The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mother Earth's Children, by Elizabeth Gordon.

Pineapple

PINEAPPLE has so many “eyes”
You cannot take him by surprise;
He’s full of sunshine, through and through,
And always has a treat for you.

Coffee

COFFEE said: “I must really study
To find why my complexion’s muddy.
Perhaps it’s only tan, you know
I do run out bareheaded so!”

Green Tea

MR. Green Tea comes from Japan,
He’s such a wrinkled little man;
He says: “My tea is very nice,
Will you have sugar, milk or ice?”

Barley

BARLEY’S a bearded gentleman,
He wears a suit of golden tan;
Though he has homes both east and west
He loves the prairie lands the best.

Scotch Oat

“I DINNA care,” said bluff Scotch Oat,
“For dinner at a table d’hote;
A bowl of porridge and some tea,
At home, are good enough for me.”

Caraway

“I’LL be grown up,” said Caraway,
“And out of school Thanksgiving Day;
That’s a good thing, too, ’cause you see,
They can’t make cookies without me.”

Peach

“OUR family’s not hard to suit,”
Said Mrs. Peach. “We’re simple fruit;
We like most any kind of weather
If the sun shines, and we’re together.”

Hickory Nut

HICKORY Nut looks rough and rude,
Although at heart he’s very good.
If once you get inside his shell
You’re sure to like him very well.

Cactus

SAID Cactus: “On the desert wild
I used to be a naughty child,
But since I went to Burbank’s school,
I’m good, and live by Golden Rule.”

Brazil Nut

“THE boys all call me ‘Nigger Toe,’”
Brazil Nut said; “I think I’ll go
Back to Brazil; ’t would serve them right
And teach them to be more polite.”

Cocoanut

COCOANUT has a funny face,
Eyes, nose and mouth all in one place;
He’s always busy selling milk,
While Mrs. Cocoanut makes silk.

Peanut

SAID Mrs. Peanut, in a flutter,
“I quite forgot to salt the butter;”
The little Peanut children said:
“Why then, Mama, we’ll salt the bread.”

Chestnut

SAID Chestnut: “I work for my living
I stuff the turkey on Thanksgiving.
On winter days I work down town;
You’ll know me by my coat of brown.”

Persimmon and Possum

PERSIMMON said: “I’m up so high
I can reach out and touch the sky.”
Bre’r Possum said: “Don’t reach too far,
You might put out a shining star.”

Gourd

SAID Mr. Gourd: “You’ll plainly see
We are a busy family;
We give you bottles, cups and things,
And curly vines for playtime rings.”

Truffle

LITTLE, wise, home-loving Truffle
Never lets his temper ruffle;
His home is just beneath the ground,
And there he always may be found.

Wild Grape

WILD Grape just loves to run away
And in the green woods climb and play;
You’ll know him when among the trees
His fragrant blossoms scent the breeze.

Grape Fruit

THOUGH Miss Grape Fruit is very young
Her praises are on every tongue;
And though she travels everywhere
She has a very modest air.

Lemon

THE Lemons every summer go
In groups to see the Wild West Show;
Come rain or shine, they never stay
At home on any circus day.

Cotton

MISS Cotton is a fairy queen
In her white dress all trimmed with green;
To other children everywhere
She sends such pretty clothes to wear.

Orange

MISS Orange said: “I’d like to know
Those pretty mountain girls called ‘Snow;’”
“Don’t,” said her Dad, “or we are lost;
They’re relatives of Sir Jack Frost.”

Beechnut

MISS Beechnut wears a pretty bonnet
With little fuzzy feathers on it.
She’s very sweet, and always good;
Her home is in the deep, wild wood

Wheat

“I WORK,” said genial Mrs. Wheat,
“To give the world enough to eat;
I’m always happy when there’s bread
Enough, so every child is fed.”

Citron

CITRON is very plump and round,
He likes to roll upon the ground;
Come rain or shine he’s always happy,
A nice, contented little chappie.

Cranberry

CRANBERRY dearly loves to go
Wading in places wet and low;
She wears soft gowns of dainty floss
Made of the pretty yellow moss.

Indian Corn

SAID Indian Corn: “I’m heap rich brave,
Much shiny gold I make and save.”
So Squaw Corn went and bought a bonnet,
And a silk gown with tassels on it.

Tomatoes

NORTH Wind came whistling by one day
Where the Tomatoes were at play;
It gave those children such a fright
They put their blankets on that night.

St. John’s Bread

THE oddest child—when all is said—
Of those we’ve met, is St. John’s Bread;
He’s Spanish, so I’ve understood,
And makes a food that’s very good.

Nutmeg

THE Nutmeg children ran away
To tease the cook on baking day.
Said Mother Nutmeg, in surprise:
“Why! Who will spice the custard pies?

Pumpkin

THE Pumpkin children, everyone,
On Hallowe’en go out for fun;
With Jack o’lantern and his crew
They find such jolly things to do.

Parsnip

WHEN Jack Frost said: “Now, children all,
Go in before the snowflakes fall,”
Parsnip declared he liked the snow
To cover him, and didn’t go.

English Walnut

SIR English Walnut, pompous, fat,
Is quite a great aristocrat.
His family is very old;
They lived in Bible times, we’re told.

Popcorn

THE Popcorn children are so dear
They stay with us all through the year;
They like to dance in dresses white
Around the open fire at night.

INDEX

Apple	62	Lemon	81
Artichoke	43	Lettuce	11
Asparagus	14	Muskmelon	44
Banana	57	Mustard	47
Barley	66	Nigger Toe (Brazil Nut)	72
Beechnut	84	Nutmeg	91
Beet	33	Olive	46
Blackberry	40	Orange	83
Blueberry	32	Oyster Plant	42
Brussels Sprout	38	Parsley	30
Button Mushrooms	13	Parsnip	93
Cabbage	61	Peach	69
Cactus	71	Peanut	74
Caraway	68	Pear	56
Carrageen	41	Pearl Onion	20
Carrots	19	Persimmon	76
Cashew	58	Pineapple	63
Cauliflower	48	Plum	49
Celery	18	Pomegranate	59
Cherries	22	Popcorn	95
Chestnut	75	Potato	25
Chicory	34	Pumpkin	92
Citron	86	Quince	55
Cocoanut	73	Radish	9
Coffee	64	Raspberry	26
Cotton	82	Red Pepper	28
Cranberry	87	Rhubarb	10
Cucumber	29	Rice	36
Currants	37	Rutabaga Turnip	39
Dandelion	11	Scotch Oat	67
Egg Plant	52	Spanish Onion	12
Endive	18	Spinach	16
English Walnut	94	String Bean	24
Fig	35	St. John’s Bread	90
Garlic	50	Sugar Cane	60
Gooseberry	23	Summer Squash	53
Gourd	77	Tomato	89
Grape Fruit	80	Truffle	78
Green Onion	9	Vegetable Marrow	53
Green Pea	15	Water Cress	21
Green Pepper	28	Watermelon	45
Green Tea	65	Wheat	85
Gumbo	31	White Turnip	27
Hickory Nut	70	Wild Grape	79
Horseradish	38	Wild Strawberry	17
Hubbard Squash	54	Yam	51
Indian Corn	88

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