In My Nursery. Richards Laura Elizabeth Howe

shouts and little shrieks,

      Tears, with laughter coming after,

      That's the way the baby speaks.

      Playing, toying, still enjoying

      Every sweet that Nature gives.

      Smiling, weeping, waking, sleeping,

      That's the way the baby lives.

      POT AND KETTLE

[To be read to little boys and girls who quarrel with each other.]

      "Oho! Oho!" said the pot to the kettle,

      "You're dirty and ugly and black!

      Sure no one would think you were made of metal,

      Except when you're given a crack."

      "Not so! not so!" kettle said to the pot.

      "'Tis your own dirty image you see.

      For I am so clear, without blemish or blot,

      That your blackness is mirrored in me."

      PUNKYDOODLE AND JOLLAPIN

      Oh, Pillykin Willykin Winky Wee!

      How does the Emperor take his tea?

      He takes it with melons, he takes it with milk,

      He takes it with syrup and sassafras silk.

      He takes it without, he takes it within.

      Oh, Punkydoodle and Jollapin!

      Oh, Pillykin Willykin Winky Wee!

      How does the Cardinal take his tea?

      He takes it in Latin, he takes it in Greek,

      He takes it just seventy times in the week.

      He takes it so strong that it makes him grin.

      Oh, Punkydoodle and Jollapin!

      Oh, Pillykin Willykin Winky Wee!

      How does the Admiral take his tea?

      He takes it with splices, he takes it with spars,

      He takes it with jokers and jolly jack tars.

      And he stirs it round with a dolphin's fin.

      Oh, Punkydoodle and Jollapin!

      Oh, Pillykin Willykin Winky Wee!

      How does the President take his tea?

      He takes it in bed, he takes it in school,

      He takes it in Congress against the rule.

      He takes it with brandy, and thinks it no sin.

      Oh, Punkydoodle and Jollapin!

      MRS. SNIPKIN AND MRS. WOBBLECHIN

      Skinny Mrs. Snipkin,

      With her little pipkin,

      Sat by the fireside a-warming of her toes.

      Fat Mrs. Wobblechin,

      With her little doublechin,

      Sat by the window a-cooling of her nose.

      Says this one to that one,

      "Oh! you silly fat one,

      Will you shut the window down? You're freezing me to death!"

      Says that one to t'other one,

      "Good gracious, how you bother one!

      There isn't air enough for me to draw my precious breath!"

      Skinny Mrs. Snipkin,

      Took her little pipkin,

      Threw it straight across the room as hard as she could throw;

      Hit Mrs. Wobblechin

      On her little doublechin,

      And out of the window a-tumble she did go.

      MY SUNBEAMS

      Oh, what shall we do for the Lovely

      This rainy, rainy day?

      Oh! how shall we make the baby laugh,

      When everything's dull and gray?

      The sun has gone on a picnic,

      The moon has gone to bed,

      The tiresome sky does nothing but cry,

      As if its best friend were dead.

      Come hither, come hither, my Sunbeams!

      Come one, and two, and three;

      And now in a trice we'll have the room

      As sunny as sunny can be.

      Come, dimpling, dimpling Dumpling,

      Come, Rosy, Posy Rose,

      Come, little boy Billy a-toddling round

      On little fat tottering toes.

      Now twinkle, now twinkle, my Sunbeams!

      Now twinkle and laugh and dance,

      And brush me the gloom straight out of the room,

      Nor leave it the ghost of a chance.

      Aha! see the Lovely smile now!

      Aha! see her jump and crow!

      As round and round, with laugh and dance,

      My three merry Sunbeams go.

      And who cares now for the raindrops?

      Who cares for the gloomy day,

      When each little heart is doing its part

      To make us all glad and gay?

      You moon, you may stay in bed now;

      You sun, you may wander and roam;

      And cry away, cry, you tiresome sky!

      We've plenty of sunshine at home!

      IN THE CLOSET

      They've took away the ball,

      Oh dear!

      And I'll never get it back,

      I fear.

      And now they've gone away,

      And left me for to stay

      All alone the livelong day,

      In here.

      It was my ball, anyhow,

      Not his:

      For he never had a ball

      Like this.

      Such a coward you'll not see,

      E'en if you should live to be

      Old as Deuteronomy,

      As he is.

      I'm sure I meant no harm,

      None at all!

      I just held out my hand

      For the ball,

      And – somehow – it hit his head.

      Then his nose it went and bled,

      And as if I 'd killed him dead

      He did bawl.

      Mother said I was a naughty

      Little wretch.

      And Aunt Jane said the police

      She would fetch.

      And that nurse, who's always glad

      Of a chance to make me mad,

      Said, "indeed she never had

      Seen sech!"

      No! I never, never will

      Be