These terrible words were still sounding
Like trumpets and drums through my head,
When the monster clutched tighter my shoulder,
And dragged me half out of the bed.
In terror I clung to the bedpost,
But the faithless bedpost broke;
I screamed out aloud in my anguish,
And suddenly—well—I awoke!!—
No monster—no music—all silence,
Save mother's soft accents so mild:
"No, Father, you need not be anxious!
I know now what troubles the child.
I'll give him a little hot ginger
As soon as he's fairly awake;
His frightful Geography Demon
Is just his Aunt Susan's plum-cake!"
[POLLY'S YEAR.]
January 1.
Come sit on my knee and tell me here,
Polly, my dear, Polly, my dear,
What do you mean to do this year?
I mean to be good the whole year long,
And never do anything careless or wrong;
I mean to learn all my lessons right,
And do my sums, if I sit up all night.
I mean to keep all my frocks so clean,
Nurse never will say I'm "not fit to be seen."
I mean not to break even one of my toys,
And I never, oh! never will make any noise.
In short, Uncle Ned, as you'll very soon see,
The best little girl in the world I shall be.
December 31.
Come sit on my knee and let me hear,
Polly, my dear, Polly, my dear,
What you have done in the course of the year.
Oh dear! Uncle Ned, oh dear! and oh dear!
I'm afraid it has not been a very good year.
For somehow my sums would come out wrong,
And somehow my frocks wouldn't stay clean long.
And somehow I've often been dreadfully cross,
And somehow I broke my new rocking-horse.
And somehow Nurse says I have made such a noise,
I might just as well have been one of the boys.
In short, Uncle Ned, I very much fear
You must wait for my goodness another year.