The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Child's Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

TRAVEL

I should like to rise and go
Where the golden apples grow;—
Where below another sky
Parrot islands anchored lie,
And, watched by cockatoos and goats,
Lonely Crusoes building boats;—
Where in sunshine reaching out
Eastern cities, miles about,
Are with mosque and minaret
Among sandy gardens set,
And the rich goods from near and far
Hang for sale in the bazaar;—
Where the Great Wall round China goes,
And on one side the desert blows,
And with bell and voice and drum,
Cities on the other hum;—

"Where the red flamingo flies." "Where the red flamingo flies."

Where are forests, hot as fire,
Wide as England, tall as a spire,
Full of apes and cocoa-nuts
And the negro hunters' huts;—
Where the knotty crocodile
Lies and blinks in the Nile,
And the red flamingo flies
Hunting fish before his eyes;—
Where in jungles, near and far,
Man-devouring tigers are,
Lying close and giving ear
Lest the hunt be drawing near,
Or a comer-by be seen
Swinging in a palanquin;—
Where among the desert sands
Some deserted city stands,
All its children, sweep and prince,
Grown to manhood ages since,
Not a foot in street or house,
Not a stir of child or mouse,
And when kindly falls the night,
In all the town no spark of light.
There I'll come when I'm a man
With a camel caravan;
Light a fire in the gloom
Of some dusty dining room;
See the pictures on the walls,
Heroes, fights and festivals;
And in a corner find the toys
Of the old Egyptian boys.

"Boats of mine a-boating." "Boats of mine a-boating."

WHERE GO THE BOATS?

Dark brown is the river,
Golden is the sand.
It flows along for ever,
With trees on either hand.

Green leaves a-floating,
Castles of the foam,
Boats of mine a-boating—
Where will all come home?

On goes the river
And out past the mill,
Away down the valley,
Away down the hill,

Away down the river,
A hundred miles or more,
Other little children
Shall bring my boats ashore.

ESCAPE AT BEDTIME

The lights from the parlor and kitchen shone out
Through the blinds and the windows and bars;
And high overhead and all moving about,
There were thousands of millions of stars.
There ne'er were such thousands of leaves on a tree,
Nor of people in church or the Park,
As the crowds of the stars that looked down upon me,
And that glistened and winked in the dark.

The Dog, and the Plough, and the Hunter, and all,
And the star of the sailor, and Mars,
These shown in the sky, and the pail by the wall
Would be half full of water and stars.
They saw me at last, and they chased me with cries,
And they soon had me packed into bed;
But the glory kept shining and bright in my eyes,
And the stars going round in my head.

From A RAILWAY CARRIAGE

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches,
And charging along like troops in a battle,
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:
All of the sights of the hill and the plain
Fly as thick as driving rain;
And ever again, in the wink of an eye,
Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,—
All by himself and gathering brambles;
Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;
And there is the green for stringing the daisies!
Here is a cart run away in the road
Lumping along with man and load;
And here is a mill and there is a river:
Each a glimpse and gone for ever!

THE WIND

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass—
O wind, a-blowing all day long!
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all—
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

"I felt you push, I heard you call." "I felt you push, I heard you call."

Auntie's Skirts

Whenever Auntie moves around
Her dresses make a curious sound.
They trail behind her up the floor,
And trundle after through the door.

HAPPY THOUGHT

The world is so full
of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all
be as happy as kings.

THE COW

The friendly cow all red and white,
I love with all my heart;
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple-tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,
And yet she cannot stray,
All in the pleasant open air,
The pleasant light of day;

And blown by all the winds that pass
And wet with all the showers,
She walks among the meadow grass
And eats the meadow flowers.

"She walks among the meadow grass." "She walks among the meadow grass."

MY BED IS A BOAT

My bed is like a little boat;
Nurse helps me in when I embark;
She girds me in my sailor's coat
And starts me in the dark.

At night, I go on board and say
Good-night to all my friends on shore;
I shut my eyes and sail away
And see and hear no more.

And sometimes things to bed I take,
As prudent sailors have to do;
Perhaps a slice of wedding-cake,
Perhaps a toy or two.

All night across the dark we steer;
But when the day returns at last,
Safe in my room, beside the pier,
I find my vessel fast.

THE LAND OF NOD

From breakfast on through all the day
At home among my friends I stay,
But every night I go abroad
Afar into the Land of Nod.

All by myself I have to go,
With none to tell me what to do—
All alone beside the streams
And up the mountain-side of dreams.

