little hen, Henny, Chenny, Tenny, Henny, Eggsy-any, Little hen?
i
I was once a bottle of ink, Inky, d.i.n.ky, Thinky, Inky, Blacky minky, Bottle of ink!
j
J was once a jar of jam, Jammy, Mammy, Clammy, Jammy, Sweety, swammy, Jar of jam!
k
K was once a little kite, Kity, Whity, Flighty, Kity, Out of sighty, Little kite!
l
L was once a little lark, Larky, Marky, Harky, Larky, In the parky, Little lark!
m
M was once a little mouse, Mousy, Bousy, Sousy, Mousy, In the housy, Little mouse!
n
N was once a little needle, Needly, Tweedly, Threedly, Needly, Wisky, wheedly, Little needle!
o
O was once a little owl, Owly, Prowly, Howly, Owly, Browny fowly, Little owl!