In My Nursery. Richards Laura Elizabeth Howe

her sweet

      Tiny feet

      Bring her toddling here.

      Pitapat!

      Little fat

      Funny baby toes!

      Do not stumble,

      Or she'll tumble

      On her baby nose.

      Closer cling,

      Little thing,

      To your mother's side,

      Baby mine,

      Fair and fine,

      Mother's joy and pride.

      BOBBILY BOO AND WOLLYPOTUMP

      Bobbily Boo, the king so free,

      He used to drink the Mango tea.

      Mango tea and coffee, too,

      He drank them both till his nose turned blue.

      Wollypotump, the queen so high,

      She used to eat the Gumbo pie.

      Gumbo pie and Gumbo cake,

      She ate them both till her teeth did break.

      Bobbily Boo and Wollypotump,

      Each called the other a greedy frump.

      And when these terrible words were said,

      They sat and cried till they both were dead.

      SLEEPYLAND

      Baby's been in Sleepyland,

      Over the hills, over the hills.

      Baby's been in Sleepyland

      All the rainy morning.

      From the cradle where she lay,

      Up she jumped and flew away,

      For Sleepyland is bright and gay

      Every rainy morning.

      What did you see in Sleepyland,

      Baby littlest, Baby prettiest?

      What did you see in Sleepyland,

      All the rainy morning?

      Saw the sun that shone so twinkily,

      Saw the grass that waved so crinkily,

      Saw the brook that flowed so tinkily,

      All the lovely morning.

      What did you hear in Sleepyland,

      Over the hills, over the hills?

      What did you hear in Sleepyland,

      All the rainy morning?

      Heard the winds that wooed so wooingly,

      Heard the doves that cooed so cooingly,

      Heard the cows that mooed so mooingly,

      All the lovely morning.

      What did you do in Sleepyland,

      Baby littlest, Baby prettiest?

      What did you do in Sleepyland,

      All the rainy morning?

      Sang a song with a blue canary,

      Danced a dance with a golden fairy,

      Rode about on a cinnamon beary,

      All the lovely morning.

      Would I could go to Sleepyland,

      Over the hills, over the hills;

      Would I could go to Sleepyland,

      Every rainy morning.

      But to Sleepyland, as I have been told,

      No one may go after three years old,

      So poor old Mammy stays out in the cold,

      Every rainy morning.

      Little Brown Bobby

      Little Brown Bobby sat on the barn floor

      Little Brown Bobby looked in at the door,

      Little Brown Bobby said "Lackaday!

      Who'll drive me this little brown bobby away?"

      Little Brown Bobby said "Shoo! shoo! shoo!"

      Little Brown Bobby said "Moo! moo! moo!"

      This frightened them so that both of them cried,

      And wished they were back at their Mammy's side!

      PHIL'S SECRET

      I know a little girl,

      But I won't tell who!

      Her hair is of the gold,

      And her eyes are of the blue.

      Her smile is of the sweet,

      And her heart is of the true.

      Such a pretty little girl! —

      But I won't tell who.

      I see her every day,

      But I won't tell where!

      It may be in the lane,

      By the thorn-tree there.

      It may be in the garden,

      By the rose-beds fair.

      Such a pretty little girl! —

      But I won't tell where.

      I'll marry her some day,

      But I won't tell when!

      The very smallest boys

      Make the very biggest men.

      When I'm as tall as father,

      You may ask about it then.

      Such a pretty little girl! —

      But I won't tell when.

      A SONG FOR HAL

      Once I saw a little boat, and a pretty, pretty boat,

      When daybreak the hills was adorning,

      And into it I jumped, and away I did float,

      So very, very early in the morning.

      Chorus. And every little wave had its nightcap on,

      Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on.

      And every little wave had its nightcap on,

      So very, very early in the morning.

      All the fishes were asleep in their caves cool and deep,

      When the ripple round my keel flashed a warning.

      Said the minnow to the skate, "We must certainly be late,

      Though I thought 'twas very early in the morning."

      Chorus. For every little wave has its nightcap on,

      Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on.

      For every little wave has its nightcap on,

      So very, very early in the morning.

      The lobster darkly green soon appeared upon the scene,

      And pearly drops his claws were adorning.

      Quoth he, "May I be boiled, if I'll have my slumber spoiled,

      So very, very early in the morning!"

      Chorus. For every little wave has its nightcap on,

      Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on,

      For every little wave has its nightcap on,

      So very, very early in the morning.

      Said the sturgeon to