A Nursery Song And two little angels guard him in bed, 157 Mary Mapes Dodge (1838-1905] A NURSERY SONG OH, 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!" Oh, Peterkin Pout and Gregory Grout, 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; The Raggedy Man An' nen-ef our hired girl says he can— Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man! W'y, the Raggedy Man- he's ist so good An' the Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got, Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man! The Raggedy Man-one time when he An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann, An' I says "'M go' to be a Raggedy Man!— I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!" Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man! James Whitcomb Riley [1852 159 THE MAN IN THE MOON SAID the Raggedy Man, on a hot afternoon, "My! Sakes! What a lot o' mistakes Some little folks makes on The Man in the Moon! But people that's b'en up to see him, like me, Might drop a few facts that would interest you Through! If you wanted 'em to Some actual facts that might interest you! "O The Man in the Moon has a crick in his back; Whee! Whimm! Ain't you sorry for him? And a mole on his nose that is purple and black; My! But isn't he wise To jes' dream of stars, as the doctors advise? And The Man in the Moon has a boil on his ear, Whee! Whing! What a singular thing! I know! but these facts are authentic, my dear,- Yet it might be a dimple turned over, you know! Why, certainly so! It might be a dimple turned over, you know! Little Orphant Annie "And The Man in the Moon has a rheumatic knee,— Gee! Whizz! What a pity that is! 161 And his toes have worked round where his heels ought to be. So whenever he wants to go North he goes South, And comes back with porridge crumbs all round his mouth, And he brushes them off with a Japanese fan. Whing! What a marvelous man! What a very remarkably marvelous man! "And The Man in the Moon," sighed the Raggedy Man, "Gits! So! Sullonesome, you know, Up there by hisse'f sence creation began!— That when I call on him and then come away, Dadd! Limb! I'd go pardners with him— Jes' jump my job here and be pardners with him!" LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE LITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away, An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board an❜-keep; |