Eat ham and goose, and drink white wine?
And pray, why may not I, like you,
Have soup and fish, and mutton too?"
To spoil a youthful appetite;
By things unwholesome, though enjoy'd,
The infant appetite is cloy'd.
Or good roast beef, best suits a child;
A bread, or ground-rice, pudding too
Is food adapted well for you.
Illness or inconvenience springs;
You lose the love of common food,
Nor relish what will do you good."
BILLY GILL'S GOOD FORTUNE
Said Tommy Gay;
"Well then, what at?"
Said Simon Pratt;
"At trap and ball,"
Said Neddy Hall;
"Well, so we will,"
Said Billy Gill.
Said Tommy Gay;
"Then let us chat,"
Said Simon Pratt;
"On yonder hill,"
Said Billy Gill.
"Ay, one and all,"
Said Neddy Hall.
Said Tommy Gay;
"I'm one for that,"
Said Simon Pratt;
"I'll bring them all,"
Said Neddy Hall;
"And I'll sit still,"
Said Billy Gill.
Said Tommy Gay;
"Trust me for that,"
Said Simon Pratt;
They ate them all,
Gay, Pratt, and Hall;
And all were ill
But Billy Gill.
CIVIL SPEECH
At dinner-table as she sat.
Her mother said, "Pray ask again,
And in a prettier way than that.
Is not the best way to be heard:
To make Ann hear, a little Miss
Must add another little word."
Jane blushing said—her mother smiled:
"Now Ann will quickly bring it here,
For you ask properly, my child."
Who wish to have a share of praise,
Pray copy Jane, and always do
Directly what your mother says.
THE COOK'S REBUKE
"Cook, give me this moment, some honey and bread;
Then fetch me a glass or a cup of good beer.
Why, Cook, you don't stir, and I'm sure you must hear!"
"To answer such language I feel rather shy;
I hear you quite plainly, but wait till you choose
To civilly ask, when I shall not refuse."
Whilst knowing so well what is proper to say;
As if civil words, in a well-manner'd tone,
Were learn'd to be us'd in the parlour alone!
THE LOST PUDDING
And would not sit still on her seat;
Regardless of all that her mother could say,
From her chair little Kitty kept running away
All the time they were eating their meat.
She ran to her chair in great haste;
But her mother such giddy behaviour reprov'd
By sending away the sweet pudding she lov'd,
Without giving Kitty one taste.
SAMMY SMITH'S SAD FATE
From morning until night;
He filled his mouth so full of meat,
It was a shameful sight.
For apple, cake, or plum;
And grudged if any other boy
Should taste a single crumb.
And used to stuff and cram,
The name they call'd him by at last
Was often Greedy Sam.
STUPID WILLIAM
On everything his hand he lays;
He made himself extremely sick,
One morning, by his greedy ways.
(Although he owns he's much to blame),
That all may read it far and near,
Lest other boys should do the same.
He tastes and sips where'er he comes,
He empties everybody's glass,
And picks up everybody's crumbs.
He has been warn'd enough, I think;
For once he ate a piece of soap,
And sipp'd for wine a glass of ink.
POISONOUS FRUIT
Were walking down a shady lane,
They saw some berries, bright and red,
That hung around and overhead;
To make the scarlet fruit their own;
And part they ate, and part, in play,
They threw about, and flung away.
Before poor Jane and little Tom
Were taken sick, and ill, to bed,
And since, I've heard, they both are dead.
That fruit in lanes is seldom good,
He might have walked with little Jane
Again along the shady lane.
HARRY'S CAKE
This is my little boy's birth-day;
Some sugar-plums and citron take,
And send to school a large plum-cake."
Harry's so good and clever too:
So let me have some wine and spice.
For I would make it very nice."
Laugh'd, sang, and jump'd about for joy;
But, ah! how griev'd I am to say,
He did not give a bit away.
No wonder that it made him ill;
Pain in his stomach and his head
Oblig'd him soon to go to bed.
Order'd by Dr. Camomile
Such physic, and so much to take,
He now can't bear the name of cake.
PETER'S CAKE
Which his kind mamma did bake;
Of butter, eggs, and currants made,
And sent to Peter—carriage paid.
Wiser than Harry I will be;
For I will keep my cake in store,
And that will make it last the more."
Did not give a bit away,
But, miser-like, the cake he locks
With all his playthings in his box.
