A little book of tribune verse :: :: University of Virginia Library

What is this with blue
Lit-tle shoes, so new,
Cun-ning lit-tle feet,
Trot-ting down the street,
What will Ma-ma say?
Baby 's run a-way,
Ba-by Fay Fer-ny.

Calls a boy, “Hal-lo!
See here, lit-tle pop-pet show,
Come with me!” “No, no,
Ba-by's do-in' do
Ba-by's own self!” Fast
Round the corner passed
Ba-by Fay Fer-ny.

Stops a great big man,
Hur-ry-ing all he can,
“Here! what's this! my!
Drop-ped down from the sky?
Some-bod-ys to blame.
Baby, what 's your name?”
“Ba-by Fay Fer-ny.”

“Where you go-ing? say!”
“Day-day.” “What's that, hey?
See the Ba-by fidg-et!
What d'you want, you midg-et?”
“Piece of butter-bed,
Sugy on it, 'lasses on it,
Jam on it,” said
Ba-by Fay Fer-ny.

People pause to see,
Ladies, one, two, three,
A po-lice-man, too;
But no one that knew
Whence the ba-by came;
“What's your pa-pa's name?”
“Pa-pa Fay Fer-ny.”

Comes a breath-less maid,
“Oh, dear! I'm afraid
Ba-by's lost and gone,
Ba-by Fer-gu-son!
No, there, down the street!
O, you naughty, sweet
Ba-by Fay Fer-ny!”

September 18th, 1881.