A Little Freckled Person A Book of Child Verse

Excerpt

A LITTLE FRECKLED PERSON

They think I'm just a little girl
At study, work, or play,—
A little freckled person who
Has never much to say.

They do not know a princess oft
In golden gown am I,
With cheeks like apple petals soft
And eyes like sea or sky.

They only see my tumbled braids,
They do not know I wear
A crown with turquoises and beryls
Upon my coiled-up hair.

They do not know adventures dire
Beset me, land and sea,
That page and courtier, knight and squire,
Before me bend the knee.

That haughty ships with silken sails
Upon my bidding go—
All these, and other happy things,
They cannot, cannot know.

They only see a little girl
At study, work, or play,—
A little freckled person, who
Has never much to say!

The sea is very, very wide:
It takes up all the room outside;
And when I stand beside the sea,
It comes right up and pushes me!

The Rabbit

A rabbit works its ears, and tries
To watch you with its rabbit eyes;
Its saucy little tail it flounces,
And when it hits the ground it bounces!

A RABBIT WORKS ITS EARS, AND TRIES TO WATCH YOU WITH ITS RABBIT EYES

If I am selfish when I play
My kitten likes me anyway!

Next-Door People

The next-door people have a bird,
The yellowest you ever heard!
It hops, and chirps, and sings—and sings!
Aren't next-door people pleasant things!

Mother says:
If you're thoughtful and polite;
Go to bed at eight each night;
Always hasten to do chores
And give up chairs for visitors,
Weed the garden, carry wood,
And be very still and good—

Mother says:
If you're faithful in your task;
Never beg, but only ask;
Fold your napkin, say your prayers;
Put no gum upon the chairs;
Keep your bureau drawer quite neat;
Never walk through pools, but on
The sidewalk till the mud is gone;
And say "Thank you" often, and
Sit erect and walk and stand;
And wash well behind your ears;
Always wait until it clears
To wear your best clothes, and not fail
To hang your coat upon its nail—
You will find the people where
You live, like to have you there!

Our house has a pleasant yard.
I am trying very hard!

WEED THE GARDEN, CARRY WOOD

Perhaps!

You never know, in this great world, what
wonders there may be—
Perhaps there's buried treasure out
beneath our cherry tree!

The stars are like us children here,
Not any older grown:
At night, the little 'fraid stars stay
Together in the Milky Way—
The brave ones stand alone!

The Stars

The stars are lighted candles
Upon a Christmas tree;
(The branches, that they hang upon
We cannot ever see:)
On Christmas Eve the angels stand
About it after tea.

And if an angel's very good
He gets a present, as he should.

Of course I believe in fairies!
Of course I know they're true!
—Just think, if you were a fairy,
And no one believed in you!

Drawing

Upon my slate I draw
Strange things I never saw,
Nor you, nor any one!
But oh, it is such fun!

A fishing-pole's a curious thing:
It's made of just a stick and string:
A boy at one end and a wish;
And on the other end a fish!

Sympathy

Little fishing-boat, a blur
On the ocean blue,
Don't you ever wish you were
A little taller, too?

I've a birthday! Look at me
As you dart and dip!
Grow, and maybe soon you'll be
A white-sailed ship!

The little firs demurely stand
In studious rows, on either hand,
On winter days about like these,
All learning to be Christmas trees.

White Cherry

The moon's a white cherry,
For sale in the sky,
And each one admires it,
But no one will buy....