Mamma sat with her sewing for nearly an hour, while Frankie slept, only once in a while he would moan as if he was in pain; and then she put her hand on his head again.
When he awoke his eyes were heavy, and instead of jumping out of her lap to play, he laid his head down on her shoulder.
"Does Frankie want some breakfast?" asked mamma.
He nodded his head; but when nurse brought him some nice bread and milk in his silver porringer, he only took one taste of it, and then said, "Patty want water." He could not well say Frankie, but always called himself Patty.
For several days the poor boy was quite sick, and his mamma never left him except to run for a few moments to her meals. When he was in great pain, she soothed him, rocked him, and carried him about the chamber. Then, when he felt a little better, she sang him pretty songs, or told him stories, or showed him the pictures in his little books.
There was one little song he always loved to hear; and once, when papa and mamma were singing at prayers, he made them laugh by saying, "Mamma, sing Patty tune, pitty tee." He could not talk plain; but he meant "pretty tree."
Perhaps you have never heard this song; and I will repeat it for you:—
"Out in a beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
What is there on the tree?
A very pretty branch.
Branch on the tree,
Tree in the ground.
"Out in the beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
What is there on the branch?
A very pretty bough.
Bough on the branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree in the ground.
"Out in the beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
What is there on the bough?
A very pretty nest.
Nest on the bough,
Bough on the branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree in the ground.
"Out in a beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
What is there in the nest?
A very pretty egg.
Egg in the nest,
Nest on the bough,
Bough on the branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree in the ground.
"Out in a beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
What is there in the egg?
A very pretty bird.
Bird in the egg,
Egg in the nest,
Nest on the bough,
Bough on the branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree in the ground."