Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories Part 25

WHERE ARE YOU GOING, MY PRETTY MAID?

"Where are you going, my pretty maid?"

"I am going a-milking, sir," she said.

"May I go with you, my pretty maid?"

"You're kindly welcome, sir," she said.

"What is your father, my pretty maid?"

"My father's a farmer, sir," she said.

"What is your fortune, my pretty maid?"

"My face is my fortune, sir," she said.

"Then I won't marry your my pretty maid."

"n.o.body asked you, sir," she said.

ANONYMOUS

THE LOST DOLL

I once had a sweet little doll, dears, The prettiest doll in the world; Her cheeks were so red and white, dears, And her hair was so charmingly curled.

But I lost my poor little doll, dears, As I played on the heath one day; And I cried for her more than a week, dears, But I never could find where she lay.

I found my poor little doll, dears, As I played on the heath one day; Folks say she is terribly changed, dears, For her paint is all washed away, And her arms trodden off by the cows, dears, And her hair not the least bit curled; Yet for old sake's sake, she is still, dears, The prettiest doll in the world.

CHARLES KINGSLEY

FOREIGN LANDS

Up into the cherry tree Who should climb but little me?

I held the trunk with both my hands And looked abroad on foreign lands.

I saw the next-door garden lie, Adorned with flowers, before my eye, And many pleasant faces more That I had never seen before.

I saw the dimpling river pa.s.s And be the sky's blue looking-gla.s.s; The dusty roads go up and down With people tramping in to town.

If I could find a higher tree Farther and farther I should see, To where the grown-up river slips Into the sea among the ships,

To where the roads on either hand Lead onward into fairy land, Where all the children dine at five, And all the playthings come alive.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

BED IN SUMMER

In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light.

In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree, Or hear the grown-up people's feet Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day?

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

TRY AGAIN

'Tis a lesson you should heed, Try, try, try again; If at first you don't succeed, Try, try, try again.

Once or twice though you should fail Try again; If you would at last prevail, Try again.

If we strive, 'tis no disgrace Though we may not win the race; What should you do in that case?

Try again.

If you find your task is hard, Try again; Time will bring you your reward, Try again.

All that other folks can do, With your patience should not you?

Only keep this rule in view-- Try again.

ANONYMOUS

A GOOD PLAY

We built a ship upon the stairs All made of the back-bedroom chairs, And filled it full of sofa pillows To go a-sailing on the billows.

We took a saw and several nails, And water in the nursery pails; And Tom said, "Let us also take An apple and a slice of cake;"-- Which was enough for Tom and me To go a-sailing on, till tea.

We sailed along for days and days, And had the very best of plays; But Tom fell out and hurt his knee, So there was no one left but me.