The Project Gutenberg eBook of Rhymes of a child's world, by Miriam Clark Potter This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: Rhymes of a child's world a book of verse for children Author: Miriam Clark Potter Illustrator: Ruth Fuller Stevens Release Date: June 29, 2021 [eBook #65722] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 Produced by: Charlene Taylor, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RHYMES OF A CHILD'S WORLD *** RHYMES OF A CHILD’S WORLD {1} {2} [Image unavailable.] RHYMES {3} of a CHILD’S WORLD A Book of Verse for Children By MIRIAM CLARK POTTER With Illustrations by Ruth Fuller Stevens Boston THE FOUR SEAS COMPANY Publishers Copyright, 1920, by THE FOUR SEAS COMPANY The Four Seas Press Boston, Mass., U. S. A. TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER WHO ALWAYS HAD TIME TO WAIVE GROWN-UP MATTERS AND READ A SMALL RHYME: WHOSE HEARTS EVER HELD THROUGH THE FLIGHT OF THE YEARS A SOFT UNDERSTANDING OF SMALL JOYS AND TEARS. We wish to acknowledge with thanks the permission of “The Youth’s Companion,” “St. Nicholas,” “Little Folks,” and Congregational Publishing Society for such of these rhymes as have appeared in their publications. {4} {5} {6} {7} CONTENTS IN THE HOUSE Page MY DEAREST IS A LADY 13 BUBBLES 14 THE GROWN-UP WORLD 16 TEA TIME 18 UMBRELLAS 20 THE MARCH WIND 21 THE TIPTOES 23 RAIN-ON-THE-ROOF 25 PRINCESS FIRE 27 THE DOLLS 28 BREAD AND BUTTER 30 THE COMPANY MAN 31 THE NEW SLIPPERS 32 THE LIGHTHOUSE LAMP 33 SISTER MARTHA 35 A PLAINT 36 THE FAT LITTLE CLOUD 37 THE LOOKING GLASS 38 MUFFINS 40 THANKSGIVING KITCHEN SONG 41 CRACKER SHIPS 43 THE CANDLE TREE 44 THE LITTLE RUG FROM PERSIA 46 DUTCH KATRINA 47 OUTDOORS AT PLAY THE CHILDREN OF THE WIND 51 THE SOLEMN FROG 52 SUMMER WEATHER 53 A WARNING 54 THE MOON IN THE POOL 55 THE FLYING HOURS 56 THE COMMON THINGS 57 THE HEN 60 BLUNDERING BENJAMIN BUMBLE BEE 61 THE TWO LITTLE FLOCKS 62 TO THE LITTLE GIRL NEXT DOOR 64 THE RIDE TO TOWN 65 THE SWANS 67 ROADS 69 THE CUDDLE-DE-WEES 71 THE HIGHEST HILL IN HAPPYTOWN 72 A LIKENESS 75 HAY COCKS 76 MAY 77 THE WINDMILL COUNTRY 78 THE OWL 79 {8} THE CLOUD IN THE GARDEN 80 RUNAWAY RIVER 82 THE JACK O’ LANTERN 84 THE MAD MARCH HARE 86 THE WATER CHILD 88 TWILIGHT SONGS TWILIGHT TOWN 91 THE LUCKY LITTLE STAR 92 THE FLOCK OF DREAMS 94 HOW SLEEP WAS MADE 95 THE TWO GOWNS 97 THE TWILIGHT MAN 99 THE DREAM SHIP 100 A PRAYER AT EVENING 101 THE WILLOW TREE 102 THE FAIRY’S NAME WAS WHISPER 104 FIRE FLIES 106 THE LADY NIGHT 107 THE MARCH OF THE SHADOWS 108 THE STAR-LIGHTER 109 A BALLAD OF THREE 111 THE STAR SHIPS 113 THE YELLOW CITY LIGHTS 114 THE PILOT WIND 115 ROCKING SONG 117 THE LAUGHTER MILL 119 LITTLE SISTER OF THE MOON 121 THE SANDMAN’S WIFE 123 DREAMS FOR THREE 126 LADY MOTHER 127 THE ROAD TO GLAD TOMORROW 128 ’T IS a world of wonderful things, Of wind and water and wings And the tiniest bird That ever was heard Of God and His goodness sings; So be glad, little child, and say “Mine is a wonderful way; They all are for me, The flower and the tree, Love, and the light of day.” {9} {10} {11} THE CHILD INDOORS AT PLAY In the house I walk around Over shining floors. Pleasant things to do are found In the snug Indoors. Ruth Fuller Stevens 1918 {12} {13} [Image unavailable.] MY DEAREST IS A LADY My dearest is a lady, and she wears a gown of blue; She sits beside the window, where the yellow sun comes through; The light is shining on her hair, and all the while she sews She sings a song about a knight—a brave, good knight she knows. My dearest is a lady,—and O, I love her well! Full five and twenty times a day this very tale I tell; For I’m the knight in armor—a shield and sword I wear; And mother is my lady, with the light upon her hair. {14} [Image unavailable.] BUBBLES Misty balls of rainbow stuff, Sailing in the sun, We have watched them as they grew, Slowly, one by one. Flowers they are that bud and blow, Shining spheres of light; Our eager hands would grasp them Before they burst from sight. Little brother, come and see! Here’s a pretty thing, Glowing like a fairy lamp, Floating like a wing. Magic colors gleam and go In a glad surprise; Can you reach the jewels there, Little Wonder-Eyes? [Image unavailable.] {15} Little boy from ’cross-the-street, Very straight and proud, Blows the biggest one of all, Rosy as a cloud; Up it rises like a bird, Trembles in the air, Shines with all its soul for us, Then is gone nowhere. Sky has sent her sweetest blue, Dawn has sent her rose, River sends her laughter-lights,— Don’t you just suppose? Day has given clearness,— Night has lent a star,— And only happy children Know what bubbles are. Little boy from ’cross-the-street, Little Let-Me-Too, Thinks they’re made of undreamed dreams, Glassed in morning dew; Just perhaps they’re made of that; We are glad they stay For even little breathless whiles, 