Little Bob he fetched a board,
And then began to saw,
And Mary Jane said she'd afford
Him help to do much more,
While he used his--saw! saw! saw!
Young Dick he held his mallet high,
And struck the wedge quite bold,
Until it made the wood quick fly
Like feathers with no hold,
Blown by the wind quite--cold! cold! cold!
And John and James sawed up and down,
John sawed up; James sawed low;
The birds they flew all o'er the town
To tell the folks these things were so,
As if they did--know! know! know!
They made some boxes, tops, and hoops,
They fashioned bowls and chairs,
They sold a thousand million scoops,
And seven hundred stairs;
And this Bob--declares! declares! declares!
Eleven hundred sticks they cut,
And all of them good size;
With a five mile long water-butt,
"In which to float," Tom cries,
And "Time," they said--"flies! flies! flies!"
Oh! work and play are very good,
Work number one, you know;
Play number two has ever stood
The best in this world's show
And it should be--so! so! so!
Hence these young children played at work,
And thus learnt to work well,
And now their duties they ne'er shirk,
Which is all I've to tell,
And you to--spell! spell! spell!
Or, maybe, read and then to write,
Until you know it through;
Which will to you give great delight,
And mem'ry strengthen too,
As you ought to--do! do! do!
And, who knows, one day you may give
Some stories to the young,
To make your name through ages live
And loud your praises sung.
Keep your life well--strung! strung! strung!
[Illustration: The Little Soldiers]
_'Tis said 'That he who fights and runs away
Is sure to live to fight another day;'
But better to clear keep of ev'ry brawl,
And then you'll never have to fight at all._