Aunt Kitty's Stories Part 26

For a Little Girl that did not like to be Washed.

What! cry to be wash'd, and not love to be clean!

There go and be dirty, not fit to be seen, And 'till you leave off, and I see you have smiled, I won't take the trouble to wash such a child.

Suppose I should leave you now just as you are, Do you think you'd deserve a sweet kiss from papa?

Or to sit on his knee, and learn pretty great A, With fingers that have not been washed all the day!

Ah, look at your fingers, you see it is so?

Did you ever behold such a little black row?

And for _once_ you may look at yourself in the gla.s.s: There's a face to belong to a good little la.s.s!

Come, come, now I see you're beginning to clear, You won't be so foolish again then, my dear?

The Snow Ball.

Little Edward loved to go Playing in the drifted snow, Like some little boys I know; Cold Edward!

He a solid snow ball made, (Friendly tricks at home he played), Which he in his pocket laid; Wise Edward!

Very hard that day it freezed, Very hard the ball was squeezed, And he trotted home well pleased; Sly Edward!

By the fire he took a seat, Thoughtless of the power of heat, Drops fall trickling on his feet; Wet Edward!

Now the snow began to melt, Vainly on the ground he knelt, All now laughed at what he felt; Poor Edward!

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Jenny Wren fell sick upon a merry time, In came Robin Redbreast, and brought her sops and wine.

"Eat well of the sop, Jenny, drink well of the wine."

"Thank you, Robin, kindly, you shall be mine."

Then Jenny she got well and stood upon her feet, And told Robin plainly she loved him not a bit.

Robin being angry, hopp'd upon a twig, Saying, "Out upon you, fie upon you, bold-faced jig!"

Jenny Wren fell sick again, and Jenny Wren did die; The doctors vow'd they'd cure her, or know the reason why.

Doctor Hawk felt her pulse, and shaking his head, Says, "I fear I can't save her, because she's quite dead."

"She'll do very well," says sly Doctor Fox; "If she takes but one pill from out of this box."

With hartshorn in hand came Doctor Tomt.i.t, Saying, "Really, good sirs, it's only a fit."

"You're right, Doctor t.i.t, the truth I've no doubt of; But death is a fit folks seldom get out of."

Doctor Cat says, "Indeed, I don't think she's dead; I believe, if I try, she might yet be bled."

"I think, Puss, you're foolish," then says Doctor Goose; "For to bleed a dead Wren can be of no use."

Doctor Owl then declared that the cause of her death, He really believed, was the want of more breath.

"Indeed, Doctor Owl, you are much in the right; You might as well have said the day is not night."

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Says Robin, "Get out! you're a parcel of quacks; Or I'll lay this good stick on each of your backs."

Then Robin began to bang them about; They staid for no fees, but were glad to get out.

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There was a lit-tle man, and he had a lit-tle gun, And his bul-lets were made of lead, lead, lead; He shot John-ny King through the mid-dle of his wig, And knock-ed it right of his head, head, head.

Daf-fy-down-Dil-ly has come up to town, In a yel-low pet-ti-coat and a green gown.

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Mul-ti-pli-ca-tion is a vex-a-tion, Di-vi-sion is as bad, The Rule of Three per-plex-es me, And Prac-tice drives me mad.

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Goo-sey, goo-sey, gan-der, whi-ther shall I wan-der?

Up-stairs, and down-stairs, and in my la-dy's cham-ber.

There I met an old man, who would not say his pray-ers; I took him by the left leg, and threw him down stairs.

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, Had a wife and couldn't keep her; He put her in a pumpkin sh.e.l.l, And then he kept her very well.

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, Had another and didn't love her; Peter learnt to read and spell, And then he loved her very well.