Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building Part 15

A little old man with a s.h.i.+ny bald head Was told by his wife they were all out of bread.

He puckered his lips and replied with a frown, "Then bring me some toast that is crusty and brown."

JINGLES

THERE WAS A MAN IN OUR TOWN

There was a man in our town, And all he did each day Was to skip and hop along the streets And on a trumpet play.

A MOST WONDERFUL SIGHT

The most wonderful sight I ever did see Was an owl on the branch of our old oak-tree; His eyes were so large and his head was so small That he seemed all eyes and no head at all.

SAILING

Afloat, afloat, in a golden boat!

Hoist the sail to the breeze!

Steer by a star to lands afar That sleep in the southern seas, And then come home to our teas!

An Up-to-date p.u.s.s.y-cat.

p.u.s.s.y cat, p.u.s.s.y cat, where have you been?

I've been to London in my new machine.

p.u.s.s.y cat, p.u.s.s.y cat, what did you there?

The auto broke down and was hard to repair.

Adeline Knapp.

MISERY IN COMPANY

The rain is falling, The fire is out!

Jane has the toothache, John has the gout!

COURT NEWS

BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS

The king and queen went out to-day, A-riding on a load of hay.

The king fell off and lost his crown, The queen fell, too, and tore her gown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Old Mother Goose.]

A MESSAGE TO MOTHER GOOSE.

By Ellen Manly.

Once on a time there lived a child--so it was told to me-- Who never heard of Mother Goose and her fine family.

The man who lived up in the moon he saw her with his eyes, And told the shocking story to the Man so Wondrous Wise, Who said the proper thing to do in such a case would be To send the dreadful news at once to good old Mother G.

So off he ran to Old King Cole and told the Fiddlers Three, And Old King Cole said, "Bless my soul! such things must never be!"

And, putting up his pipe, dispatched a Fiddler in a trice To find Jack Horner and request the aid of his advice.

Jack Horner cried; "Alack-a-day! and can it really be, There lives a child who never heard about my pie and me?

I cannot spread the news myself--I'm busy finding plums.

You'd better ask the King of France when next this way he comes!"

The King of France was close at hand, a-marching up the hill, But kindly turned his men about to search for Jack and Jill; And Jack and Jill, with all good-will, they hunted up Bo-Peep, And then they wakened poor Boy Blue, beside the hay asleep.

Bo-Peep she left her wandering sheep; Boy Blue he blew his horn, And sent the Knave of Hearts to tell the Maiden all Forlorn.

John Barleycorn, he heard the news, and Tom the Piper's Son; And Tom set out to find John Stout as fast as he could run.

The story shocked Miss m.u.f.fet so she dropped her curds and whey And flew to Mother Hubbard's house, but found her gone away To buy her poor old dog a bone, and so she told Jack Sprat As he was lecturing Tommy Green for drowning p.u.s.s.y cat.

Brave Tommy Tucker stopped his song at hearing what she said, And, quite forgetting supper-time, his b.u.t.ter and his bread, To Mary Quite Contrary went, as in the garden row She raked the sh.e.l.ls and silver bells that she had coaxed to grow!

Then Mary left her precious flowers and ran with might and main, (The Man in Leather lent his coat in case it chanced to rain), And came to Mother Goose's farm before Bow Bells could ring, Which, Little Polly Flinders said, was quite a lucky thing.

Within her cosy little house beneath the jimcrack-tree The worthy dame was just about to brew a cup of tea.

But when she heard the dreadful news she let the teapot fall, And for her Sunday cap and gown impatiently did call.

"Quick! get my steeple hat," quoth she, "my newest high heeled shoes, And bring my gander to the door; there is no time to lose!

I must away to Santa Claus before the set of sun, To tell him this alarming tale and see what can be done!"

She wrapped her in her scarlet cloak, she donned her steeple hat; The gander flapped his lovely wings and circled like a bat, And then the n.o.ble bird away to Christmas Land did soar, Nor slackened speed till they arrived at Santa Claus's door!

Good Santa Claus was overjoyed his dear old friend to see, And treated her to cake and nuts from off a Christmas tree.

Just what was said on either side I can't exactly tell, As n.o.body was near enough to hear it very well.

But this I've learned: old Santa Claus that very Christmas took That poor, benighted little child a most enchanting book, And now she knows old Mother Goose--her children great and small, And, as good little folks should do, she dearly loves them all!

#SLEEPY-TIME SONGS AND STORIES#

SWEET AND LOW

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Sweet and low, sweet and low, Wind of the Western Sea.