PLAYING TABLEAUX.
Mother dressed us up for tableaux,
Little Cousin Lu and me;
And I heard the people saying,
We were cute as we could be!
Maybe Lu looked rather pretty,
But a boy dressed up like that,
With a great long coat around him,
And his Father’s new silk hat,
Feels like running off and hiding;
And I would have done it, too,
If I hadn’t promised Mother,
I would be as good as Lu.
Lu was dressed in shining satin,
With a veil fixed on her head,
Just like Aunt Lucille last summer,
When she married Uncle Ned.
But I mean to marry Mother,
When I’ve grown up big and strong;
I was six years old last Sunday,
So it won’t take very long.
When I told her all about it,
She just laughed and shook her head,
“When you’re quite grown up, my laddie,
You’ll ask someone else instead.”
—Lillian Howard Cork.
Old Mother Hubbard.
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To get her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the baker’s
To buy him some bread;
But when she came back,
The poor dog was dead.
She went to the joiner’s
To buy him a coffin;
But when she came back,
The poor dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
But when she came back,
He was smoking his pipe.
She went to the fishmonger’s
To buy him some fish;
And when she came back,
He was licking the dish.
She went to the ale-house
To get him some beer;
But when she came back,
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
But when she came back,
The dog stood on his head.
She went to the hatter’s
To buy him a hat;
But when she came back,
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber’s
To buy him a wig;
But when she came back,
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the fruiterer’s
To buy him some fruit;
But when she came back,
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor’s
To buy him a coat;
But when she came back,
He was riding a goat.
She went to the cobbler’s
To buy him some shoes;
But when she came back,
He was reading the news.
She went to the seamstress
To buy him some linen;
But when she came back,
The dog was spinning.
She went to the hosier’s
To buy him some hose;
But when she came back,
He was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsey,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, “Your servant,”
The dog said, “Bow, wow.”
This wonderful Dog
Was Dame Hubbard’s delight;
He could sing, he could dance,
He could read, he could write.
She gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected a monument
When he was dead.
Here am I.
Here am I, little jumping Joan.
When nobody’s with me, I’m always alone.
Hurly, Burly.
Hurly, burly, trumpet trase,
The cow was in the market-place.
Some goes far, and some goes near,
But where shall this poor henchman steer?
I Went up One Pair of Stairs.
1. I went up one pair of stairs. Just like me.
2. I went up two pair of stairs. Just like me.
3. I went into a room. Just like me.
4. I looked out of a window. Just like me.
5. And there I saw a monkey. Just like me.
Elsie Marley.
Elsie Marley has grown so fine
She won’t get up to feed the swine;
She lies in bed till half-past nine—
Ay! truly she doth take her time.