The strangest things are there for me,
Both things to eat and things to see,
And many frightening sights abroad
Till morning in the Land of Nod.

Try as I like to find the way,
I never can get back by day,
Nor can remember plain and clear
The curious music that I hear.

FAIRY BREAD

Come up here, O dusty feet!
Here is fairy bread to eat
Here in my retiring room,
Children, you may dine
On the golden smell of broom
And the shade of pine;
And when you have eaten well,
Fairy stories hear and tell.

KEEPSAKE MILL

Over the borders, a sin without pardon,
Breaking the branches and crawling below,
Out through the breach in the wall of the garden,
Down by the banks of the river, we go.

Here is the mill with the humming of thunder,
Here is the weir with the wonder of foam,
Here is the sluice with the race running under—
Marvelous places, though handy to home!

Sounds of the village grow stiller and stiller,
Stiller the note of the birds on the hill;
Dusty and dim are the eyes of the miller,
Deaf are his ears with the moil of the mill.

Years may go by, and the wheel in the river
Wheel as it wheels for us, children, to-day,
Wheel and keep roaring and foaming for ever—
Long after all the boys are away.

Home from the Indies and home from the ocean,
Heroes and soldiers we all shall come home;
Still we shall find the old mill wheel in motion,
Turning and churning that river to foam.

You with the bean that I gave when we quarreled,
I with your marble of Saturday last,
Honored and old and all gaily appareled,
Here we shall meet and remember the past.

WINTER-TIME

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silvery sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

"The cold wind burns my face." "The cold wind burns my face."

LOOKING-GLASS RIVER

Smooth it slides upon its travel,
Here a wimple, there a gleam—
O the clean gravel!
O the smooth stream!

Sailing blossoms, silver fishes,
Paven pools as clear as air—
How a child wishes
To live down there!

We can see our colored faces
Floating on the shaken pool
Down in cool places,
Dim and very cool;

Till a wind or water wrinkle,
Dipping marten, plumping trout,
Spreads in a twinkle
And blots all out.

"We can see our colored faces." "We can see our colored faces."

See the rings pursue each other;
All below grows black as night,
Just as if mother
Had blown out the light!

Patience, children, just a minute—
See the spreading circles die;
The stream and all in it
Will clear by-and-by.

The SUN'S TRAVELS

The sun is not a-bed, when I
At night upon my pillow lie;
Still round the earth his way he takes,
And morning after morning makes.

While here at home, in shining day,
We round the sunny garden play,
Each little Indian sleepy-head
Is being kissed and put to bed.

And when at eve I rise from tea,
Day dawns beyond the Atlantic Sea;
And all the children in the West
Are getting up and being dressed.

THE LAMPLIGHTER

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky;
It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.

Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea,
And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be;
But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do,
O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you!

For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,
And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;
And O, before you hurry by with ladder and with light,
O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him to-night!

"Don't you wish that you were me?" "Don't you wish that you were me?"

FOREIGN CHILDREN

Little Indian, Sioux or Crow,
Little frosty Eskimo,
Little Turk or Japanee,
O! don't you wish that you were me?

You have seen the scarlet trees
And the lions over seas;
You have eaten ostrich eggs,
And turned the turtles off their legs.

Such a life is very fine,
But it's not so nice as mine:
You must often, as you trod,
Have wearied not to be abroad.

You have curious things to eat,
I am fed on proper meat;
You must dwell beyond the foam,
But I am safe and live at home.

Little Indian, Sioux or Crow,
Little frosty Eskimo,
Little Turk or Japanee,
O! don't you wish that you were me?

THE MOON

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbor quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.

But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

"She shines on thieves on the garden wall." "She shines on thieves on the garden wall."

"O what a place for play." "O what a place for play."

THE HAYLOFT

Through all the pleasant meadow-side
The grass grew shoulder-high,
Till the shining scythes went far and wide
And cut it down to dry.

These green and sweetly smelling crops
They led in wagons home;
And they piled them here in mountain-tops
For mountaineers to roam.

Here is Mount Clear, Mount Rusty-Nail,
Mount Eagle and Mount High;—
The mice that in these mountains dwell,
No happier are than I!

O what a joy to clamber there,
O what a place for play,
With the sweet, the dim, the dusty air,
The happy hills of hay!

"Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!" "Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!"

FAREWELL TO THE FARM

The coach is at the door at last;
The eager children, mounting fast
And kissing hands, in chorus sing:
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

To house and garden, field and lawn,
The meadow-gates we swang upon,
To pump and stable, tree and swing,
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

And fare you well for evermore,
O ladder at the hayloft door,
O hayloft where the cobwebs cling,
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

Crack goes the whip, and off we go;
The trees and houses smaller grow;
Last, round the woody turn we swing:
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

A THOUGHT.

