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Mother Goose's Bicycle Tour

Chapter 18: THE DONKEY’S REPLY.
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About This Book

The collection frames a lighthearted bicycle tour taken by an elderly rhyming hostess and her goose, using that journey to present a wide assortment of nursery verses, parodies, and short poems. Familiar jingles and character pieces alternate with comic vignettes, riddles, and enigmata, often interspersed with French phrases and playful foreign allusions. Stanzas range from sing-song originals to humorous rewrites, accompanied by occasional scene-setting lines and a glossary. The overall tone is whimsical and theatrical, aimed at young readers through melodic rhythm, visual suggestion, and gentle absurdity.

THE DONKEY’S REPLY.

1.
“Dear Neddy, I called you long ago,
Are you cold out here in the snow?
I would take you down to the kitchen below,
Only—”
Frottez le dos.
2.
“Cook is so cross I’m afraid to go;
When I wanted to help her knead the dough
She sent me away and scolded so,
But—”
Frottez le dos.
3.
“But if you are quiet and speak very low,
And try to walk on your very tip-toe,
We might go to the room where sisters sew,
Or—”
Frottez le dos.
4.
“Dear old Ned, you are as hoarse as a crow,
And you wobble your long ears to and fro,
But whatever you mean, I would like to know,
By—”
Frottez le dos.