 | A merry-go-round of song |  |
15
THE BAD GIRL
Once a little girl (how sad!)
Determined to be very bad.
Determined to be very bad.
At breakfast-time she knocked a jug
To pieces with her birthday mug.
To pieces with her birthday mug.
She snatched the honeycomb, and spread
At least an inch on baby's head.
At least an inch on baby's head.
She got a needle, and she pressed
Quite hard against the parrot's chest,
Quite hard against the parrot's chest,
Who, what with agony and rage,
Upset at last his silvered cage,
Upset at last his silvered cage,
And, screaming all a wicked bird's
Supply of dreadful forest-words,
Supply of dreadful forest-words,
Fell with a bump—a dismal wreck!—
Upon the hearth, and broke his neck.
Upon the hearth, and broke his neck.
She went to lessons, sour and glum;
She bit her music-teacher's thumb.
She bit her music-teacher's thumb.
And when the barber came to trim
Her grey-gold hair, she flew at him
Her grey-gold hair, she flew at him
And raised a lump upon his leg
As large as Madam Turkey's egg.
As large as Madam Turkey's egg.
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She tore a button from his coat
And tried to fling it down his throat.
And tried to fling it down his throat.
Thus matters went from bad to worse,
Till all were crying—Mab and Nurse,
Till all were crying—Mab and Nurse,
And Diccory, and Silver Sam,
The twins, and Hilary, and Pam.
The twins, and Hilary, and Pam.
When Mother heard the piteous tale
She went at first extremely pale,
She went at first extremely pale,
And then extremely red, before
She pointed sternly at the door,
She pointed sternly at the door,
And followed, silent as the gloom,
The wicked child to Father's room.
The wicked child to Father's room.
When Father heard he did not speak,
But looked at her with eyes so bleak
But looked at her with eyes so bleak
That in her face and back and knees
She felt her blood begin to freeze.
She felt her blood begin to freeze.
He kept on staring. Little floes
Of ice were pressing on her toes.
Of ice were pressing on her toes.
And still he stared! The child was lost,
Or so she felt, in Father's frost.
Or so she felt, in Father's frost.
He stood beside the study door
And pointed to the stairs. The floor
And pointed to the stairs. The floor
An iceberg seemed! In vain to pluck
Her feet away she tried. She stuck.
Her feet away she tried. She stuck.
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The curly ends of hearthrug felt
Like icicles that would not melt.
Like icicles that would not melt.
Then Mother snatched her from the ice
And took her bedward in a trice.
And took her bedward in a trice.
But in her sleep she suffered most,
Because she saw the parrot's ghost!
Because she saw the parrot's ghost!
She saw it stand in horrid wise
And roll a vengeance from its eyes,
And roll a vengeance from its eyes,
Till suddenly, alert and plain,
It hopped along the counterpane.
It hopped along the counterpane.
It passed her ankles, reached her knees;
Again the child began to freeze.
Again the child began to freeze.
It stood in triumph on her chest
And smacked its horny beak with zest.
And smacked its horny beak with zest.
It dug its talons in her chin,
Flung back its head, a breath drew in,
Flung back its head, a breath drew in,
And then, as steadily as goes
The blacksmith's hammer, pecked her nose.
The blacksmith's hammer, pecked her nose.
The more she screamed, the more the ghost
With firmness held his tender post,
With firmness held his tender post,
While tiny chips of nose were spread
At random on the tumbled bed.
At random on the tumbled bed.
When all the nose was gone, the bird
Proclaimed his most victorious word,
Proclaimed his most victorious word,
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Uncorked a fancied bottle, hissed,
And darkly melted into mist.
And darkly melted into mist.
Oh, little girls who would not use
This violent rebel's pair of shoes,
This violent rebel's pair of shoes,
Who would not throw a sunny day
(So precious for the heart!) away,
(So precious for the heart!) away,
Who would not feel your bodies grow
As cold as beggars in the snow,
As cold as beggars in the snow,
Who want dream-comers in the night
To be, as lilies, fair and bright,
To be, as lilies, fair and bright,
Have done with naughty hearts! Pretend
That days are open flowers, and spend,
That days are open flowers, and spend,
As though a family of bees,
Your time in gathering honey. Please!
Your time in gathering honey. Please!
| A merry-go-round of song | |