FOOLED.

After the long and merry day,

Little cousin, tired of play,

Has fallen asleep in the rocking-chair.

Soft, let me whisper in her ear—

There are better places to rest, my dear;

Come, let us go up-stair.

She doesn’t waken. Now, eyes so bright,

Under a curtain, out of sight,

Cannot I get a glimpse of you?

Creep, creep, creep, mouse, creep,

Cautiously up the dimpled cheek—

Peek, peek-a-boo, boo!

Not a glimpse! Now, then, little girl,

I’ll tickle your ear with this stray curl,

This curl of your tangled hair.

Now I’ll count the dimples: One, two, three—

“Ha! ha!”—you rogue, you were fooling me!

Fooling me, I declare!