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!"

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!"

James Whitcomb Riley.

[Footnote 6: _From "The Book of Joyous Children," copyright 1902, by Chas. Scribner's Sons._]

_The Dream of a Girl Who Lived at Seven-Oaks_

Seven sweet singing birds up in a tree; Seven swift sailing-ships white upon the sea; Seven bright weather-c.o.c.ks shining in the sun; Seven slim race-horses ready for a run; Seven gold b.u.t.terflies, flitting overhead; Seven red roses blowing in a garden bed; Seven white lilies, with honey bees inside them; Seven round rainbows with clouds to divide them; Seven pretty little girls with sugar on their lips; Seven witty little boys, whom everybody tips; Seven nice fathers, to call little maids joys; Seven nice mothers, to kiss the little boys; Seven nights running I dreamt it all plain; With bread and jam for supper I could dream it all again!

William Brighty Rands.

_The Dream of a Boy Who Lived at Nine-Elms_

Nine grenadiers, with bayonets in their guns; Nine bakers' baskets, with hot-cross buns; Nine brown elephants, standing in a row; Nine new velocipedes, good ones to go; Nine knickerbocker suits, with b.u.t.tons all complete; Nine pair of skates with straps for the feet; Nine clever conjurors eating hot coals; Nine st.u.r.dy mountaineers leaping on their poles; Nine little drummer-boys beating on their drums; Nine fat aldermen sitting on their thumbs; Nine new knockers to our front door; Nine new neighbours that I never saw before; Nine times running I dreamt it all plain; With bread and cheese for supper I could dream it all again!

William Brighty Rands.

_A Little Boy's Pocket_

Do you know what's in my pottet?

Such a lot of treasures in it!

Listen now while I bedin it: Such a lot of sings it holds, And everysin dats in my pottet, And when, and where, and how I dot it.

First of all, here's in my pottet A beauty sh.e.l.l, I pit'd it up: And here's the handle of a tup That somebody has broked at tea; The sh.e.l.l's a hole in it, you see: n.o.body knows dat I dot it, I teep it safe here in my pottet.

And here's my ball too in my pottet, And here's my pennies, one, two, free, That Aunty Mary dave to me, To-morrow day I'll buy a spade, When I'm out walking with the maid; I tant put that here in my pottet!

But I can use it when I've dot it.

Here's some more sings in my pottet, Here's my lead, and here's my string; And once I had an iron ring, But through a hole it lost one day, And this is what I always say-- A hole's the worst sing in a pottet, Be sure and mend it when you've dot it.

Unknown.

_A. Apple Pie_

a

A was once an apple-pie, Pidy, Widy, Tidy, Pidy, Nice insidy, Apple-pie!

b

B was once a little bear, Beary, Wary, Hairy, Beary, Taky caky, Little bear!

c

C was once a little cake, Caky, Baky, Maky, Caky, Taky caky, Little cake!

d

D was once a little doll, Dolly, Molly, Polly, Nolly, Nursy dolly, Little doll!

e

E was once a little eel, Eely, Weely, Peely, Eely, Twirly, tweely, Little eel!

f

F was once a little fish, Fishy, Wishy, Squishy, Fishy, In a dishy, Little fish!

g

G was once a little goose, Goosy, Moosy, Boosey, Goosey, Waddly-woosy, Little goose!

h

H was once a little hen, Henny, Chenny, Tenny, Henny, Eggsy-any, Little hen?

i

I was once a bottle of ink, Inky, d.i.n.ky, Thinky, Inky, Blacky minky, Bottle of ink!

j

J was once a jar of jam, Jammy, Mammy, Clammy, Jammy, Sweety, swammy, Jar of jam!

k

K was once a little kite, Kity, Whity, Flighty, Kity, Out of sighty, Little kite!

l

L was once a little lark, Larky, Marky, Harky, Larky, In the parky, Little lark!

m

M was once a little mouse, Mousy, Bousy, Sousy, Mousy, In the housy, Little mouse!

n

N was once a little needle, Needly, Tweedly, Threedly, Needly, Wisky, wheedly, Little needle!

o

O was once a little owl, Owly, Prowly, Howly, Owly, Browny fowly, Little owl!