Excerpt
Child Songs of Cheer
UP, LITTLE ONES! A robin redbreast, fluting thereUpon the apple-bough,Is telling all the world how fairAre apple-blossoms now;The honey-dew its sweetness spillsFrom cuckoo-cups, and allThe crocuses and daffodilsAre drest for festival! Such pretty things are to be seen,Such pleasant things to do,The April earth it is so green,The April sky so blue,The path from dawn to even-songSo joyous is to-day,Up, little ones! and dance alongThe lilac-scented way!
DANDELIONS Hey-a-day-a-day, my dear! Dandelion time!Come, and let us make for them a pretty little rhyme! See the meadows twinkling now, beautiful and brightAs the sky when through the blue shine the stars at night! Once upon a time, folks say, mighty kings of oldMet upon a splendid field called "The Cloth of Gold." But, we wonder, could it be there was ever seenBrighter gold than glitters now in our meadows green? Dandelions, dandelions, shining through the dew,Let the kings have Cloth of Gold, but let us have you!
OUR PUPPIES Little ears as soft as silk,Little teeth as white as milk,Little noses cool and pink,Little eyes that blink and blink,Little bodies round and fat,Little hearts that pit-a-pat,Surely prettier puppies neverWere before nor can be ever!
THE LOST BALLOON O dear! my purple toy balloonHas flown away! and very soonIt will be high up as the moon! And don't you think the man up thereWill wonder what it is, and stare?Perhaps hell say, "Well, I declare!" Or, maybe if it chance there areSome little boys in yonder star,And if it floats away so far, Perhaps they'll jump up very highAnd catch the cord as it goes by!At any rate I hope they'll try!
THE CIRCUS PROCESSION Oh, hurry! hurry! here they come,The band in front with the big bass drumAnd blaring bugles,—there they are,On golden thrones in a golden car,Tooting and fluting, oh, how grand!Hi diddle, diddle!The fife and the fiddle!Hurrah, hurrah for the circus band! And the red-plumed horses, oh, see them pranceAnd daintily lift their hoofs and dance,While beautiful ladies with golden curlsAre jingling their bridles of gold and pearls,And close behindCome every kindOf animal cages great and small,O how I wonder what's in them all! Here's one that's open and glaring thereIs the shaggiest snow-white polar bear!Woof! but I wonder what we'd doIf his bars broke loose right now, don't you?And O dear me!Just look and seeThat pink-cheeked lady in skirts of gauzeAnd the great big lion with folded paws!O me! O my!I'm glad that IAm not in that lion's cage, becauseSuppose he'd open his horrible jaws!—But look! the clown is coming! Of courseFacing the tail of a spotted horseAnd shouting out things to make folks laugh,And grinning up at the tall giraffeThat placidly paces along and looksJust like giraffes in the picture-books! And there are the elephants, two and two,Lumbering on as they always do...!