In My Nursery Part 26

Huffly, snuffly, eminent fowl.

Black bat hung by a twig of the tree, Blinkety, winkety, blind old bat; Paying his court to the b.u.mble-bee, Fuzzy bee, buzzy bee, yellow and fat.

"Oh!" said the owl, "but the sun is so bright.

Blazing, crazing, fiery sun, How can I possibly wait till night?

Sweltering, meltering, not much fun!"

"Oh!" said the bat, "if a cloud would come, Showery, lowery, nice gray cloud, I'd take my love to my cavern home, Happily, flappily, pleased and proud."

"Oh!" said the bee, "but if that be all, Whimpering, simpering, blear-eyed bat, Yonder's a cloud coming up at your call, Scowling, growling, black as your hat."

"Oh!" said the owl and the bat together: "Rollicky, jollicky, nice fat cloud, Give us some good, black, thundery weather; Roar away, pour away, can't be too loud!"

Up came the cloud, spreading far and wide, Billowy, pillowy, black as night; Brisk little hurricane sitting inside, Blow away, strow away, out of sight.

Off went the owl like a thistle-down puff, Ruffly, huffly, rolled in a ball; Off went the bat like a candle-snuff, Fly away, die away, terrible fall.

Off went the twig, and off went the tree, Cras.h.i.+ng, smas.h.i.+ng, splintering round; Nothing was left but the b.u.mble-bee, And who so merry, so merry as she, As she laughed, "Ho! ho!" as she laughed, "He! he!

Creep away, sleep away, hole in the ground."

FROM NEW YORK TO BOSTON.

[_Allegro con moto._]

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail; Conductor the tickets is clipping, Boy has bananas for sale.

Raindrops outside are a-dripping,-- Dripping o'er meadow and vale.

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

Clankety clankety clank, Clinkety clinkety cling; Five little boys on a bank, One little girl in a swing.

Fishhawk o'erhead in the distance, Spreading his wings like a sail.

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

"Puck, Life, Frank Leslie, and Harper!

Latest editions, just out!"

Boy is an impudent sharper!

All are last week's, I've no doubt.

"Every new monthly and weekly, Every new novel and tale!"

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

Jogglety jogglety joggle!

Jigglety jigglety jig!

Snuffy old man with a goggle, Acid old dame with a wig, Pretty girl peacefully sleeping Under her gold-spotted veil.

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

Now we are duly admonished, Hartford's the place we reach next; Cow in the field looks astonished, Sheep in the pasture perplexed.

Furious puppy pursues us, c.o.c.king a truculent tail.

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

"Lozenges, peanuts, and candy!

Apples and oranges sweet!"

Legs are so frightfully bandy, Wonder he keeps on his feet.

"All the New York evening papers,-- Times, Tribune, World, Sun, and Mail!"

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

Engine goes "Whoos.h.!.+" at the station, Engine goes "Whizz!" o'er the plain; Horses express consternation, Drivers remonstrate in vain.

Smoke-witches dancing about us, Sparks in a fiery train.

Here we go skilfully skipping, Riding the resonant rail.

Tinklety tinklety tink!

Tunklety tunklety tunk!

Nearing the station, I think.

Where is the check for my trunk?

"Boston!" and "Boston!" and "Boston!"

Home of my fathers, all hail!

Here we go joyfully jumping, Away from the resonant rail.

SANDY G.o.dOLPHIN.

Sandy G.o.dolphin sat up on the hill, And up on the hill sat he; And the only remark he was known to make, Was "Fiddledy diddledy dee!"

He made it first in the high Hebrew, And then in the Dutch so low, In Turkish and Russian and Persian and Prussian, And rather more tongues than I know.

He made this remark until it was dark, And he could no longer see; Then he lighted his lamp, because it was damp, And gave him the neuralgee.

Sandy G.o.dolphin came down from the hill, And moaned in a dark despair: "I've finished," said he, "with my fiddledy dee, For n.o.body seems to care."

MY CLOCK.

My little clock, my little clock, He lives upon the shelf; He stands on four round golden feet, And so supports himself.

His face is very white and clean, His hands are very black; He has no soap to wash them with, And suffers from the lack.

He holds them up, his grimy hands, And points at me all day; "Make haste, make haste, the moments waste!"

He always seems to say.

"Tick tock! tick tock! I am a clock; I'm always up to time.

Ding dong! ding dong! the whole day long My silver warnings chime.