THREE LITTLE BEARS
BY M. C. McNEILL
Three little bears came into the town.
“How do you do?” said everybody.
Their faces were smiling, with never a frown.
“How sweet!” said everybody.
The three little bears made three little bows.
“How very polite!” said everybody.
They bowed as boys bow in dancing-school.
“What airs and what grace!” said everybody.
One little bear had a little red coat.
“How smart!” said everybody.
One had a tippet all made of soft down.
“How cozy and warm!” said everybody.
And one was a fiddler of great renown.
“What charming music!” said everybody.
The three little bears began then to dance.
“How cute!” said everybody.
“What do you want, you little black bears
With manners so nice?” said everybody.
“I don’t like to be a fool, so I want to go to school,”
Said the red-coated bear to everybody.
Then Tommy Perkins, making a bow,
Right in front of everybody,
Took down his book and his slate as well,
And began to explain to everybody
Just what the little black bears should do
To read and to cipher like everybody.
“Sit up quite straight, and mind your stops;
Say, ‘A, B, C,’ for everybody.”
“A, B, C,” said the three little bears,
All in one voice, to everybody.
“A, B, C! What fiddle-dee-dee!”
Was whispered aloud by everybody.