THE COWSLIP,
Or More Cautionary Stories, In Verse.
By Anonymous
[Original]
CONTENTS
[ XV. Susan and Patty. (continued.) ]
[ XXVII. The Sensitive Figure. ]
[ XXIX. Quarrelsome Children. ]
I. The New Book.
A neat little Book, full of pictures was bought
For a good little girl that was glad to be taught;
She read all the tales, and then said to her mother,
I'll lend this new book to my dear little brother.
He shall look at the pictures and find O and I,
I'm sure he won't tear it he's such a good boy.
Oh no, brother Henry knows better, indeed;
Although he's too young, yet, to spell and to read.
[Original]
II. The Truant.
Children, who delight to ramble,
When it is not holiday,
And o'er hedge and ditch to scramble,
All for love of truant play;
Must have tasks and lessons double,
To make up for time misspent,
And, besides this double trouble,
Must have proper punishment.
[Original]
III. Filial Love.
Miss Jane's Mamma was very ill,
And felt such pain she could not sleep,
And Jane would quietly sit still,
Or sometimes through the curtains peep.
And often as she left the bed,
The tear of sweet affection fell,
And going from the room she said,
"I wish my dear mamma were well."
[Original]
IV. Breakfast.
That I did not see Frances just now I am glad:
For Winifred says, she look'd sullen and sad.
When I ask her the reason I know very well,
That Frances will blush the true reason to tell.
And I never again shall expect to hear said,
That she pouts at her milk with a toast of white
bread;
When both are as good as can possibly be,
Though Betsy, for breakfast, perhaps may have
tea.
[Original]
V. The Sash.
Mamma had ordered Ann, the maid,
Miss Caroline to wash;
And put on, with her clean white frock,
A handsome muslin sash.
But Caroline began to cry,
For what you cannot think:
She said, "O that's an ugly sash,
"I'll have my pretty pink."
Papa, who in the parlour heard
Her make the noise and rout,
That instant went to Caroline,
To whip her there's no doubt.
[Original]
VI. Listen to Reason.
One afternoon, as Joseph West,
The boy who learnt his lesson best, *
Was trying how his whip would crack,
By chance hit Headstrong on the back.
* See the Daisy, Story vi.
Enrag'd he flew and gave poor Joe,
With all his might a sudden blow:
Nor would he listen to one word,
When Joe endeavoured to be heard.
Joe, finding him resolved to fight,
For what was accidental quite,
Although he never fought before,
Beat Headstrong till he'd have no more.
[Original]
VII. The Crying Child.
O fie! Master Edward! I feel much surprise,
And am really ashamed of those tears and
this noise.
Do you know by your crying how sadly you pain
Your mother, altho' you've no cause to complain?
And can you forget that, when sick on her knee,
How she nurs'd you and gave you sweet tamarind
tea?
A rod is the very best thing to apply
When Children are crying, and cannot tell why:
Unless they are babes in the cradle so young,
That they are not yet able to speak with their
tongue.
[Original]
VIII. The Purloiner.
As Joe was at play,
Near the cupboard one day,
When he thought no one saw but himself,
How sorry I am,
He ate raspberry jam,
And currants that stood on the shelf.
His mother and John
To the garden had gone,
To gather ripe pears and ripe plums;
What Joe was about,
His mother, found out,
When she look'd at his fingers and thumbs.
And when they had din'd,
Said to Joe, "you will find,
"It is better to let things alone;
"These plums and these pears,
"No naughty boy shares,
"Who meddles with fruit not his own."
[Original]
IX. Going to School,
Good children when they're sent to school,
Will never loiter on the way:
With them this is a constant rule,
And not to stop to stare and play.
They never speak to any one,
Who talks when he should mind his task,
For Dunces frequently have on
A very black and frightful mask.
But when they've been at school all day,
Their tasks and lessons finish'd; then
Their friends will give them leave to play,
When they return from school again.
[Original]
X. The Bird-catcher.
The cat's in the window and Shock's at the door:
The pussy-cat mews and the little dog barks;
For, see, such a sight as I ne'er saw before,
A boy with a cage full of linnets and larks!
And pussy the way how to catch them is seeking,
To kill them, and spoil all their singing, poor
things;
For singing to them is like little boys speaking;
But fear makes them chirrup and flutter their
wings.
Do not fear pretty birds! for puss shall not eat you.
Go, go, naughty puss! away out of sight.
With crumbs of good bread pretty birds we will
treat you,
And give you fresh water both morning and night.
[Original]
XI. Improper Words.
Who was it that I lately heard,
Repeating an improper word 7
I do not like to tell his name,
Because he is so much to blame.
Go, naughty child! and hide your face,
I grieve to see you in disgrace;
Go, you have forfeited to-day,
All right at trap and ball to play.
At dinner time there is no place
For boys who merit deep disgrace;
Such naughty boys I can't permit,
With children who are good to sit.
And when at night you go to bed,
The third commandment shall be read;
For there we find how very wrong
It is to have a faulty tongue.
[Original]
XII. The Cruel Boy.
Jack Parker was a cruel boy,
For mischief was his sole employ;
And much it griev'd his friends to find,
His thoughts so wickedly inclin'd.
He thought it clever to deceive,
And often ramble without leave;
And every animal he met,
He dearly lov'd to plague and fret.
But all such boys unless they mend,
May come to an unhappy end;
Like Jack who got a fractur'd skull,
Whilst bellowing at a furious bull.
[Original]
XIII. The Worm.
As Sally sat upon the ground,
A little crawling worm she found,
Among the garden dirt;
And when she saw the worm, she scream'd,
And ran away and cried,
As if she had been hurt.
Mamma afraid some serious harm
Made Sally scream, was in alarm,
And left the parlour then;
But when the cause she came to learn,
She bade her daughter back return,
To see the worm again.
The worm they found kept writhing round,
Until it sunk beneath the ground,
And Sally learn'd that day,
That worms are very harmless things,
With neither teeth, nor claws, nor stings,
To frighten her away.
[Original]
XIV. The Good Girl.
Lydia Banks though very young,
Will never do what's rude or wrong,
When spoken to, she always tries
To give the most polite replies.
Observing what at school she's taught,
She turns her toes as children ought;
And when return'd at night from school,
She never lolls on chair or stool.
Some children, when they write, we know
Their ink about them, heedless, throw;
But she, though young, has learn'd to think
That clothes look spoil'd with spots of ink.
Perhaps some little girl may ask,
If Lydia always learns her task;
With pleasure I can answer this,
Because with truth I answer "Yes."