The Book of Joyous Children | Page 4

out an' see
Mowg up
there, 'way out, you know,
In the clingstone-tree;--
An'-sir! he ist hint_ an' _ring,--
Till she ketch an' plat
Them
limbs;--nen he crawl an' spring
In where Katy's at!
[Illustration]

THE BOY PATRIOT
I want to be a Soldier!--
A Soldier!--
A Soldier!--


I want to be a Soldier, with a sabre in my hand
Or a little carbine rifle,

or a musket on my shoulder,
Or just a snare-drum, snarling in the
middle of the band; I want to hear, high overhead, The Old Flag flap
her wings While all the Army, following, in chorus cheers and sings; I
want to hear the tramp and jar
Of patriots a million,
As gayly
dancing off to war
As dancing a cotillion.
I want to be a Soldier!--
A Soldier!--
A Soldier!--


I want to be a Soldier, with a sabre in my hand
Or a little carbine
rifle, or a musket on my shoulder,
Or just a snare-drum, snarling in
the middle of the band.
I want to see the battle!--
The battle!--
The battle!--


I want to see the battle, and be in it to the end;--
I want to hear the
cannon clear their throats and catch the prattle Of all the pretty
compliments the enemy can send!--
And then I know my wits will
go,--and where I should'nt be-- Well, there's the spot, in any fight, that
you may search for me. So, when our foes have had their fill,
Though
I'm among the dying,
To see The Old Flag flying still,
I'll laugh to
leave her flying!
I want to be a Soldier!--
A Soldier!--
A Soldier!--


I want to be a Soldier, with a sabre in my hand
Or a little carbine

rifle, or a musket on my shoulder,
Or just a snare-drum, snarling in
the middle of the band.

[Illustration: "WHILE ALL THE ARMY, FOLLOWING, IN
CHORUS CHEERS AND SINGS."]

EXTREMES
[Illustration]
I
A little boy once played so loud
That the Thunder, up in a
thunder-cloud,
Said, "Since I can't be heard, why, then
I'll never,
never thunder again!"
[Illustration]
II
And a little girl once kept so still
That she heard a fly on the
window-sill
Whisper and say to a lady-bird,--
"She's the stilliest
child I ever heard!"

INTELLECTUAL LIMITATIONS
Parunts knows lots more than us,
But they don't know all things,--

'Cause we ketch 'em, lots o' times,
Even on little small things.
One time Winnie ask' her Ma,
At the winder, sewin',
What's the
wind a-doin' when
It's a-not a-blowin'?
Yes, an' 'Del', that very day,
When we're nearly froze out,
He ask'

Uncle where it goes
When the fire goes out?
Nen _I_ run to ask my Pa,
That way, somepin' funny;
But I can't
say ist but "Say,"
When he turn to me an' say,
"Well, what is it,
Honey?"

[Illustration: "WHERE IT GOES WHEN THE FIRE GOES OUT?"]

A MASQUE OF THE SEASONS
Scene.--_A kitchen.--Group of Children, popping corn.--The Fairy
Queen of the Seasons discovered in the smoke of the
corn-popper.--Waving her wand, and, with eerie, sharp, imperious
ejaculations, addressing the bespelled auditors, who neither see nor
hear her nor suspect her presence._
QUEEN
Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,--
Which do you like the best of
all?
LITTLE JASPER
When I'm dressed warm as warm can be,
And with boots, to go
Through the deepest snow,
Winter-time is the
time for me!
QUEEN
Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,--
Which do you like the best of
all?
LITTLE MILDRED

I like blossoms, and birds that sing;
The grass and the dew,
And the sunshine, too,--
So, best of all I like
the Spring.
QUEEN
Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,--
Which do you like