The Children's Garland from the Best Poets Part 57

2

There were three jovial Welshmen, As I have heard them say, And they would go a-hunting Upon St. David's day.

All the day they hunted, And nothing could they find, But a s.h.i.+p a-sailing, A-sailing with the wind.

One said it was a s.h.i.+p, The other he said, nay; The third said it was a house, With the chimney blown away.

And all night they hunted, And nothing could they find, But the moon a-gliding, A-gliding with the wind.

One said it was the moon, The other he said, nay; The third said it was a cheese, And half o't cut away.

3

There was an old woman, as I've heard tell, She went to market her eggs for to sell; She went to market all on a market day; And she fell asleep on the king's highway.

There came by a pedlar whose name was Stout, He cut her petticoats all round about; He cut her petticoats up to the knees, Which made the old woman to s.h.i.+ver and freeze.

When this little woman first did wake, She began to s.h.i.+ver and she began to shake.

She began to wonder and she began to cry, 'Lauk-a-mercy on me, this is none of I:

'But if it be I, as I do hope it be, I've a little dog at home, and he'll know me; If it be I, he'll wag his little tail, And if it be not I, he'll loudly bark and wail!'

Home went the little woman all in the dark, Up got the little dog, and he began to bark; He began to bark, so she began to cry, 'Lauk-a-mercy on me, this is none of I!'

4

If all the world was apple-pie, And all the sea was ink, And all the trees were bread and cheese, What should we have to drink?

5

There was a little boy and a little girl Lived in an alley; Says the little boy to the little girl, 'Shall I, oh! shall I?'

Says the little girl to the little boy, 'What shall we do?'

Says the little boy to the little girl, 'I will kiss you!'

CLXXI

_THE AGE OF CHILDREN HAPPIEST_

_if they had still wit to understand it_

Laid in my quiet bed in study as I were I saw within my troubled head a heap of thoughts appear, And every thought did show so lively in mine eyes, That now I sigh'd, and then I smiled, as cause of thoughts did rise.

I saw the little boy, in thought how oft that he Did wish of G.o.d, to 'scape the rod, a tall young man to be, The young man eke that feels his bones with pain opprest, How he would be a rich old man, to live and lie at rest!

The rich old man that sees his end draw on so sore, How would he be a boy again to live so much the more.

Whereat full oft I smiled, to see how all those three, From boy to man, from man to boy, would chop and change degree.

_Earl of Surrey_

CLXXII

_THE n.o.bLE NATURE_

It is not growing like a tree In bulk, doth make man better be; Or standing long an oak three hundred year, To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere; A lily of a day Is fairer far in May, Although it fall and die that night-- It was the plant and flower of Light.

In small proportions we just beauty see; And in short measures life may perfect be.

_B. Jonson_

CLXXIII

_THE RAINBOW_

My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky; So was it when my life began; So is it now I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die!

The child is father of the man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety.

_W. Wordsworth_