And Skye, the terrier, caught my hand,
And tried to make me understand,—
"Play, play with me!"
And Nelly nipped my shoulder quite hard,
And then she went prancing around the yard—
"Play, play with me!"
I played with them all! Now, wouldn't you play,
If a little child, like me, should say,
"Play, play with me?"
THE PIPER.
Piping down the valleys wild.
Piping songs of pleasant glee,
On a cloud I saw a child,
And he laughing said to me:—
"Pipe a song about a lamb:"
So I piped with merry cheer.
"Piper, pipe that song again:"
So I piped; he wept to hear.
"Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe,
Sing thy songs of happy cheer:"
So I sung the same again,
While he wept with joy to hear.
"Piper, sit thee down and write
In a book that all may read."
So he vanish'd from my sight;
And I pluck'd a hollow reed,
And I made a rural pen,
And I stain'd the water clear,
And I wrote my happy songs
Every child may joy to hear.