Tell me, is thy distant home
Far across the salt sea foam?
Or hast thou, hidden from the day,
Slept the wintry hours away?
Welcome, cheering bird to me,
Where'er thy wintry mansion be,
In the earth, or o'er the main,
Welcome to these fields again!
| to face pa. 12 |
| The Cuckoo |
| to face pa. 13 |
| Red and Black Shoes |
Short thy visit to this shore,
April and May are quickly o'er;
Then, Cuckoo, chaunt thy strain in peace,
For in June thy song shall cease.
RED SHOES AND BLACK SHOES.
Which must I have, little black shoes or red shoes,
Little thick shoes or thin shoes, which shall be mine?
In winter 'tis wet, and the roads are all dirt,
In summer 'tis dry, and the weather is fine.
Then come, little black shoes, 'tis now winter weather,
Your soles are so thick, you will keep me quite dry;
Not a splash nor a spot can get into my stockings,
So nice and so tight round my ancles you tie.
And you, little red shoes, so slender and thin,
You shall wait in my draw'r till the dirt's gone away;
When I'll walk with mamma when she goes to the farm,
You will never feel heavy through a long summer's day.