Read Ebook: The Book of Joyous Children by Riley James Whitcomb Vawter Will Illustrator

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Ebook has 200 lines and 19866 words, and 4 pages

INTELLECTUAL LIMITATIONS

A MASQUE OF THE SEASONS

QUEEN

Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,-- Which do you like the best of all?

LITTLE JASPER

When I'm dressed warm as warm can be, And with boots, to go Through the deepest snow, Winter-time is the time for me!

QUEEN

Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,-- Which do you like the best of all?

LITTLE MILDRED

I like blossoms, and birds that sing; The grass and the dew, And the sunshine, too,-- So, best of all I like the Spring.

QUEEN

Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,-- Which do you like the best of all?

LITTLE MANDEVILLE

O little friends, I most rejoice When I hear the drums As the Circus comes,-- So Summer-time's my special choice.

QUEEN

Summer or Winter or Spring or Fall,-- Which do you like the best of all?

LITTLE EDITH

Apples of ruby, and pears of gold, And grapes of blue That the bee stings through.-- Fall--it is all that my heart can hold!

QUEEN

THOMAS THE PRETENDER

LITTLE DICK AND THE CLOCK

And then it said "Sick- Atty--sick-atty--sick You poor little Dick- Atty--Dick-atty--dock! Have you got the hick- Atties? Hi! send for Doc To hurry up quick Atty--quick-atty--quock, And heat a hot brick- Atty--brick-atty--brock,

FOOL-YOUNGENS

Wind wuz blowin' in the tree-- An' wuz only ist us three Playin' there; an' ever' one Ketched each other, like we done, Squintin' up there at the sun Like we wuz a-laughin'.

THE KATYDIDS

BILLY AND HIS DRUM

Ho! it's come, kids, come! "With a bim! bam! bum! Here's little Billy bangin' on his big bass drum! He's a-marchin' round the room, With his feather-duster plume A-noddin' an' a-bobbin' with his bim! bom! boom!

Looky, little Jane an' Jim! Will you only look at him, A-humpin' an' a-thumpin' with his bam! bom! bim! Has the Day o' Judgment come Er the New Mi-len-nee-um? Er is it only Billy with his bim! bam! bim!

THE NOBLE OLD ELM

THE PENALTY OF GENIUS

"When little 'Pollus Morton he's A-go' to speak a piece, w'y, nen The Teacher smiles an' says 'at she's Most proud, of all her little men An' women in her school--'cause 'Poll He allus speaks the best of all.

EVENSONG

Lay away the story,-- Though the theme is sweet, There's a lack of something yet, Leaves it incomplete:-- There's a nameless yearning-- Strangely undefined-- For a story sweeter still Than the written kind.

Therefore read no longer-- I've no heart to hear But just something you make up, O my mother dear.-- With your arms around me, Hold me, folded-eyed,-- Only let your voice go on-- I'll be satisfied.

"IGO AND AGO"

We're The Twins from Aunt Marinn's, Igo and Ago. When Dad comes, the show begins!-- Iram, coram, dago.

Dad he says he named us two Igo and Ago For a poem he always knew, Iram, coram, dago.

"Hey!" he cries, and pats his knee, "Igo and Ago, My twin bairnies, ride wi' me-- Iram, coram, dago!"

"Here," he laughs, "ye've each a leg, Igo and Ago, Gleg as Tam O'Shanter's 'Meg'! Iram, coram, dago!"

Then we mount, with shrieks of mirth-- Igo and Ago,-- The two gladdest twins on earth! Iram, coram, dago.

Wade and Silas-Walker cry,-- "Igo and Ago-- Annie's kissin' 'em 'good-bye'!"-- Iram, coram, dago.

Aunty waves us fond farewells.-- "Igo and Ago," Granny pipes, "tak care yersels!" Iram, coram, dago.

THE LITTLE LADY

O The Little Lady's dainty As the picture in a book, And her hands are creamy-whiter Than the water-lilies look; Her laugh's the undrown'd music Of the maddest meadow-brook.-- Yet all in vain I praise The Little Lady!

Her eyes are blue and dewy As the glimmering Summer-dawn,-- Her face is like the eglantine Before the dew is gone; And were that honied mouth of hers A bee's to feast upon, He'd be a bee bewildered, Little Lady!

Her brow makes light look sallow; And the sunshine, I declare, Is but a yellow jealousy Awakened by her hair-- For O the dazzling glint of it Nor sight nor soul can bear,-- So Love goes groping for The Little Lady.

And yet she's neither Nymph nor Fay, Nor yet of Angelkind:-- She's but a racing school-girl, with Her hair blown out behind And tremblingly unbraided by The fingers of the Wind, As it wildly swoops upon The Little Lady.

"COMPANY MANNERS"

IN FERVENT PRAISE OF PICNICS

THE GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED PEOPLE

They was God's people, Uncle says, An' gloried in His name, An' worked, without no selfishness, An' loved their neighbers same As they was kin: An' when they biled Their tree-molasses, in the Spring, Er butchered in the Fall, they smiled An' sheered with all jist ever'thing!--

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