The Book of Joyous Children | Page 5

again--?And't was talking to him!
And then it said "SickAtty?--sick-atty--sick?You poor little DickAtty?--Dick-atty--dock!?Have you got the hickAtties?? Hi! send for Doc?To hurry up quick?Atty--quick-atty--quock,?And heat a hot brickAtty?--brick-atty--brock,
[Illustration]
And rikle-ty wrap it?And clickle-ty clap it?Against his cold feetAl?-ty--weep-aty--eepaty--?There he goes, slapitTy?--slippaty--sleepaty!"

FOOL-YOUNGENS
Me an' Bert an' Minnie-Belle?Knows a joke, an' we won't tell!?No, we don't--'cause we don't know?Why we got to laughin' so;?But we got to laughin' so,
"We ist kep' a-laughin'.
Wind wuz blowin' in the tree--?An' wuz only ist us three?Playin' there; an' ever' one?Ketched each other, like we done,?Squintin' up there at the sun
Like we wuz a-laughin'.
Nothin' funny anyway;?But I laughed, an' so did they--?An' we all three laughed, an' nen?Squint' our eyes an' laugh' again:?Ner we didn't ist p'ten'--
We wuz shore-'nough laughin'.

[Illustration: "SQUINT' OUR EYES AN' LAUGH' AGAIN"]

"We ist laugh' an' laugh', tel Bert?Say he can't quit an' it hurt.?Nen I howl, an' Minnie-Belle?She tear up the grass a spell?An' ist stop her yeers an' yell
Like she'd die a-laughin'.
Never sich fool-youngens yit!?Nothin' funny,--not a bit!--?But we laugh' so; tel we whoop'?Purt'-nigh like we have the croup--?All so hoarse we'd wheeze an' whoop
An' ist choke a-laughin'.

THE KATYDIDS
Sometimes I keep?From going to sleep,?To hear the katydids "cheep-cheep!"?And think they say?Their prayers that way;?But katydids_ don't have to _pray!
[Illustration]
I listen when?They cheep again?And so, I think, they're singing then!?But, no; I'm wrong,--?The sound's too long?And all-alike to be a song!
I think, "Well, there!?I do declare,?If it is neither song nor prayer,?It's talk--and quite?Too vain and light?For me to listen to all night!"
And so, I smile,?And think,--"Now I'll?Not listen for a little while!"--?Then, sweet and clear,?Next "cheep" I hear?'S a kiss.... Good morning, Mommy dear!
[Illustration]

BILLY AND HIS DRUM
Ho! it's come, kids, come!?"With a bim! bam! bum!?Here's little Billy bangin' on his big bass drum!?He's a-marchin' round the room,?With his feather-duster plume?A-noddin' an' a-bobbin' with his bim! bom! boom!
Looky, little Jane an' Jim!?Will you only look at him,?A-humpin' an' a-thumpin' with his bam! bom! bim!?Has the Day o' Judgment come?Er the New Mi-len-nee-um??Er is it only Billy with his bim! bam! bim!

[Illustration: "HE'S A-MARCHIN' ROUND THE ROOM."]

I 'm a-comin'; yes, I am--?Jim an' Sis, an' Jane an' Sam!?We'll all march off with Billy an' his bom! bim! bam!?Come hurrawin' as you come,?Er they'll think you're deef-an'-dumb?Ef you don't hear little Billy an' his big bass drum!

THE NOBLE OLD ELM
O big old tree, so tall an' fine,?Where all us childern swings an' plays,?Though neighbers says you're on the line?Between Pa's house an' Mr. Gray's,--?Us childern used to almost fuss,?Old Tree, about you when we 'd play.--?We'd argy you belonged to us,?An' them Gray-kids the other way!
Till Elsie_, one time _she wuz here?An' playin' wiv us--Don't you mind,?Old Mister Tree?--an' purty near?She scolded us the hardest kind?Fer quar'llin' 'bout you thataway,?An' say she'll find--ef we'll keep still--?Whose tree you air fer shore, she say,?An' settle it fer good, she will!

[Illustration: "THE OLD TREE SAYS HE'S ALL OUR TREE."]

So all keep still: An' nen she gone?An' pat the Old Tree, an' says she,--?"Whose air you, Tree?" an' nen let on?Like she's a-list'nin' to the Tree,--?An' nen she say, "It's settled,--'cause?The Old Tree says he's all our tree--?His trunk belongs to bofe your Pas,?But shade belongs to you an' me."

THE PENALTY OF GENIUS
[Illustration]
"When little 'Pollus Morton he's?A-go' to speak a piece, w'y, nen?The Teacher smiles an' says 'at she's?Most proud, of all her little men?An' women in her school--'cause 'Poll?He allus speaks the best of all.
An' nen she'll pat him on the cheek,?An' hold her finger up at you?Before_ he speak'; an' _when he speak'?It's ist some piece she learn' him to!?'Cause he's her favorite.... An' she?Ain't pop'lar as she ust to be!
When 'Pollus Morton speaks, w'y, nen?Ist all the other childern knows?They're smart as him an' smart-again!--?Ef they can't speak an' got fine clo'es,?Their Parunts loves 'em more 'n 'PollUs?Morton, Teacher, speech, an' all!

EVENSONG
Lay away the story,--?Though the theme is sweet,?There's a lack of something yet,?Leaves it incomplete:--?There's a nameless yearning--?Strangely undefined--?For a story sweeter still?Than the written kind.
Therefore read no longer--?I've no heart to hear?But just something you make up,?O my mother dear.--?With your arms around me,?Hold me, folded-eyed,--?Only let your voice go on--?I'll be satisfied.

[Illustration: "THEREFORE READ NO LONGER."]

[Illustration: The TWINS]
"IGO AND AGO"
We're The Twins from Aunt Marinn's,
Igo and Ago.?When Dad comes, the show begins!--
Iram, coram, dago.
Dad he says he named us two
Igo and Ago?For a poem he always knew,
Iram, coram, dago.
Then he was a braw Scotchman--
Igo and Ago.--?Now he's Scotch-Amer-i-can.
Iram, coram, dago.
"Hey!" he cries, and pats his knee,
"Igo and Ago,?My twin bairnies, ride wi' me--
Iram, coram, dago!"
[Illustration]
"Here," he laughs, "ye've each a leg,
Igo and Ago,?Gleg as Tam O'Shanter's 'Meg'!
Iram, coram, dago!"
Then we mount, with shrieks of mirth--
Igo and Ago,--?The two gladdest twins on earth!
Iram, coram, dago.
Wade and Silas-Walker cry,--
"Igo and Ago--?Annie's kissin' 'em 'good-bye'!"--
Iram, coram, dago.
Aunty waves us fond farewells.--
"Igo and Ago,"?Granny pipes, "tak care yersels!"
Iram, coram,