قراءة كتاب The Barefoot Time
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
اللغة: English
الصفحة رقم: 5
long,
To arouse them once more with its boyish din?
In the attic I happened to be one day,
I couldn’t help taking a tiny peep,—
They were just as he left them, every one,—
Oh, well, perhaps it was foolish to weep!
A bottle of beans (they were yellow and black);
He called them his “stock,” which he bought and sold;
A “Mother Goose Rhymes”—and his finger prints
Were still on its covers, now ragged and old!
A “Dinah” doll, without any hair,—
All these I found—the others you know,
For perhaps a like little trunk you placed
Under the rafters, too, long ago!
MR. FROG’S WISDOM
Long years ago, as I’ve been told, a Frog and a speckled Trout
Had in the cool of an old mill stream somewhat of a “falling out”.
“’Tis foolishness,” said Mr. Trout, and the spots on his sides grew red,
“To do as you do—I wonder who’s been putting such stuff in your head!
It’s best you’ll find, to spend your time, in studying swimming lore,
Learning to dive and float instead of hopping along on shore.
To excel in a single thing is better’n a little of this and that,—
Not to see it thus you really must be ’most as blind as a bat!
I’m going to practice to swim my best, and when one is wanted, see!
To serve some benevolent gentleman—who will he choose but me!”
Respectfully the Frog heard all that his friend, Mr. Trout, did say:
“I thank you much for your counsel, sir; I’ll meditate it, good day.”
But he didn’t take Mr. Trout’s advice, and this is the reason why,—
“To know but one craft—one’s chance to succeed in life is lessened thereby;
So I think I’ll go on in the same old way my fathers did before,—
Their skill in swimming was none the less for the fact that they hopped on shore!”
At last it was time for Frog and Trout their lifework to begin,
So they eagerly scanned the papers o’er to see what “ads” were in.
One day they found among the “wants” a place with tip-top pay,
And they packed their grips and started out at dawn the following day.
“I s’pose you can swim?” asked Mr. Seal, whose valet was soon to go.
“Indeed we can!” and off came coats their prowess and skill to show.
Out to the buoy and back again—the Trout came in ahead.
“It’s all because he shunned advice,” Mr. Trout with a chuckle said.
“Ah, very well done! I think you’ll do—your work, to patrol the shore,
And when you see any men with clubs don’t tarry a moment more,
But hurry to warn me as I take in the surf my morning bath”,—
Mr. Frog stood by with moistened eye—his tears were not of wrath,
As his friend, Mr. Trout, on the shore about, in pain began to flop,—
“Oh, you’re no good,” called Mr. Seal. “The one who serves me must hop!”
STRANGE PEOPLE
“What funny western people,
To sit around a table!”
Smiled Wo Yen Locks.
“And eat their funny victuals,
Boiled in iron kettles,
With knives and forks!”
BOBBY DREAMED
That oranges plump grew on holly-hock stalks,
And lollipops rained all around;
That chocolate drops and candy canes
Sprung up like mere weeds from the ground!
That each dewdrop he saw was a colored balloon;
That jack-knives like birds flew about,
(To fill up his pocket—all one had to do,
Was to chase them a moment about);
That every pebble or stone by the road
Was a coin, either silver or gold;
That it took but a minute to gather them up,—
As many’s you could possibly hold!
“How splendid to live in this wonderful land!”
And he gave his blue cap a slight twirl;
“I’d stay here forever—if it weren’t I’m afraid
I might wake up to-morrow a girl!”
HARD THINGS
HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP
In Camel Land—’twas years ago,
(As all the early records show)—
Mr. and Mrs. Camel, tall,
Had on their backs no hump at all.
They were as proud as proud could be
Of their physique—as one could see.
At home they used to joke and laugh,
Because so stooped their friend Giraffe!
When their two babies came to bless
Their home with camel loveliness,
Their joy was full. “Dear wife,” said he,
“Our boys are straight as straight can be!”
But when their age was six or eight,
(It pains me this fact to relate),
The parents’ counsels (so they say),
The boys neglected to obey.
“Oh, sit up