All round the world and back again
Dolly and I have been;
By sea and land we've travelled far,
The strangest sights have seen.
To Greenland first we sailed away
To see the snow and ice,
But Dolly's nose--it nearly froze--
Oh, dear! that wasn't nice!
So off we tripp'd to Canada,
There 'twas not quite so cold--
But there the Indians in the woods
Rushed after us so bold.
We ran away to Montana,
O'er Rocky Mountains high,
To picnic in wild Oregon,
Famous for pumpkin pie.
Then down to California,
Through many a field of gold,
And over ancient Mexico,
Past temples manifold.
The Sandwich Isles we visited,
Where grew such radiant flowers,
And pretty girls danced all the day
In fragrant, rosy bowers.
We crossed the Equatorial Seas,
And, sailing round and round
The lovely islands of the main,
Sweet coral groves we found.
New Zealand's shores we landed at,
The country of strange things--
Cherries that carried the stones out-side,
And flowers with butterflies' wings.
Oh, when we reach Australia--
What heaps and heaps of gold!
And a million sheep and lambs we saw
Straying from fold to fold.
To buy some tea-pots and some trays,
We called at quaint Japan,
Where a very polite old Japanese
Gave Dolly an ivory fan.
We took a trip to Chinese land
To take a cup of tea,
But neither sugar nor cream was given,
Which didn't suit Dolly and me.
Then travelling to Hindustan,
We met a tiger there,
Who looked as though he would eat us up--
So off we flew elsewhere.
And found ourselves in the Khyber Pass,
In the midst of a Caravan,
With which we travelled night and day
To reach Afghanistan.
Across the Red Sea next we sail'd
And through the Suez Canal,
To purchase a camel at old Cairo,
With a trot most magical,
Across the Desert we rode apace,
No water was there to drink,
Ah, oh!--while climbing a Pyramid
Dolly dropped down a chink.
An Arab kindly rescued her--
(She did so ruffle her hair;
If ever she plays that trick again
She'll have to be left down there.)
At last we left the Desert drear,
To sail upon the Nile,
In the Pasha's beautiful diabeheh
Past many a crocodile.
We saw no end of wonders now
In Africa's strange land--
Forests full of lions fierce,
And many a savage band.
Our steamer on the Congo sank--
We were in a dreadful plight
Until we met with Stanley true,
And then we steered aright.
We said good-bye to Africa,
And, though winds proved contrary,
Northward our wondrous way we took
To the Isles of sweet Canary.
Thence favouring gales conveyed us far
Beyond the Spanish shore;
Fast by the coast of France we sped
To our own land once more.
And now we're safe at home again,
And wise as wise can be;
For seeing all the world's wonders
Improves my Doll and me.