It is very nice to think
The world is full of meat and drink,
With little children saying grace
In every Christian kind of place.

SINGING

Of speckled eggs the birdie sings
And nests among the trees;
The sailor sings of ropes and things
In ships upon the seas.

The children sing in far Japan,
The children sing in Spain;
The organ with the organ man
Is singing in the rain.

NORTH-WEST PASSAGE

GOOD NIGHT

When the bright lamp is carried in,
The sunless hours again begin;
O'er all without, in field and lane,
The haunted night returns again.

Now we behold the embers flee
About the firelit hearth; and see
Our faces painted as we pass,
Like pictures, on the window-glass.

Must we to bed indeed? Well then,
Let us arise and go like men,
And face with an undaunted tread
The long black passage up to bed.

Farewell, O brother, sister, sire!
O pleasant party round the fire!
The songs you sing, the tales you tell,
Till far to-morrow, fare ye well!

"The wicked shadows coming, tramp, tramp, tramp." "The wicked shadows coming, tramp, tramp, tramp."

II. SHADOW MARCH

All round the house is the jet-black night;
It stares through the window-pane;
It crawls in the corners, hiding from the light,
And it moves with the moving flame.

Now my little heart goes a-beating like a drum,
With the breath of Bogie in my hair,
And all round the candle the crooked shadows come,
And go marching along up the stair.

The shadow of the balusters, the shadow of the lamp,
The shadow of the child that goes to bed—
All the wicked shadows coming, tramp, tramp, tramp,
With the black night overhead.

III. IN PORT

Last, to the chamber where I lie
My fearful footsteps patter nigh,
And come from out the cold and gloom
Into my warm and cheerful room.

There, safe arrived, we turn about
To keep the coming shadows out,
And close the happy door at last
On all the perils that we past.

Then, when mamma goes by to bed,
She shall come in with tip-toe tread,
And see me lying warm and fast
And in the Land of Nod at last.

"In the Land of Nod at last." "In the Land of Nod at last."

TO MY MOTHER

You, too, my mother, read my rhymes
For love of unforgotten times,
And you may chance to hear once more
The little feet along the floor.

GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION

A WORD LIST

adorned (ȧȧ dôrnd´). Made beautiful.

adventure (ăd vĕn´ tū̍r). Venture; go in search of exciting experiences.

alert (ȧ lẽrt´). Watchful; quick.

anchored (ăn´ kẽrd). Held safely.

ancient (ān´ shent). Earlier; old.

apes (āps). Animals similar to monkeys, but of a higher type.

appareled (ăp păr´ ĕld). Dressed; clothed.

arrant (ăr´ rant). Shameless.

Babylon (Băb´ y̆ lon). A celebrated city of Asia, now in ruins.

balusters (băl´ ŭs tẽrz). The rail which guards the side of a staircase.

bazaar (bȧ zär´). In the far East, a market place where goods are for sale.

bewildering (bē̍ wĭl´ d'rĭng). Excitement; embarrassment.

billows (bĭl´ lōz). Great waves.

Bogie (bō´ gy̆). Goblin; bugbear.

breach (brēch). Break; opening.

broom (bro̅om). A plant from the twigs of which brooms are made.

caravan (kăr´ ȧ văn). A large company traveling together.

cockatoos (kŏk´ ȧ to̅oz´). A bird of the parrot family.

counterpane (koun´ tẽr pān´). A coverlet for a bed.

crocodile (krŏk´ ō̍ dīl). A reptile which grows to the length of 16 or 18
feet, and lives in the large rivers of Africa, Asia, and America.

Crow (krō). The name of a tribe of Indians.

Crusoes (krṳ´sōz). Men like the hero of De Foe's great novel, "Robinson Crusoe."

curious (kū´ rĭ ŭs). Strange.

dale (dāl). Valley.

deserted (dē̍ zẽrt´ ĕd). Forsaken; abandoned.

diet (dī´ ĕt). Food.

Dog (dŏg). One of the two ancient constellations lying south of the
zodiac, known as Canis Major and Canis Minor, or the Greater Dog
and the Lesser Dog.

Egyptian (ē̍ jĭp´ shan). A native of Egypt.

emperors (ĕm´ pẽr ẽrz). The rulers of empires.

estate (ĕs tāt´). Condition; state.

flamingo (flȧ mĭṉ´ gō̍). A large bird, usually red or pink in color.

foreign (fŏr´ ĭn). Strange; distant.

gabies (gā´ bĭz). Simpletons; dunces.

