Mother dressed us up for tableaux,
Little Cousin Lu and me;
And I heard the people saying,
We were cute as we could be!
Maybe Lu looked rather pretty,
But a boy dressed up like that,
With a great long coat around him,
And his Father’s new silk hat,
Feels like running off and hiding;
And I would have done it, too,
If I hadn’t promised Mother,
I would be as good as Lu.
Lu was dressed in shining satin,
With a veil fixed on her head,
Just like Aunt Lucille last summer,
When she married Uncle Ned.
But I mean to marry Mother,
When I’ve grown up big and strong;
I was six years old last Sunday,
So it won’t take very long.
When I told her all about it,
She just laughed and shook her head,
“When you’re quite grown up, my laddie,
You’ll ask someone else instead.”
—_Lillian Howard Cork._
_Old Mother Hubbard._
[Illustration]
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To get her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the baker’s
To buy him some bread;
But when she came back,
The poor dog was dead.
[Illustration]
She went to the joiner’s
To buy him a coffin;
But when she came back,
The poor dog was laughing.
[Illustration]
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
But when she came back,
He was smoking his pipe.
[Illustration]
She went to the fishmonger’s
To buy him some fish;
And when she came back,
He was licking the dish.
She went to the ale-house
To get him some beer;
But when she came back,
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
But when she came back,
The dog stood on his head.
[Illustration]
She went to the hatter’s
To buy him a hat;
But when she came back,
He was feeding the cat.
[Illustration]
She went to the barber’s
To buy him a wig;
But when she came back,
He was dancing a jig.
[Illustration]
She went to the fruiterer’s
To buy him some fruit;
But when she came back,
He was playing the flute.
[Illustration]
She went to the tailor’s
To buy him a coat;
But when she came back,
He was riding a goat.
[Illustration]
She went to the cobbler’s
To buy him some shoes;
But when she came back,
He was reading the news.
She went to the seamstress
To buy him some linen;
But when she came back,
The dog was spinning.
She went to the hosier’s
To buy him some hose;
But when she came back,
He was dressed in his clothes.
[Illustration]
The dame made a curtsey,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, “Your servant,”
The dog said, “Bow, wow.”
This wonderful Dog
Was Dame Hubbard’s delight;
He could sing, he could dance,
He could read, he could write.
She gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected a monument
When he was dead.
_Here am I._
[Illustration]
Here am I, little jumping Joan.
When nobody’s with me, I’m always alone.
_Hurly, Burly._
Hurly, burly, trumpet trase,
The cow was in the market-place.
Some goes far, and some goes near,
But where shall this poor henchman steer?
_I Went up One Pair of Stairs._
1. I went up one pair of stairs. Just like me.
2. I went up two pair of stairs. Just like me.
3. I went into a room. Just like me.
4. I looked out of a window. Just like me.
5. And there I saw a monkey. Just like me.
_Elsie Marley._
Elsie Marley has grown so fine
She won’t get up to feed the swine;
She lies in bed till half-past nine—
Ay! truly she doth take her time.