161 Before they melt away. {16} [Image unavailable.] THE GROWN-UP WORLD O Grown-Up World, where I live and play, Shall I really belong in you, world, some day? The chairs are so tall, it is hard to climb up, So heavy to hold is a grown person’s cup, The door-knobs are high, very high, I must stand On the tips of my toes when I put up my hand. The grown people sing as they pass in and out And things seem just right, as they journey about; They light the high lamps, and they read the big books And they smile down upon me, with far-away looks. But soon I’ll be older, and then I’ll be tall, And I’ll wind the old clock, where it stands in the hall; I’ll sit down in chairs like my great-aunt Marie And lift the big pot when it comes with the tea. Grown-Up World, where I live and play, Shall I really belong in you, world, some day? [Image unavailable.] {17} {18} [Image unavailable.] TEA TIME The tea bell rings with a merry sound And tea is ready at last; Down from the hall, where we played at cars, We come on the Very-Fast. There are the muffins we hoped would be And the plates of honey and cheese. We may have milk in our little blue jugs As much as ever we please. Oh, we were hungry up in the hall, Hungry as children can be; Often we called from the stairs to ask: “When is it time for tea?” The candles shine with a yellow light And our shadows are big on the wall; Out in the dark the wind rides past With a “Happy good-night!” to all. [Image unavailable.] {19} {20} [Image unavailable.] UMBRELLAS People on a rainy day Look like mushrooms, strange to say, And their round umbrella tops Gleam among the falling drops; Little mushrooms grow in clumps, Round the feet of mossy stumps, Large ones wander up and down Through the streets of Rainy-town. [Image unavailable.] {21} [Image unavailable.] THE MARCH WIND The lion wind comes rushing in From jungle lands of sky, And all the lamps along the street He fairly blinds with snow and sleet And goes a-rushing by; The bold March wind, the cold March wind, Who makes the tree-tops fly. He stole a pillow from a line And rolled it, all the way, From Perkins Street to Market Square With giant paws at play; The queer March wind, the drear March wind, Who takes my breath away. The other night, at dinner-time, When cook went to the door, To get the frozen pudding in ’Twas spilled upon the floor! The gruff March wind, the rough March wind, Had played the trick, she swore. But just last night, when all was dark, I raised the window wide, To fasten in a flapping cord, That kept the curtain tied; The great March wind rushed through the room; “I promise Spring!” he cried. [Image unavailable.] {22} {23} [Image unavailable.] THE TIPTOES The tiny little Tiptoes, from the Land of Wonder-Where, Walk all around our houses, and we never know they’re there; They climb the chairs and tables, and they hang upon the door, They wind the clock, and ride the cat, and slide upon the floor. They come to see the baby bathed, and stand, all in a row, Upon the edge of Little Tub, and lean to watch the show; They clap their hands at every splash; and then away they fly, To see what cook is making, and dance upon the pie. [Image unavailable.] At night, when lamps are lighted, they hurry all about (Like owls, they see much better when the moon and stars are out;) They gather round the fireplace, to hear the fam’ly talk, And walk upon the mantle; but you never hear them walk. The things they do are dangerous; I’m sure you’re thinking that; They might be drowned in Bath-Tub, or eaten by the cat: But their little hands are careful, and their footsteps soft as breath, And at a sudden rattle they are frightened half to death. (Now, did you ever hear, at dusk, with no one in the room, The wicker chair go snappy-snap, like bristles in a broom? Well, then you may be certain, so the Really-Trulies say, That a Tiptoe slipped and tumbled, and is running fast away.) {24} {25} {26} [Image unavailable.] RAIN-ON-THE-ROOF Rain upon the roof in the garret; little fingers knocking on the pane; A fairy voice is calling in the splashing and the falling, “I am the rain—the rain!” Shadows, shadows, shadows, in the corner by the eaves; Wet against the windows lie the little faded leaves. Rain upon the roof in the garret; play we are a pirate crew at sea; Play the old oak chest, in the veil of cobwebs dressed, Is a leaking, creaking ship, the “Stinging Bee”; Play the broken cradle, where our pile of play-things lie, Is an island full of treasure, where we’ll anchor by and by. Rain upon the roof in the garret; shadows, dust, and cobwebs all around; We know the game to play, on a dark and blowy day, And we launch the “Stinging Bee” without a sound; With a pilot at the spinning wheel, we’ll land, at the break of day, On lonely Cradle Island, and steal all the things away. [Image unavailable.] {27}