[Illustration]
"'Et me see," thought little May,
Waking from her slumber,
"How many 'tories do I know?
Oh, a mons'rous number!
First Cin'rella with her shoe,
All d'essed up so sp'ended;
"'Es, an' naughty B'ue Beard too,
Always gettin' 'fended;
'Fended with his wives he was,
All account of keys,
Then a-comin' back to say
'DIE MA'AM! on your knees!'
Oh my! if she hadn't had
Her faithful sister Ann,
No one ever would have come
To kill that wicked man!
Then the Bean-stalk--that was nice!
Wis' I'd one this minute,
Guess, though, I'd be most af'aid--
Might be giants in it.
Wonder if I was to be
Jack the Giant-killer
Nursey'd be af'aid o' me?
Why, I wouldn't kill her!
Not unless she combed too hard--
Then I'd shake my axe
Jus' a 'ittle--wis' I had
A real one jus' like Jack's.
Wis' I had a pair o' boots
Like Puss, who went a-walkin'!
Wis' I had a Pussy too,
Sittin' up a-talkin'.
I wouldn't like to go get lost
Like 'ittle Hop my T'umb
'Way 'n the forest (don't I wish
My mamma'd only come!)
A'most makes me feel af'aid
T'inkin' 'bout 'em now;
Gettin' lef' that way I t'ink
Was dreffle, any how;--
But, oh, the chil'ren in the wood,
They must have been so f'ightened
[Illustration]
A-list'nin, to the t'under, or
A-watchin' when it lighten'd.
Don't see why they didn't go;
Maybe, though, they couldn't--
_My_ Uncle wouldn't t'eat me so,
Uncle Rodney wouldn't.
Maybe in the mornin', too,
They heard a lion roarin'--
Here comes Nursey! now I'll play
I'm fast as'eep, a-snorin'.
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OLD Can-an'-must is a giant bold,
But one thing scares him, I've been told;
"I'm afraid when a youngster wastes his crust,
He'll never be thrifty," says Can-an'-must.
Old Can-an'-must is a giant bold,
And only one thing makes him scold:
"If I catch a youngster leaving a crust,
I'll gobble him up!" says Can-an'-must.
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