Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A NURSERY SONG, by ANN AUGUSTA GRAY CARTER


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A NURSERY SONG, by                    
First Line: As I walked over the hills one day
Last Line: While my little chick nestles here on my arm.
Subject(s): Mothers


As I walked over the hills one day,
I listened and heard a mother-sheep say:
"In all the green world there is nothing so sweet
As my little lammie with his nimble feet,
With his eyes so bright,
And his wool so white,
Oh, he is my darling, my heart's delight.
The robin, he
That sings in a tree,
Dearly may doat on his darlings four,
But I love my one little lambkin more,"
And the mother-sheep and her little one
Side by side lay down in the sun;
And they went to sleep on the hillside warm,
While my little lammie lies here on my arm.

I went to the kitchen, and what did I see,
But the old gray cat with her kittens three;
I heard her whispering soft--said she:
"My kittens, with tails all so cunningly curled,
Are the prettiest things that can be in the world;
The bird in the tree,
And the old ewe she,
May love their babies exceedingly;
But I love my kittens there
Under the rocking-chair,
I love my kittens with all my might,
I love them at morning, noon, and night.
Which is the prettiest I cannot tell--
Which of the three--
For the life of me--
I love them all so well.
Now I'll take up my kitties, the kitties I love,
And we'll lie down together beneath the warm stove."
Let the kitties sleep under the stove so warm.
While my little darling lies here on my arm.

I went to the yard, and saw an old hen
Go clucking about with her chickens ten.
She clucked, and she scratched, and she bristled away,
And what do you think I heard her say?
I heard her say: "The sun never did shine
On anything like to these chickens of mine.
You may hunt the full moon and the stars, if you please,
But you never will find ten such chickens as these.
The cat loves her kittens, the ewe loves her lamb,
But they do not know what a proud mother I am;
For lambs, nor for kittens, I won't part with these,
Tho' the sheep and the cats should go down on their knees;
No! no! not though
The kittens could crow
Or the lammie on two yellow legs could go.
My dear, downy darlings! my sweet little things!
Come nestle now, cosily, under my wings."
So the hen said,
And the chickens all sped
As fast as they could to their nice feather-bed,
And there let them sleep in their feathers so warm,
While my little chick nestles here on my arm.





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