Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text is lap.
Arabella said, "Oh, I want my kitty in my lap, mamma!"
And Araminta said, "Oh, I want my kitty in my lap, papa!"
So they jumped down and caught the kitties.
Their mamma rocked Arabella, and their papa rocked Araminta; and they
sang to them,
"Now a nice little rock,
And never mind the clock,
Now a nice little rock,
And never mind the clock!"
And they sang it over, and over, and over.
"Now a nice little rock,
And never mind the clock,
Now a nice little rock,
And never mind the clock!"
And Arabella cuddled in her mamma's arms, and hugged her little kitty
close; and Araminta cuddled in her papa's arms, and hugged her little
kitty close.
And their mamma sang, and their papa sang,
"Now she goes to sleepy-town, sleepy-town, sleepy-town;
Cuddled in her little gown, here she goes to sleepy-town."
And they sang it over, and over, and over.
"Now she goes to sleepy-town, sleepy-town, sleepy-town;
Cuddled in her little gown, here she goes to sleepy-town."
And very soon Arabella could only just hear her mamma singing, and very
soon Araminta could only just hear her papa singing, "Sleepy-town,
sleepy-town." And soon they couldn't hear them at all. They were sound
asleep!
And their mamma looked at their papa, and said, "Our precious little
dears are both sound asleep."
And their papa said, "Yes, our little pets have both reached
sleepy-town."
And Arabella's mamma carried her upstairs and put her in her little bed,
and Araminta's papa carried her upstairs and put her in her little bed.
And Arabella was hugging her white kitty up close in her arms and
Araminta was hugging her black kitty up close in her arms. And the
kitties were both sound asleep, too.
But Arabella's kitty and Araminta's kitty did not sleep with them all
night--oh, no indeed! They had a nice little, warm little, soft little
bed down in the basement, close to the furnace.
And their papa took the kitties out of their arms, and carried them down
to their bed.
And Arabella slept, and slept, and slept, and slept, and slept. And
Araminta slept, and slept, and slept, and slept, and slept.
And the little kitties in their soft little bed slept, and slept, too.
All through the long, dark, beautiful night they slept.
And the sun came, and the morning came, and it was another day!
[C] From "Arabella and Araminta Stories." Used by permission of
publishers, Small, Maynard & Co., Boston.
THE GO-SLEEP STORY[D]
BY EUDORA S. BUMSTEAD
"How can I go to bed," said Penny, the flossy dog, "till I say
good-night to Baby Ray? He gives me part of his bread and milk, and pats
me with his little, soft hand. It is bedtime now for dogs and babies. I
wonder if he is asleep?"
So he trotted along in his silky, white nightgown till he found Baby Ray
on the porch in mamma's arms.
And she was telling him the same little story that I am telling you:
The doggie that was given him to keep, keep, keep,
Went to see if Baby Ray was asleep, sleep, sleep.
"How can we go to bed," said Snowdrop and Thistledown, the youngest
children of Tabby, the cat, "till we have once more looked at Baby Ray?
He lets us play with his blocks and ball, and laughs when we climb on
the table. It is bedtime now for kitties and dogs and babies. Perhaps
we shall find him asleep." And this is what the kitties heard:
One doggie that was given him to keep, keep, keep,
Two cunning little kitty-cats, creep, creep, creep,
Went to see if Baby Ray was asleep, sleep, sleep.
"How can we go to bed," said the three little Bunnies, "till we have
seen Baby Ray?" Then away they went in their white, velvet nightgowns as
softly as three flakes of snow. And they, too, when they got as far as
the porch, heard Ray's mamma telling the same little story:
One doggie that was given him to keep, keep, keep,
Two cunning little kitty-cats, creep, creep, creep,
Three pretty little bunnies, with a leap, leap, leap,
Went to see if Baby Ray was asleep, sleep, sleep.
"How can we go to bed," said the four white Geese, "till we know that
Baby Ray is all right? He loves to watch us sail on the duck-pond, and
he brings us corn in his little blue apron. It is bedtime now for geese
and rabbits and kitties and dogs and babies, and he really ought to be
asleep."
So they waddled away in their white, feather nightgowns, around by the
porch, where they saw Baby Ray, and heard mamma tell the "Go-Sleep"
story:
One doggie that was given him to keep, keep, keep,
Two cunning little kitty-cats, creep, creep, creep,
Three pretty little bunnies, with a leap, leap, leap,
Four geese from the duck-pond, deep, deep, deep,
Went to see if Baby Ray was asleep, sleep, sleep.
"How can we go to bed," said the five white Chicks, "till we have seen
Baby Ray once more? He scatters crumbs for us and calls us. Now it is
bedtime for chicks and geese and rabbits and kittens and dogs and
babies, so little Ray must be asleep."
Then they ran and fluttered in their downy, white nightgowns till they
came to the porch, where little Ray was just closing his eyes, while
mamma told the "Go-Sleep" story:
One doggie that was given him to keep, keep, keep,
Two cunning little kitty-cats, creep, creep, creep,
Three pretty little bunnies, with a leap, leap, leap,
Four geese from the duck-pond, deep, deep, deep,
Five downy little chicks, crying peep, peep, peep,
All saw that Baby Ray was asleep, sleep, sleep.
[D] Used by permission of _The Youth's Companion_.
[Illustration: THE LAND OF NOD]
THE GENTLE DARK[E]
BY W. GRAHAME ROBERTSON
So it is over, the long bright Day,
And little Maid Twilight, quiet and meek,
Comes stealing along in her creep-mouse way
Whispering low--for she may not speak--
"The Gentle Dark is coming to play
At a game of Hide and Seek."
Some babies are cross when she whispers them this,
And some are afraid and begin to cry.
I never can think what they find amiss.
Afraid of the Dark! I wonder why.
The Gentle Dark that falls like a kiss
Down from the sleepy sky.
O Gentle Dark, we know you are kind
By the lingering touch of your cool soft hand;
As over our eyes the veil you bind
We shut them tight at word of command,
You are only playing at Hoodman-Blind,
A game that we understand.
The voice is tender (O little one, hark!),
The eyes are kindly under the hood,
Blow out the candle, leave not a spark,
Trusting your friend as a playmate should.
Hold up your arms to the Gentle Dark,
The Dark that is kind and good.
[E] From "A Year of Song," by W. Grahame Robertson; used by permission
of the publishers, John Lane Company.
THE FERRY FOR SHADOWTOWN
Sway to and fro in the twilight gray;
This is the ferry for Shadowtown;
It always sails at the end of the day,
Just as the darkness closes down.
Rest little head, on my shoulder, so;
A sleepy kiss is the only fare,
Drifting away from the world, we go,
Baby and I in the rocking-chair.
See where the fire-logs glow and spark,
Glitter the lights of the shadowland,
The raining drops on the w Previous Next |