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The Three Little Kittens by Eliza Lee Follen
Three little kittensThey lost their mittens,And they began to cry,Oh, mother dear,We sadly fearOur mittens we have lost.What! lost your mittens,You naughty kittens!Then you shall have no pie.Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.No, you shall have no pie. The three little kittensThey found their mittens,And they began to cry,Oh, mother dear,See here, see here,Our mittens we have found.Put…
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The Monkeys and the Bears by Eliza Lee Follen
The monkeys, ’tis said, once asked of the bears,How it was that their nation so much surpassed theirs,And begged that the means they would graciously tellBy which the young bears were kept hearty and well.“Perhaps it may be,” said one of the mothers,Who seemed more considerate and wise than the others,“Perhaps,” said she, trembling at…
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The Old and New Shoes by Eliza Lee Follen
“Good bye, get away, you ugly old things!”Said a little boy once to his shoes;“All stubbed are your toes, all twisted your strings,You’re wrinkled, one-sided, and loose. “But here are my new ones, so shiny and bright,They are almost as smooth as my skin;How stiff they are, too! how straight and upright!How snug my feet…
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Billy Rabbit to Mary by Eliza Lee Follen
[Billy Rabbit was a little rabbit which a boy caught in the woods, and gave to a little girl of the name of Mary. She was very attentive to the little prisoner, gave him an abundance of good things to eat, and tried her best to make him happy; but all in vain. After many…
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Little Roland by Eliza Lee Follen
Lady Bertha sat in the rocky cleft,Her bitter woes to weep;Little Roland played in the free fresh air;His sorrows were not deep. “My royal brother, O King Charles,Why did I fly from thee?Splendor and rank I left for love;Now thou art wroth with me. “O Milon, Milon, husband dear!Beneath the waves art thou;For love I…
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Learned Fred by Eliza Lee Follen
One short six months had scarcely gone,When, full of all he’d learned,Young Frederick, that hopeful son,From college home returned. To his paternal roof restored,It was not long beforeThe learned man at table pouredThe treasures of his lore. “Now,” said the youngster, “father dear,You doubtless think you seeTwo roasted fowls before us here;But I say there…
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The Pin, Needle, and Scissors by Eliza Lee Follen
‘Tis true, although ’tis sad to say,Disputes are rising every day.You’d think, if no one did deny it,A little work-box might be quiet;But ’tis not so, for I did hear,Or else I dreamed it, ’tis so queer,A Pin and Needle in the cushionMaintain the following discussion. The Needle, “extra fine gold-eyed,”Was very sharp and full…
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Soliloquy of Ellen’s Squirrel by Eliza Lee Follen
Was that the music of the wind,That whispered in my trembling ear?And can I, free and unconfined,Taste of the joys that still are dear? And can I skip from tree to tree,And fly along the flowery plain,Light as the wind, as fleet, as free,And make my winter’s nest again? O, yes! my joyful, trembling heart,The…
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The Honest Bird by Eliza Lee Follen
Once on a time, a little birdWithin a wicker cage was heard,In mournful tones, these words to sing:—“In vain I stretch my useless wing;Still round and round I vainly fly,And strive in vain for liberty.Dear liberty, how sweet thou art!”The prisoner sings, with breaking heart:—“All other things I’d give for thee,Nor ask one joy but…
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The Little Slave’s Wish by Eliza Lee Follen
I wish I was that little birdUp in the bright blue sky,That sings and flies just where he will,And no one asks him why. I wish I was that little brookThat runs so swift along,Through pretty flowers, and shining stones,Singing a merry song. I wish I was a butterfly,Without a fear or care,Spreading my many-colored…