When We Were Very Young (3 page)

Twinkletoes

When the sun

Shines through the leaves of the apple-tree,

When the sun

Makes shadows of the leaves of the apple-tree,

Then I pass

On the grass

From one leaf to another,

From one leaf to its brother,

Tip-toe, tip-toe!

Here I go!

The Four Friends

Ernest was an elephant, a great big fellow,

Leonard was a lion with a six-foot tail,

George was a goat, and his beard was yellow,

And James was a very small snail.

Leonard had a stall, and a great big strong one,

Ernest had a manger, and its walls were thick,

George found a pen, but I think it was the wrong one,

And James sat down on a brick.

Ernest started trumpeting, and cracked his manger,

Leonard started roaring, and shivered his stall,

James gave the huffle of a snail in danger

And nobody heard him at all.

Ernest started trumpeting and raised such a rumpus,

Leonard started roaring and trying to kick,

James went a journey with the goat’s new compass

And he reached the end of his brick.

Ernest was an elephant and very well-intentioned,

Leonard was a lion with a brave new tail,

George was a goat, as I think I have mentioned,

But James was only a snail.

Lines and Squares

Whenever I walk in a London street,

I’m ever so careful to watch my feet;

And I keep in the squares,

And the masses of bears,

Who wait at the corners all ready to eat

The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,

Go back to their lairs,

And I say to them, “Bears,

Just look how I’m walking in all of the squares!”

And the little bears growl to each other,

“He’s mine,

As soon as he’s silly and steps on a line.”

And some of the bigger bears try to pretend

That they came round the corner to look for a friend;

And they try to pretend that nobody cares

Whether you walk on the lines or squares.

But only the sillies believe their talk;

It’s ever so portant how you walk.

And it’s ever so jolly to call out, “Bears,

Just watch me in all the squares!”

Brownie

In a corner of the bedroom is a great big curtain,

Someone lives behind it, but I don’t know who;

I think it is a Brownie, but I’m not quite certain.

(Nanny isn’t certain, too.)

I looked behind the curtain, but he went so quickly—

Brownies never wait to say, “How do you do?”

They wriggle off at once because they’re all so tickly.

(Nanny says they’re tickly too.)

Independence

I never did, I never did, I never
did
like

“Now take care, dear!”

I never did, I never did, I never
did
want

“Hold-my-hand”

I never did, I never did, I never
did
think much of

“Not up there, dear!”

It’s no good saying it. They don’t understand.