Child Songs of Cheer Part 1

Child Songs of Cheer.

by Evaleen Stein.

UP, LITTLE ONES!

A robin redbreast, fluting there Upon the apple-bough, Is telling all the world how fair Are apple-blossoms now; The honey-dew its sweetness spills From cuckoo-cups, and all The crocuses and daffodils Are drest for festival!

Such pretty things are to be seen, Such pleasant things to do, The April earth it is so green, The April sky so blue, The path from dawn to even-song So joyous is to-day, Up, little ones! and dance along The lilac-scented way!

DANDELIONS

Hey-a-day-a-day, my dear! Dandelion time!

Come, and let us make for them a pretty little rhyme!

See the meadows twinkling now, beautiful and bright As the sky when through the blue s.h.i.+ne the stars at night!

Once upon a time, folks say, mighty kings of old Met upon a splendid field called "The Cloth of Gold."

But, we wonder, could it be there was ever seen Brighter gold than glitters now in our meadows green?

Dandelions, dandelions, s.h.i.+ning through the dew, Let the kings have Cloth of Gold, but let _us_ have _you_!

OUR PUPPIES

Little ears as soft as silk, Little teeth as white as milk, Little noses cool and pink, Little eyes that blink and blink, Little bodies round and fat, Little hearts that pit-a-pat, Surely prettier puppies never Were before nor can be ever!

THE LOST BALLOON

O dear! my purple toy balloon Has flown away! and very soon It will be high up as the moon!

And don't you think the man up there Will wonder what it is, and stare?

Perhaps h.e.l.l say, "_Well, I declare!_"

Or, maybe if it chance there are Some little boys in yonder star, And if it floats away so far,

Perhaps they'll jump up very high And catch the cord as it goes by!

At any rate I hope they'll try!

THE CIRCUS PROCESSION

_Oh, hurry! hurry!_ here they come, The band in front with the big ba.s.s drum And blaring bugles,--there they are, On golden thrones in a golden car, Tooting and fluting, oh, how grand!

Hi diddle, diddle!

The fife and the fiddle!

_Hurrah, hurrah_ for the circus band!

And the red-plumed horses, oh, see them prance And daintily lift their hoofs and dance, While beautiful ladies with golden curls Are jingling their bridles of gold and pearls, And close behind Come every kind Of animal cages great and small, O how I wonder what's in them all!

Here's one that's open and glaring there Is the s.h.a.ggiest snow-white polar bear!

_Woof!_ but I wonder what we'd do If his bars broke loose right now, don't you?

And O dear me!

Just look and see That pink-cheeked lady in skirts of gauze And the great big lion with folded paws!

O me! O my!

I'm glad that I Am not in that lion's cage, because _Suppose he'd open his horrible jaws!_ --But look! the clown is coming! Of course Facing the tail of a spotted horse And shouting out things to make folks laugh, And grinning up at the tall giraffe That placidly paces along and looks Just like giraffes in the picture-books!

And there are the elephants, two and two, Lumbering on as they always do!

The men who lead them look so small I wonder the elephants mind at all As they wag their queer Long trunks, and peer Through their beady eyes,--folks say they know No end of things, and I'm sure it's so!

And you never must do a thing that's bad Or that possibly might make an elephant mad, For he'll never forgive you, it appears, And will punish you sure, if it takes him _years!_ So do not stare But take good care To mind your manners, and always try To smile politely as they go by!

But the camels don't care if you laugh at them With their b.u.mpy humps like a capital M, They lurch and sway And seem to say, As they wrinkle their noses, long and gray, "This swaggering stride is quite the plan, It's the way we walked in the caravan!"

And now more cages come rumbling by With glittering people throned on high; So many spangles and precious things, They surely must all be queens and kings!

They look so proud Above the crowd, O my, how fine it must feel to ride On golden wagons that hide inside Strange animals caught in cannibal isles And brought in s.h.i.+ps for a million miles!

But hark! it's near The end, for hear That sudden screeching in piercing key!

The steaming, screaming _cal-li-o-pe_!

Just plain pianos sound terribly tame Beside this one with the wonderful name, And wouldn't you love some day to sit In a circus wagon and play on it?

MAY-BASKETS

Let us take our baskets early To the meadows green, While the wild-flowers still are pearly With the dewdrops' sheen.

Fill them full of blossoms rosy, Violets and gay Cowslips, every pretty posy Welcoming the May.

Then our lovely loads we'll carry Down the village street, On each door, with laughter merry, Hang a basket sweet.

Hey-a-day-day! It is spring now, Lazy folks, awake!

See the pretty things we bring now For the May-day's sake!