Verse and Prose for Beginners in Reading Part 6

She went to the tailor's To buy him a coat; But when she came back, He was riding a goat.

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 hosiers To buy him some hose; But when she came back, He was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsy, The dog made a bow; The dame said, Your servant, The dog said; Bow, wow.

RUNAWAY BROOK.

"Stop, stop, pretty water!"

Said Mary one day, To a frolicsome brook, That was running away.

"You run on so fast!

I wish you would stay; My boat and my flowers You will carry away.

"But I will run after: Mother says that I may; For I would know where You are running away."

So Mary ran on; But I have heard say, That she never could find Where the brook ran away.

BED IN SUMMER.

In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light.

In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree, Or hear the grown-up people's feet Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day?

AT THE SEASIDE

When I was down beside the sea A wooden spade they gave to me To dig the sandy sh.o.r.e.

My holes were empty like a cup, In every hole the sea came up, Till it could come no more.

THE MEETING OF THE s.h.i.+PS.

When o'er the silent seas alone, For days and nights we've cheerless gone, Oh, they who've felt it know how sweet, Some sunny morn a sail to meet.

Sparkling at once is ev'ry eye, "s.h.i.+p ahoy! s.h.i.+p ahoy!" our joyful cry; While answering back the sounds we hear, "s.h.i.+p ahoy! s.h.i.+p ahoy! what cheer? what cheer?"

Then sails are back'd, we nearer come, Kind words are said of friends and home; And soon, too soon, we part with pain, To sail o'er silent seas again.

PROVERBS AND POPULAR SAYINGS.

A barking dog seldom bites.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A cat may look at a king.

A chip of the old block.

A day after the fair.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

A fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years.

A fool may make money, but it needs a wise man to spend it.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

A good garden may have some weeds.

A good workman is known by his chips.

A hard beginning makes a good ending.

Three little kittens lost their mittens, And they began to cry: "O mother dear, we very much fear That we have lost our mittens."

"Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!

Then you shall have no pie."

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!

And we can have no pie.

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!"

Once I saw a little bird Come hop, hop, hop; So I cried, "Little bird, Will you stop, stop, stop?"

And was going to the window To say, "How do you do?"

But he shook his little tail, And far away he flew.

One misty, moisty morning, When cloudy was the weather, I chanced to meet an old man Clothed all in leather; He began to compliment, And I began to grin,-- "How do you do," and "How do you do,"

And "How do you do" again!

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked; If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Rid a c.o.c.k-horse to Banbury-cross To see an old lady upon a white horse, Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes, And so she makes music wherever she goes.