OLD DAN GETS THE COAL

The occupations of the city horse are always absorbing to the school children. They have many tales about various “Old Dans” and their various trades. The docks are familiar to almost all the children,—even to the four-year-olds. This verse is meant to be read fast or slow according to whether or no the wagon is empty.


OLD DAN GETS THE COAL

Old Dan, he lives in a stable, he does,
He sleeps in a stable stall.
Old Dan, he eats in the stable, he does,
He eats the hay from the manger, he does,
He pulls the hay
And he chews the hay
When he eats in his stable stall.

Old Dan, he leaves the stable, he does,
He pulls the wagon behind.
Old Dan he goes trotting along, so he does,
He trots with the wagon all empty, he does;
The wagon, it clatters,
The mud, it all spatters
Old Dan with the wagon behind.

Old Dan, he trots to the dock, he does,
He trots to the coal barge dock.
Old Dan, he stands by the barge, he does,
He stands and the big crane creaks, it does.
Up! into the chute,
Bang! out of the chute
Comes the coal at the coal barge dock!

Old Dan, he pulls the load, he does,
He pulls the heavy load.
Old Dan he pulls the coal, he does,
He slowly pulls the heavy coal.
The wagon thumps,
It bumps, it clumps
When old Dan pulls the load.