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Ebook has 986 lines and 83155 words, and 20 pages
WINDY NIGHTS
Whenever the moon and stars are set, Whenever the wind is high, All night long in the dark and wet, A man goes riding by. Late in the night when the fires are out, Why does he gallop and gallop about?
BED IN SUMMER
In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle light; In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree; Or hear the grown-up people's feet Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day? --ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
WHAT DOES LITTLE BIRDIE SAY?
What does little birdie say, In her nest at peep of day? Let me fly, says little birdie, Mother, let me fly away. Birdie, rest a little longer, Till the little wings are stronger. So she rests a little longer, Then she flies away.
What does little baby say, In her bed at peep of day? Baby says, like little birdie, Let me rise and fly away. Baby, sleep a little longer, Till the little limbs are stronger. If she sleeps a little longer, Baby too shall fly away. --ALFRED LORD TENNYSON.
A SLUMBER SONG
Sleep, baby, sleep. Thy father is tending the sheep: Thy mother is shaking the dreamland tree, And down comes a little dream on thee. Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep. The large stars are the sheep: The little stars are the lambs, I guess, And the bright moon is the shepherdess. Sleep, baby, sleep.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me In the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. --KING DAVID.
SECOND YEAR
THE LIGHT-HEARTED FAIRY
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho! As the light-hearted fairy? heigh ho, Heigh ho! He dances and sings To the sound of his wings With a hey and a heigh and a ho.
Oh, who is so merry, so airy, heigh ho! As the light-headed fairy? heigh ho, Heigh ho! His nectar he sips From the primroses' lips With a hey and a heigh and a ho.
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho! As the light-footed fairy? heigh ho, Heigh ho! The night is his noon And his sun is the moon, With a hey and a heigh and a ho. --UNKNOWN.
THE LAND OF COUNTERPANE
When I was sick and lay a-bed, I had two pillows for my head,
And all my toys beside me lay To keep me happy all the day.
And sometimes for an hour or so I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills, Among the bed-clothes through the hills;
And sometimes sent my ships in fleets All up and down among the sheets;
Or brought my trees and houses out, And planted cities all about.
I was the giant great and still That sits upon the pillow-hill,
And sees before him, dale and plain, The pleasant land of counterpane. --ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
MY SHADOW
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow-- Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.
He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me.
One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed. --ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
SWEET AND LOW
Sweet and low, sweet and low, Wind of the western sea; Low, low, breathe and blow, Wind of the western sea. Over the rolling waters go, Come from the dying moon, and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.
Sleep and rest, sleep and rest, Father will come to thee soon; Rest, rest on mother's breast, Father will come to thee soon; Father will come to his babe in the nest, Silver sails all out of the west Under the silver moon; Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep. --ALFRED LORD TENNYSON.
LULLABY FOR TITANIA
You spotted snakes with double tongue, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen; Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong; Come not near our fairy queen.
Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby: Never harm, Nor spell, nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good night, with lullaby.
Weaving spiders, come not here; Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence; Beetles black, approach not near; Worm nor snail, do no offence.
Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby: Never harm, Nor spell, nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good night, with lullaby. --WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
AN OLD GAELIC CRADLE SONG
Hush! the waves are rolling in, White with foam, white with foam! Father toils amid the din; But baby sleeps at home.
Hush! the winds roar hoarse and deep. On they come, on they come! Brother seeks the lazy sheep; But baby sleeps at home.
Hush! the rain sweeps o'er the knowes, Where they roam, where they roam; Sister goes to seek the cows; But baby sleeps at home. --UNKNOWN.
CHILD-SONGS
THE CITY CHILD
Dainty little maiden, whither would you wander? Whither from this pretty home, the home where mother dwells? "Far, and far away," said the dainty little maiden, "All among the gardens, auriculas, anemones, Roses and lilies and Canterbury-bells."
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