The
Roosevelt Bears
celebrate the
FOURTH
TEDDY-G went out the night before
To Market Street, to a fireworks’ store,
And bought a load of crackers red,
And torpedoes round like balls of lead,
And great big whirlers which you light
And then run off with all your might,
And flags and kites and pistol toys:
The kind to give to little boys;
And rockets which go whizzing high
To shoot bright stars around the sky;
And sticks to hold and turn about
While balls of fire come popping out;
And drums to beat and horns to blow,
And things to shoot and things to throw;
And small balloons in colors gay
And a hundred flags to give away;
In all about twelve dollars’ worth
To celebrate July the Fourth.
TEDDY-G—His paw
They didn’t sleep a wink that night
But started out before ’twas light,
To historic Independence Square.
“For that,” said TEDDY-B, “is where
This western world beyond the sea
Unfurled the flag of liberty;
And that’s the place and this the date
Where loyalty must celebrate.”
“Oh you come off,” said TEDDY-G,
“It’s fun that I am here to see;
Who cares to-day who won the game?
We’ll shoot off crackers just the same.”
And this is how the two Bears talked
As down the street to the Square they walked:
TEDDY-B of heroes brave and bold
And things they did in days of old;
While TEDDY-G just had his say
About things to do that very day.
TEDDY-B—His paw
At the Liberty Bell they took a try
And hoisted it up good and high
And rang it out both loud and clear,
And at every ring there went up a cheer;
For the only day in all the year
When the crack doesn’t spoil the tone sent forth
Is Independence Day, July the Fourth.
At least that’s what the children say,
And they know this bell from Z to A.
But the fun began with the Roosevelt Bears
When boys stole on them unawares
And put a match to TEDDY-G
In his coat-tail pocket, where, you see,
He had stored some crackers, a good-sized bunch,
Along with hard-boiled eggs for lunch.
Copyright, 1907, by Edward Stern & Co., Inc.
“At the Liberty Bell they took a try,
And hoisted it up both good and high.”
Lickety-split-pat-pit-bang-boo!
And the coat tail smoked and split in two,
And hard-boiled eggs shot here and there
And the Bear went up and down in air.
But he told the lads he didn’t care,
That fun might start in anywhere;
At front or back, in hat or boot,
Put punk to powder and let it shoot.
“We are out,” he said, “for fun and noise
And when fun is trump, boys will be boys.”
And from that hour the lads and he
Shared all there was to do or see.
They strung a wire from tree to tree,
And then the fellows with TEDDY-B
Put crackers all along the wire,
To prepare the field for an army fire.
Said TEDDY-G, as he explained the play,
“We’ll fasten a flag on the wire half-way,
And you boys under yonder tree
Who have taken sides with TEDDY-B,
When I say the word, you put your fire
At the cracker next you on the wire,
“They strung a wire from tree to tree and then the fellows with TEDDY-B
Put crackers all along the wire, to prepare the field for an army fire.”
While I, if my boys a hand will lend,
Will put a match to the other end.
To reach the flag first, that’s the game,
And the side which wins this piece of fame
Wins all the crackers big or small
Which haven’t gone off when time I call.
If on both sides the armies flunk
Both captains use again their punk.”
When both the sides the rules did know
TEDDY-G called out, “One! two! three! Go!”
And at the words two armies shot
Their cracker guns both quick and hot
As on they marched along the wire
In powder smoke and blazing fire.
The flag was won by TEDDY-G
And prisoners taken, ninety-three
Of the finest crackers the others had,
All not shot off, both good and bad.
But this army game was children’s play
Compared with things they did that day:
From noon till night they let things go,
In sky above and on earth below,
With slap and bang, in smoke and noise,
Like any two July Fourth boys.
They sent balloons up to the clouds
And a dozen kites to please the crowds,
And then shot rockets just to try
To hit the things up in the sky;
They dug a hole down in the ground
And filled it full of crackers round
And shot them off to hear the sound.
They burned their paws and scorched their hair,
And when darkness came they did their share
Of firing rockets everywhere,
And in burning lights, a fiery red,
Till long past time for going to bed.
When the day was o’er said TEDDY-B,
“Let’s go to-morrow to the Zoo to see
The animals imprisoned there:
The elephant and polar bear,
The lions, tigers, and kangaroos,
And tell them one and all the news:
That July the Fourth is the day that we
Who own and love this country
Do celebrate in smoke and noise,
That we may teach our girls and boys
That this one day of every year
Is given them free to shout and cheer,
As a safety valve for them and you
To keep things running square and true.”
Said TEDDY-G, “I’ll freedom teach
And try to practise what I preach;
To-morrow I’ll let out the Zoo,
The elephants and monkeys too,
And the polar bear and kangaroo;
They’re just as good as me or you.”