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Soon it grew dark, and little Jane
Began to feel some drops of rain;
Her gown would spot, if it got wet;
And what a whipping she would get
If kind Mama could ferret out
What her dear child had been about.
If she got wet, they’d ask her “Why?”—
And here poor Jane began to cry.
A woman saw her tears—and saw
The pretty necklace which she wore.
“Come, come!” she said, “my little Miss,
Don’t spoil your pretty eyes like this;
If you’re afraid of getting wet
Come to my caravan, my pet,
And I’ll be proud if Miss will take
A dish of tea and slice of cake.”
Jane thought the woman kind and nice,
And so she followed her advice:
But after she had drunk her tea
She felt as drowsy as could be,
And so, although she tried to keep
Awake, she soon was fast asleep.
‘Pray, sirs,’ she asked, ‘can this be right?’
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When she awoke, her head felt fit
To fall to pieces, and to split;
Her necklace and her clothes were gone,
And she had next to nothing on.
Her hair was short, and was—alack!
No longer fair, but bluish black!
And she herself was—only think!
Spotted all over brown and pink!
Too scared to cry, she rose and saw
A giant, dwarf, and several more.
In fact, it soon was pretty plain
These wicked men had stolen Jane,
And meant to use her as a show,
Dressed as a “spotted child,” you know.
She struggled hard to be polite;
“Pray, sirs,” she asked, “can this be right?”
“You ’old your bloomin’ row!” they said,
And rudely cuffed her on the head.
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Quite fond of Ann
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When Jane’s Mama at length returned,
How dreadful was the news she learned!
Her child was gone!—And it was vain
To seek and search and call for Jane!
They hunted for her everywhere—
They even sought her at the fair;
But days went by, and then a week,
So that it seemed no use to seek.
Oddly enough—Mama began
Really to feel quite fond of Ann,
Now that there was no virtuous Jane
To carry tales and to complain.
And Ann felt sorry for her Aunt
Altho’ she said: “I really can’t
Conceive why it should cause her pain
To lose a little pig like Jane!”
Now that Ann’s Aunt was left in peace
She made excuses for her niece;
If she were noisy at her play,
She said, “I like to see her gay.”
And if she grew a trifle wild,
She only shook her head and smiled.
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Proffered her a guinea-piece
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When Ann’s Papa returned, one day,
And came to fetch his child away,
Mama was grieved to lose her niece,
And proffered her a guinea-piece,
Saying:
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