Aunt Kitty's Stories Part 11

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WHY EMMA IS LOVED.

Little Mary call'd Emma, who was just skipping by, And she said, little cousin, can you tell me why You are loved so much better by people than I?

My face is as clean, and my hair s.h.i.+nes like gold, And my walk and my dress are as nice to behold, Yet n.o.body likes me for that, I am told.

Ah, Mary, she said, this is all very true, But if half as much mischief were I to do, Indeed people would love me no better than you.

Your face _is_ as clean, and your hair is as bright, Your frock is as tidy, your hands are as white, But there's one thing, dear Mary--you seldom do right.

If Mama bids less noise to be made when we play, Or desires you be still whilst your lessons you say, You never do try these commands to obey.

And when people are talking, you never care how You interrupt what they're saying, which is ill-bred, you know, And papa has so oft bid us not to do so.

You take grand-mama's pies, you climb on her chair, You lay hold of the gowns as you go up the stair, And you gather the flowers that on the beds are.

Now I am no taller, nor bigger, you see, Yet n.o.body here is angry with me, Because I have learnt so obedient to be.

I mind what mama says, whatever it is, And when people are busy take care not to tease, But endeavor, as much as I'm able, to please.

Then said Mary to Emma, O now do I see Why you are more loved, and more happy than me; And we're like mama's tale of the Wasp and the Bee.

I remember it said, little children beware, Because like the Wasp if you ill behaved are, You will never be loved, if you're ever so fair.

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THE GOOD SCHOLAR.

Joseph West had been told, That if, when he grew old, He had not learnt rightly to spell, Though his writings were good, 'Twould be not understood: And Joe said, I will learn my task well.

And he made it a rule To be silent at school, And what do you think came to pa.s.s?

Why he learnt it so fast, That from being the last, He soon was the first in the cla.s.s.

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NAUGHTY SAM.

Tom and Charles once took a walk, To see a pretty lamb; And, as they went, began to talk Of little naughty Sam.

Who beat his youngest brother, Bill, And threw him in the dirt; And when his poor mama was ill, He teas'd her for a squirt.

And I, said Tom, won't play with Sam Although he has a top: But here the pretty little lamb To talking put a stop.

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Two legs sat upon three legs, With one leg in his lap; In comes four legs, And runs away with one leg; Up jumps two legs, Catches up three legs, Throws it after four legs, And makes him bring one leg back.

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As I was going up primrose Hill Primrose Hill was dirty; There I met a pretty Miss, And she dropped me a curtsy.

Little Miss, pretty Miss, Blessings light upon you, If I had half a crown a day, I'd spend it all upon you.

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There was an old man of Tobago, Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago, Till, much to his bliss, His physician said this, To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go.

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Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold, Pease pudding in the pot, Nine days old.

Some like it hot, Some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, Nine days old.

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When I was a ba-che-lor, I liv-ed by my-self.

And all the meat I got I put upon a shelf; The rats and the mice did lead me such a life, That I went to Lon-don, to get my-self a wife.

The streets were so broad, and the lanes were so nar-row, I could not get my wife home with-out a wheel-bar-row.

The wheel-bar-row broke, my wife got a fall, Down tum-bled wheel-bar-row, lit-tle wife, and all.