When all he thought engag'd below,
To eat a very little piece,
For fear his treasure should decrease.
He found the mice had eaten half,
And what remain'd, though once a treat,
So mouldy, 'twas not fit to eat.
WILLIAM'S CAKE
Who lov'd to give his playmates joy;
And when his mother sent his cake,
Rejoic'd for his companions' sake.
Each have his proper share of ice;
We'll eat it up among us, here:
My birth-day comes but once a year."
His violin began to play;
But though he play'd, he did not speak,
And tears ran slowly down his cheek.
"I'm poor and hungry," he replied,
"For food and home I'm forced to play,
But I have eaten nought to-day."
Remains, which I will gladly spare;
I wish 'twas larger for your sake,
So take this penny and the cake."
Which of these boys you like the best;
Let goodness, then, incitement prove,
And imitate the boy you love.
HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS PUDDING
To make a pudding you shall see;
Now sit quite still, and see me do it;
See, here's the flour and the suet.
For it should scarce be seen at all;
A pound of each will nicely suit,
To which I put two pounds of fruit.
(You'll find it good when boiled it comes);
Then almonds, sugar, citron, spice,
And peel, will make it very nice.
And then we'll leave the rest to Nell;
Now see, the pudding-cloth she flours,
Ties it, and boils it full five hours.
THE END
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Ltd., Edinburgh
For a list of Children's books and others see the next pages.
"THE DUMPY BOOKS FOR CHILDREN"
No. I.
The Flamp,
The Ameliorator,
AND THE
Schoolboy's Apprentice
BY
EDWARD VERRALL LUCAS
18mo. Cloth. 1s. 6d.
The Westminster Gazette.—"Very delightful stories they are. The great difficulty with books for children is that they are often so large, a difficulty which in the case of the bound annual really assumes formidable proportions—especially to the uncle or aunt who is seized by the juvenile press-gang and coerced into reading aloud. But this 'Dumpy Book' is quite perfect from that point of view, for it is no bigger than a prayer-book. All three tales are capital fun, and admirably suited to children.... We have unreserved praise for this child's book, dainty and attractive in what it contains and in the way in which it is produced."
A CHILD'S ANTHOLOGY
A BOOK OF VERSES FOR CHILDREN
COMPILED BY
EDWARD VERRALL LUCAS
With Cover, Title-Page, and End Paper designed in colours by F. D. Bedford
Crown 8vo. Cloth Gilt. 6s.
The Globe.—"Is, we think, the best of its kind—partly because it is so comprehensive and so catholic, partly because it consists so largely of matter not too hackneyed, partly because that matter is so pleasantly arranged. The verse here brought together is full of agreeable variety, it is from many sources, some hitherto not drawn upon; and it has been grouped in sections with a happy sense of congruity and freshness."
PREFACE (Addressed to Children)
Unless you are very keenly set upon reading to yourself, I think I should advise you to ask some one to read these pieces aloud, not too many at a time. And I want you to understand that there is a kind of poetry that is finer far than anything here: poetry to which this book is, in the old-fashioned phrase, simply a "stepping-stone." When you feel, as I hope some day you will feel, that these pages no longer satisfy, then you must turn to the better thing.
E. V. L.
The following are the various headings under which the Contents are grouped:—
Two Thoughts—The Open Air—The Year—Christmas—The Country Life—Blossoms from Herrick and Blake—Birds—Dogs and Horses—Compressed Natural History—Unnatural History—Poets at Play—Counsel—Old-Fashioned Girls—Marjorie Fleming, Poetess—Old-Fashioned Boys—Looking Forward—From "Hiawatha"—Good Fellows—The Sea and the Island—A Bundle of Stories—Bedtime—A Few Remarks.
OTHER OF MR. GRANT RICHARDS'S PUBLICATIONS.
THE FLOWER OF THE MIND: A Choice among the Best Poems. By Alice Meynell. With Cover designed by Laurence Housman. Crown 8vo. Buckram, 6s.
REALMS OF UNKNOWN KINGS: Poems. By Laurence Alma-Tadema. Fcap. 8vo. Paper covers, 2s. net. Buckram, 3s. net.
POEMS BY A. AND L. By Arabella and Louisa Shore. Crown 8vo. Cloth. 5s. net.
RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM. A Paraphrase from several Literal Translations. By Richard le Gallienne. Long Fcap. 8vo. Parchment Cover. 5s.