Great Wall (grāt wa̤l). Fifteen hundred miles in length, built in 215 b. c.,
along the north frontier of China. It is the most gigantic work of
defense ever made by man.

Grenadier (grĕn´ ȧ dēr´). One of a company attached to each regiment,
taking post on the right of the line, and wearing a peculiar uniform.

harbor (här´ bẽr). Station for rest and safety.

haunted (hänt´ ĕd). Frequented by ghosts.

hearty (härt´ y̆). Bold; active.

Highland bonnet (hī´ land bŏn´ nĕt). A closely woven, seamless wool
cap worn by the Highland Scotchman.

Hunter (hŭnt´ ẽr). A constellation representing a centaur (a monster,
half man and half horse) drawing a bow. It is called the Archer.

increases (ĭn krēs´ ĕz). Grows.

jungles (jŭṉ´ g'lz). Heavy growths of brushwood, grasses and vines,
so dense as to hardly be penetrated.

lea (lē). A grassy field.

leaden (lĕ´ 'n). Made of lead.

Leerie (lē̍r´ ĭ). The lamplighter.

Malabar (măl´ a bär´). A district in British India.

man-devouring (măn´-dē̍ vour´ ĭng). Man-eating.

Mars (märz). One of the planets of the solar system. It gives a very
red light.

marten (mär´ tĕn). One of several species of swallows.

martial (mär´ shal). Military; warlike; brave.

marvelous (mär´ vĕl ŭs). Wonderful; strange.

minaret (mĭn´ ȧ rĕt). A high, slender tower attached to a mosque.

moil (moil). Labor; toil.

mosque (mŏsk). A Mohammedan church or place of religious worship.

notion (nō´ shŭn). An idea.

nursery (nûrs´ ẽr y̆). The children's room.

palanquin (păl aṉ kē̍n´). An enclosed carriage about four feet long,
carried on the shoulders of four men by means of two long poles.
It is used in India and China.

perils (pĕr´ ĭlz). Dangers.

pier (pēr). Landing place.

pillage (pĭl´ lā̍j). Plunder; that which is taken from another by force.

pirate (pī´ rā̍t). A robber on the high seas.

Plough (plou). The group of stars commonly called the Dipper.

prudent (prṳ´ dent). Cautious; careful; sensible.

pursue (pûr sū´). Follow; chase.

quays (kēz). Wharfs; landing places.

rear (rēr). The division of an army that marches behind the main body
to protect it.

sages (sāj´ ĕz). Wise men.

scythe (sïth). An instrument for mowing grass and grain.

sedately (sē̍ dāt´ ly̆). Calmly; quietly.

Sioux (so̅o). Certain tribes of Indians.

sire (sīr). Father; the head of the family.

sleepsin-by (slēp´ ¦ sĭn-by̆´). The land of sleep.

sluice (slūs). A passage made for water to pass through, fitted with a
gate.

squadron (skwŏd´ rŭn). A number of vessels under command of one
officer.

star of the sailor. The North Star.

sweep (swēp). As found in "Travel," meaning chimney-sweep.

trundle (trŭn´ d'l). Roll along.

undaunted (ŭn dānt´ ĕd). Fearless; brave.

unduly (ŭn dū´ ly̆). In an extreme manner.

uniform (ū´ nĭ fôrm). Soldier's dress.

wary (wā´ ry̆). Carefully watching; cautious.

wearied (wē´ rĭd). Grown tired.

weir (wēr). A dam in a river used to raise the water back of it.

ā	as in fāte.	ŏ	as in nŏt.
ā̍	as in pref´ ā̍ce.	ô	as in lôrd.
ă	as in ădd.
ä	as in fär.	ū	as in ūse.
ȧ	as in grȧss.	ū̍	as in ū̍-nite´.
a̤	as in a̤ll.	ŭ	as in ŭp.
		û	as in fûrl.
ē	as in ēve.	ṳ	as in rṳde.
ē̍	as in ē̍-vent´.
ĕ	as in ĕnd.	ȳ	as in flȳ.
ẽ	as in hẽr.	y̆	as in pit´y̆.

ī	as in īce.	o̅o	as in mo̅on.
ĭ	as in pĭn.	ou	as in out.
		oi	as in oil.
ō	as in rōw.	ṉ = ng	as in iṉk.
ō̍	as in ō̍-bey´.	th	as in this.