Careless Jane and Other Tales

A very naughty boy was John; He quarreled with his food, And would not eat his bread and milk, As all good children should. It grieved his kind mamma to see How thin and thinner grew Her little John, in spite of all That she could say or do.

Above the chimney Father Stork Heard all that Johnny said, And how each day he pushed away The bowl of milk and bread. And so it was, when kind mamma Had left the house one day, In through the kitchen door he came And carried John away.

Upon the roof the little storks Live high up in the sky, And far below them in the street They hear the folks go by. The old stork brings them, in his beak, The eels and frogs for food; But these he will not let them have Unless they're very good.

Such things poor Johnny could not eat; And as he sat and cried, He thought of all the bread and milk He used to push aside. "If I were only home again, I would be good," he said, "And never, never turn away From wholesome milk and bread."

If little John was thin before, Now thinner every day He grew, until you'd think the wind Would carry him away. So, when at last he was so lean His bones seemed poking through, There came a sudden gust of wind, And, puff! away he blew.

And when it blew him to the street, How fast he hurried home! And, oh, how glad his mother was To see her Johnny come! But gladder still she was to find That he had grown so good, And never now would turn away From wholesome simple food.

"Oh please mamma," said little Jane, "May I go out to play?" "No, no," her mother answered her; "I fear 'twill rain to-day."

"With my umbrella green," said Jane, "I will not mind the wet." But still mamma replied, "No, no; A cold I fear you'd get."

But oh, Jane was a naughty girl! On her own way intent; Soon as mamma had turned away, Out in the street she went. The streets were wet and lonely; No children there at play; Only old Mother Webtoes The frog abroad that day.

Now little Jane she seizes, In spite of all her cries, And green umbrella, Jane and all, Away with her she flies. Far, far off in the river, Upon a moisty stone, Old Webtoes and her children Live in a hut alone;

And Jane's big green umbrella Old Webtoes hides away; She makes her sweep, she makes her scrub; Jane has no time to play. She spreads a bed of rushes, Where Jane may sleep at night, And wakes her in the morning As soon as it is light.

"Get up," cries Mother Webtoes; "The breakfast you must get." "Oh let me stay in bed," says Jane; "The floor is cold and wet." But Mother Webtoes stamps her foot, And makes the child arise; But as Jane sobs, behind the door, Ah, what is this she spies?

It is her green umbrella; She sets it now afloat, And down the river in it sails, As if it were a boat. "Oh Mother Webtoes, only look," She hears the young frogs scream; "The little girl you brought to us Is sailing down the stream."

But Jane is quite too far away For them to catch her then, And when at last she drifts ashore She sees her home again. She rushes to her mother's arms With sobs and streaming eyes— "Oh mother, mother dear, forgive Your naughty Jane," she cries.

Eliza Ann was far from good; She did not act as children should, But fought and quarreled so at play The boys and girls all ran away.

Her mother said, "Take care, my dear, The rabbit witch will come, I fear, And steal you one of these fine days, Unless you learn to mend your ways."

But yet Eliza did not heed; She was a naughty girl indeed. So now the rabbit witch has come, And carries her away from home.

Down in the marshes far away The rabbit's children squeak and play; They tease Eliza till she cries, And with her apron hides her eyes.

When market day comes round again The witch locks up her house and then She says, "Be careful while you play;— Don't lose this child when I'm away." Now she has gone Eliza takes Her apron and a doll she makes.

"Just see this apron-girl," she cries;— "Look at it's nose and button eyes." And now her frock with belt and fold Into another doll is rolled; She gives it to the rabbit boy, Who squeaks and stamps his foot with joy.

"Now," cry the rabbits, "we will play, For these girls cannot run away." But while they rock their dolls and sing The witch brings home her marketing. "Where are you children dear," she cries. The little rabbit boy replies;—

"Here with two girls we play, but one Far off, across the fields has run." The rabbit witch went hurrying out To see what they could be about. There no Eliza could she find But only clothes she'd left behind.

Quick after her the old witch ran;— Haste, haste, make haste, Eliza Ann! Her own dear home was reached at last; The door was shut, the latch made fast.

But young Eliza had been taught A lesson as her mother thought: Henceforth she was so sweet and mild All loved to be with such a child.

These small boys started off for school But loitered by the way, Until at last 'twas quite too late To go to school that day. Ah naughty, naughty, truant boys! But listen what befell! Close by a wicked ogress lived, Down in a lonesome dell.

Now see her coming down the hill! Now see the children run! Her arms are long, her hands are strong, She catches every one. In vain the children kick and scream, The ogress takes them home And locks the door; then off she goes To bid the neighbors come.

But clever Peter sees above The chimney, black and wide; "Quick, wipe your eyes and come," he cries; "I've found a place to hide." And none too soon, for scarce the last Is out of sight before They hear the wicked ogress Come stumping in the door.

Then from the chimney Peter bawls, "We're hiding, stupid face!" "Oh, oh!" the ogress says, "I know; You're up the chimney place." So up the chimney now she looks; "I'll fetch you out," she cries; But puff! the clever Peter blows The soot down in her eyes.

All filled with black out through the door She hurries, howling still, Just when the other ogresses Are coming up the hill. They stop, they stare, they quake with fear, They stand appalled to see This dreadful, hopping, howling thing As black as black can be.

And now pell-mell away they run; But down the chimney place The boys climb ere the ogress Can clean her sooty face; And when they're safely home again They keep the master's rule, And never, never play again At truant from the school.