Nursery Song

As I walked over the hill one day,

I listened and heard a mother-sheep say,

"In all the green world there is nothing so sweet,

As my little lamb, with his nimble feet;

With his eye so bright,

And his wool so white,

Oh, he is my darling, my heart's delight!"

And the mother-sheep and her little one

Side by side lay down in the sun.

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 so cunningly curled,

Are the prettiest things that can be in the world.

The bird on 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.

Now I'll take up my kitties, the kitties I love,

And we'll lie down together, beneath the warm stove."

I went to the yard and saw the old hen

Go clucking about with her chickens ten;

She clucked and she scratched and she bustled away,

And what do you think I heard the hen 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 such chickens as these.

My dear, downy darlings, my sweet little things,

Come, nestle now cozily under my wings."

So the hen said,

And the chickens all sped

As fast as they could to their nice feather bed.