LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20639, 30 January 1937, Page 13

LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

THE JAPANESE GIRL The little girls in Old Japan Wear kimonos and wave a fan. Their hair is shiny, black and sleek; They gum and stiffen it each week, And blue-black lights reflect therein 'Gainst lacquered, gold, or coral pin, They’re very proud of how they look— It seems that we might, from their book Take one small leaf, and learn to be As tidy as Miss Japanee. She learns to serve the saki cup Or in the iris gardens sup, Where patriarchal plum trees white Shelter the tiny tea-house bright. And when the night falls on the park They hunt the fire-flies thro’ the dark And put them in small green gauze cages. A pretty scene! One which engages The mind, and makes one wish to span The ivory bridge to Old Japan. BOOKS It Is true, I am only a book. But my best I am trying to look, So I strongly object To be shown disrespect Or flung down into any odd nook. And it makes a book very forlorn To be dog-eared and rrumpled and torn. Or (by folk who don't think) To be spotted with ink Or left open all night until morn. Please care for my pages and covers, Then I can give pleasure to others; When you've done —place me back In the book-case or rack Along with my sisters and brothers! FAIRIES-OF-THE-TOWN Perhaps you thought that goblin men Were never seen away From woods and fields? But you are wrong. I’ve often heard their happy song, And seen them at their play. They live among the chimney pots, The falries-of-the-town; And sometimes in the evening light A sober little city sprite Will softly flutter down! They have so many things to do, They’re always on the go; They bring you dreams of lovely things, Of queer enchanted happenings, When you are ill, you know. They warn the baby sparrows when Old pussy cat’s about; And when their work is done, they play At leap-frog on the roof tops grey, When stars peep shyly out. THE MAGPIE’S FRIEND In an old gum-tree on the top of a hill, Two magpies build, in Spring, Their nest in a fork, and there they would talk, And sometimes they’ would sing: Sing of three dear little eggs kept warm, Three magpie-babes to be, And the warm sun shone, and the days rolled on, Till at last, out came all three. The hungry birdies cried, "Peep, Peep!” And the parents worked with a will, Searching the ground for acres around For worms their beaks to fill. To the top of the hill came a boy named Bill, On his way to school each day. At his ears, poor chap, their beaks they’d snap, And chase him along the way. Each mom they swooped, each eve they dived At Billy, to peck his crown, Till he climbed the tree and fed the three With worms, and then climbed down.

And never again when the lad passed by, ’Neath the magpies’ nesting-tree Near the rough school track, did the birds attack, For they knew that their friend was he.

BIG TED AND LITTLE TED

There's not a bigger family for miles around than mine, Mrs Barnside, in the village, has only eight—or nine; But mine is quite a ’normous one—a, hundred, or p’raps more, That’s counting all the animals who live with Mr Noah. There’s Monkey and Elephant, Giraffe and Kangaroo. There’s almost every kind of beast you meet with at the Zoo; There’s my brand new doggie, Bonzo, and poor old wooden Ned, And the ones I love the best of all— Big Ted and Little Ted. They are my very greatest friends; they share in all my play. And though they only growl at me, I know just what they say; They sit beside me at my meals, and when I go to bed They cuddle down each side of me— Big Ted and Little Ted.