His caravan has windows two, And a chimney of tin, that the smoke comes through; He has a wife, with a baby brown, And they go riding from town to town. Chairs to mend, and delf to sell! The roads are brown, and the sea is green, With the peddler-man I should like to roam, All the people would read my book, Just like the Travels of Captain Cook! William Brighty Rands [1823-1882] MR. COGGS A WATCH Will tell the time of day, Excepting when it's overwound, Or when you drop it on the ground. If any of our watches stop, For though to scold us he pretends, He's quite among our special friends. He fits a dice-box in his eye, And takes a long and thoughtful spy, And prods the wheels, and says, "Dear, dear! And then he lays the dice-box down And frowns a most prodigious frown; Edward Verrall Lucas [1868 "There Was a Jolly Miller" THE BUILDING OF THE NEST THEY'LL come again to the apple tree- When the orchard branches are fair to see, Weaving it well, so round and trim, Hollowing it with care, Nothing too far away for him, Nothing for her too fair, Hanging it safe on the topmost limb, Ah! mother bird, you'll have weary days So come to the trees with all your train Through the April shimmer of sun and rain, Go flying to and fro; And sing to our hearts as we watch again Your fairy building grow. 163 Margaret Sangster (1838-1912] "THERE WAS A JOLLY MILLER” From "Love in a Village" THERE was a jolly miller once lived on the river Dee; as he; And this the burden of his song forever used to be: "I care for nobody, no not I, if nobody cares for me, "I live by my mill, God bless her! she's kindred, child, and wife; I would not change my station for any other in life; When spring begins his merry career, oh, how his heart grows gay; No summer's drought alarms his fear, nor winter's coid decay; No foresight mars the miller's joy, who's wont to sing and say, "Let others toil from year to year, I live from day to day." Thus, like the miller, bold and free, let us rejoice and sing; The days of youth are made for glee, and time is on the wing; This song shall pass from me to thee, along the jovial ring; Let heart and voice and all agree to say, "Long live the king." Isaac Bickerstaff [? -1812?] ONE AND ONE Two little girls are better than one, A Nursery Song And two little angels guard him in bed, 165 Mary Mapes Dodge [1838-1905] A NURSERY SONG Он, Peterkin Рout and Gregory Grout Are two little goblins black. Full oft from my house I've driven them out, They clamber up to the baby's mouth, They perch aloft on the baby's brow, And twist it into a frown. Chorus: And one says "Must!" and t'other says "Can't!" I pray you now from my house keep out! But Samuel Smile and Lemuel Laugh They're always ready for fun and chaff, And when they creep into Baby's eyes, Why, there the sunbeams are; And when they peep through her rosy lips, Her laughter rings near and far. Chorus: And one says "Please!" and t'other says "Do!" Laura E. Richards [1850 A MORTIFYING MISTAKE I STUDIED my tables over and over, and backward and forward, too; But I couldn't remember six times nine, and I didn't know what to do, Till sister told me to play with my doll, and not to bother my head. "If you call her 'Fifty-four' for a while, you'll learn it by heart," she said. So I took my favorite, Mary Ann (though I thought 'twas a dreadful shame To give such a perfectly lovely child such a perfectly horrid name), And I called her my dear little "Fifty-four" a hundred times, till I knew The answer of six times nine as well as the answer of two times two. Next day Elizabeth Wigglesworth, who always acts so proud, Said, "Six times nine is fifty-two," and I nearly laughed aloud! But I wished I hadn't when teacher said, "Now, Dorothy, tell if you can." For I thought of my doll and-sakes alive!-I answered, "Mary Ann!" Anna Maria Pratt [18 THE RAGGEDY MAN O THE Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa; An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay; |