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Once, with head as high as ever,
Johnny walk’d beside the river.
Johnny watch’d the swallows trying
Which was cleverest at flying.
Oh! what fun!
Johnny watch’d the bright round sun
Going in and coming out;
This was all he thought about.
So he strode on, only think!
To the river’s very brink,
Where the bank was high and steep,
And the water very deep;
And the fishes, in a row,
Stared to see him coming so.

One step more! Oh! sad to tell!
Headlong in poor Johnny fell.
And the fishes, in dismay,
Wagg’d their tails and ran away.

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There lay Johnny on his face,
With his nice red writing-case;
But, as they were passing by,
Two strong men had heard him cry;
And, with sticks, these two strong men
Hook’d poor Johnny out again.

Oh! you should have seen him shiver
When they pull’d him from the river.
He was in a sorry plight,
Dripping wet, and such a fright!
Wet all over, every where,
Clothes, and arms, and face, and hair:
Johnny never will forget
What it is to be so wet.

And the fishes, one, two, three,
Are come back again, you see;
Up they came the moment after,
To enjoy the fun and laughter.
Each popp’d out his little head.
And, to tease poor Johnny, said
“Silly little Johnny, look,
You have lost your writing-book!”