In My Nursery Part 21

But the sun was so bright that he could not see, So he married the hoppergra.s.s instead of she.

And wasn't that a sad disappointment for he!

Sing heigh ho! the howly fowl!

Tu-whit! tu-whit! tu-whoo!

OUR CELEBRATION.

Off go the fire-crackers, bang! bang! bang!

Off go the fire-crackers, bang! bang! bang!

Popguns all a-snapping, and banners all a-flapping,-- Off go the fire-crackers, bang! bang! bang!

Off the torpedoes go, crack! crack! crack!

Off the torpedoes go, crack! crack! crack!

Fish-horns all a-tooting, and schoolboys all a-hooting,-- Off the torpedoes go, crack! crack! crack!

Off go the fireworks, fizz! fizz! fizz!

Off go the fireworks, fizz! fizz! fizz!

Pin-wheels all a-turning, and fingers all a-burning,-- Off go the fireworks, fizz! fizz! fizz!

Off goes our little Ned, boo-hoo-hoo!

Off goes our little Ned, boo-hoo-hoo!

Big hole in his jacket, and another in his pocket, Half the hair singed off his head, Off goes our little Ned,-- Mamma'll put him straight to bed, boo-hoo-hoo!

THE SONG OF THE CORN-POPPER.

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Here am I, all ready to pop.

Girls and boys, the fire burns clear; Gather about the chimney here.

Big ones, little ones, all in a row.

Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Into the bowl the kernels drop.

Sharp and hard and yellow and small; Must say they don't look good at all.

But wait till they burst into warm white snow!

Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Don't fill me too full; shut down the top!

Rake out the coals in an even bed, Topaz yellow and ruby red; Shade your eyes from the fiery glow.

Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Shake me steadily; do not stop!

Backward and forward, not up and down; Don't let me drop, or you'll burn it brown.

Never too high and never too low.

Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Now they are singing, and soon they'll hop.

Hi! the kernels begin to swell; Ho! at last they are dancing well.

Puffs and fluffs of feathery snow, Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

All full, little ones? Time to stop!

Pour out the snowy, feathery ma.s.s; Here is a treat for lad and la.s.s.

Open your mouths now, all in a row; Munch away! crunch away! here we go!

WHAT BOBBY SAID.

I don't think it's right!

I don't think it's fair!

I don't like Easter At all! so there!

It's only because I'm young, you see, They think they can play Their tricks upon me.

They brought me an egg, And a beauty, too!

All golden yellow, With stripes of blue.

They said 'twas a true egg, A _truly_ true!

And, of course, I supposed It was so all through;

But when it was opened, Just think what a shame!

'Twas just like the white ones, Just _'zactly_ the same!

Part white and part yellow, No bit of it blue, And it tasted the same As the other ones, too.

I don't think it's right, And I don't think it's fair, And I don't like Easter _At all!_ so there!

MASTER JACK'S VIEWS.

[_After a lesson in astronomy._]

The merry old World goes round, goes round, And round the old World does go; Day in, day out, from west to east, At a pace that is far from slow.