Child Songs of Cheer Part 3

See the pretty little lambs, How they frisk and play!

See their silky fleeces s.h.i.+ne White as buds in May!

White as are the fleecy clouds Softly blowing by-- What if they were little lambs Playing in the sky?

Robin on the peach-bough, Swinging overhead, Sing a little song and say Why is your breast so red?

Why is your voice so sweet, and Your song so merry, say?

And wherefore do you spread your wings And quickly fly away?

Ho, ho! see the queer little prints there That cover the road, baby, look!

At the web-footed tangle that hints where The ducks have gone down to the brook!

The Muscovy mammas that waddled Zigzag, you can trace in their tracks, And the dear little ducklings that toddled And tumbled sometimes on their backs!

b.u.t.tercup, b.u.t.tercup, b.u.t.tercup gold, O give us a handful of riches to hold!

Ho, ho! laughs the baby, and grasps in his glee His wealth, but soon shows what a spend-thrift is he!

--Nay, nay, he is king, though he never was crowned, And royally scatters his gold on the ground!

Bough of the willow-tree Over the brook, Down darts a kingfisher, Look, baby, look!

Back on the willow-bough, Fis.h.i.+ng is done; Happy and nappy now There in the sun.

Happy and nappy the baby is, too, Softly his eyelids droop over the blue, Golden his curls on the white pillow lie, Sleep, baby, sleep, baby, hush-a-by-bye.

AN INDIAN RAID

Did you see some Indians pa.s.sing, Just a short while back?

Looks as if they must be ma.s.sing For a fierce attack!

Buckskin fringes, turkey-feather Huge head-dresses and Bows and arrows, altogether Quite a frightful band!

From the lilac-bushes springing, See them rus.h.i.+ng! Ugh!

Awful war-whoops wildly ringing!

There'll be scalping, too!

In their fearful frenzy leaping, It is very plain Soon around us they'll be heaping Mountains of the slain!

Soon their victims will be falling-- But, above the noise, Hark! I hear somebody calling, "Come to dinner, boys!"

THE FIRST SLEIGH-RIDE

O happy time of fleecy rime And falling flakes, and O The glad surprise in baby eyes That never saw the snow!

Down s.h.i.+ning ways the flying sleighs Go jingling by, and see!

Beside the gate the horses wait And neigh for you and me!

SLEEPY TIME

Hey, baby! Ho, baby! here upon my knee, See the firelight flicker over you and me!

See the tiny people basking in the glow, Peering through the ruddy little coals, and so

How they dance and scamper! Merry fairy folk!

Little sparks for spangles, little wings of smoke!

Come baby, come baby, nestle in my arms; Hear the purring flames now sing their sleepy charms.

All the firelight fairies, all the drowsy elves, In the downy ashes cover up themselves.

And I fold the little blanket over you; Bye baby, my baby, let us slumber too.

WHEN BETTIE AND ANNE WENT WALKING

When they took their dollies walking, They were both so busy talking, (They had not met for half an hour and so had much to say) That they heedlessly kept going Down the shady streets, not knowing, Till they wanted to come back again, they could not find the way!

In their fright they felt forlorner Every time they turned a corner, And they wailed to one another, "Oh, whatever shall we do?

A big bear might come to bite us, Or a dreadful dog to fight us, Or the wicked gipsies get us! _Oh, boo-hoo! Boo-hoo! Boo-hoo!_"

But this story, though a sad one, Has an end that's not a bad one, For at last somebody found them as they bade the world good-by; They took their dollies home again, And vowed they'd never roam again, And their mothers hugged and kissed them, saying, "There, my dears, don't cry!"