“Busy Mistress One-Eye
With her long white train
Dips her nose and down she goes—
Up she comes again.
“Not a hand and not a foot;
Has no need for those;
Makes her trip without a slip,
Following her nose.
“Two she has to guide her:
One, a sturdy chap,
Other, tall beside her,
In a silver cap.
“As she moves—how funny!
Yet it’s very plain—
Brighter grows her one eye
And shorter grows her train.
“Now, what’s the answer?” she cried.
“That’s easy,” the Fool said promptly. “The answer is, of course, a mushroom.”
Amos laughed loudly at that; but kind little Ann was distressed to think what a pitifully poor guess her host had made.
“Oh, not a mushroom, Mr. Fool,” she said. “Don’t you see it has something to do with sewing?”
“Then of course it’s a mushroom,” the Fool said calmly. “Don’t I sow mushrooms every year all over my backyard? Nobody can fool me,” he finished with a chuckle, “about mushrooms.”
And after that naturally there was nothing more to be said.