LAMBIKIN

Once upon a time there was a wee, wee Lambikin.

He frolicked about on his tottery legs from morning to night.

He was always happy.

One day Lambikin set off to visit his Granny.

He was jumping with joy to think of the good things he would get.

As he frisked along, he met but a wolf!

The wolf howled, “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat YOU!”

But with a hop and a skip, a hump and a jump, Lambikin said,

“No, no,

To Granny’s house I go,

Where I shall fatter grow,

Then you can eat me so.”

The wolf thought this wise and so let Lambikin go.

Away frisked Lambikin.

He had not gone far, when whom should he meet but a bear!

The bear growled, “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat YOU!”

But with a hop and a skip, a hump and a jump, Lambikin said,

“No, no,

To Granny’s house I go,

Where I shall fatter grow,

Then you can eat me so.”

The bear thought this wise and so let Lambikin go.

Away frisked Lambikin.

He had not gone far when whom should he meet but a lion!

The lion roared, “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat you!”

But with a hop and a skip, a hump and a jump, Lambikin said,

“No, no,

To Granny’s house I go,

Where I shall fatter grow,

Then you can eat me so.”

The lion thought this wise and so let Lambikin go.

Away frisked Lambikin.

At last he reached his Granny’s house.

“Granny dear,” he cried, all out of breath, “I have said I would get fat. I ought to keep my word. Please put me in the corn-bin at once.”

“You are a good Lambikin,” said his Granny.

And she put him into the corn-bin.

There the greedy little Lambikin stayed for seven days and seven nights.

He ate, and ate, and ate, and he ate until he could hardly waddle.

“Come, Lambikin,” said his Granny, “you are fat enough. You should go home now.”

“No, no,” said cunning little Lambikin, “that will never do. Some animal would surely eat me on the way, I am so plump and tender.”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried old Granny in a fright.

“Never fear, Granny dear,” said cunning Lambikin. “I’ll tell you what to do. Just make me a little drumikin out of the skin of my little brother who died. I can get into it and roll along nicely.”

So old Granny made Lambikin a drumikin out of the skin of his dead brother.

And cunning Lambikin curled himself up into a round ball in the drumikin.

And he rolled gayly away.

Soon he met the lion, who called out,

“Drumikin! Drumikin!

Have you seen Lambikin?”

Lambikin answered sweetly as he rolled along,

“Fallen into the fire, and so will you!

On, little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”

“Too bad, too bad,” sighed the lion, as he thought of the sweet, fat morsel of a Lambikin.

So away rolled Lambikin, laughing gayly to himself and sweetly singing,

“Tum-pa, tum-too;

Tum-pa, tum-too!”

Soon he met the bear, who called out,

“Drumikin! Drumikin!

Have you seen Lambikin?”

Lambikin answered sweetly as he rolled along,

“Fallen into the fire, and so will you!

On, little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”

“Too bad, too bad,” sighed the bear, as he thought of the sweet, fat morsel of a Lambikin.

So away rolled Lambikin, laughing gayly to himself and sweetly singing,

“Tum-pa, tum-too;

Tum-pa, tum-too!”

Soon he met the wolf, who called out,

“Drumikin! Drumikin!

Have you seen Lambikin?”

Lambikin answered sweetly as he rolled along,

“Fallen into the fire, and so will you!

On, little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”

“Oh, ho, little Lambikin, curled up snug in your little drumikin,” said the wolf, “you can’t fool me. I know your voice. So you have become too fat to hop and to skip, to hump and to jump. You can only roll along like a ball.”

And the wolf’s mouth watered as he thought of the sweet, fat morsel of a Lambikin.

Little Lambikin’s heart went pit-a-pat, but he cried out gayly,

“Hark, hark! Hear the dogs bark!

Faster, roll faster, my little Drumikin!”

The wolf was frightened and stopped to listen for the dogs.

And away rolled cunning Lambikin faster and faster, laughing to himself and sweetly singing,

“Tum-pa, tum-too;

Tum-pa, tum-too!”