There was one little Jack,
Not very long back,
And 't is said to his lasting disgrace,
That he never was seen
With his hands at all clean,
Nor yet ever clean was his face.
His friends were much hurt
To see so much dirt
And often and well did they scour,
But all was in vain,
He was dirty again
Before they had done it an hour.
When to wash he was sent,
He reluctantly went
With water to splash himself o'er,
But he left the black streaks
Running down both his cheeks,
And made them look worse than before.
The pigs in the dirt
Could not be more expert
Than he was, in grubbing about;
And people have thought
This gentleman ought
To be made with four legs and a snout.
The idle and bad
May, like to this lad,
Be dirty and black, to be sure.
But good boys are seen
To be decent and clean,
Although they be ever so poor.