THE BABY'S RIDE
Chee! Chee! Chickadee!
Sing-time and sun!
Aye, aye, baby-bye,
Springtime has begun!
In the little willow cart,
On a downy bed,
Pretty parasol of silk
Swinging overhead,
Let us go along the lane
Where a baby sees
Mighty tufts of grass, and weeds
Tall as forest trees!
Bluebird on the apple-bough,
Sing and sing and sing!
Sing your very sweetest now
For babyhood and spring!
"Bah! Bah!" from the pasture,
And "Caw! Caw!" from the crow,
And bleating from the little calf
That has not learned to low.
Apple-buds, apple-buds breaking apart,
The baby looks upward with love-laden gaze;
Oh, shower some petals down here in his cart,
One honey-sweet cluster of pretty pink sprays!