Watermelon Pete and Others
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WATERMELON PETE
Once there was a little darky boy, and his name was Watermelon Pete. They called him Watermelon Pete because his mouth was just the shape of a big, slice of ripe watermelon.
One night when old Mr. Moon was looking in Watermelon Pete’s window, and shining so bright that he couldn’t go to sleep at all, all at once he began to feel hungry. And he said, “Oh, dear, I wish I had a nice big piece of watermelon to eat!”
And then a naughty little Blackie, who was sitting on Watermelon Pete’s bedpost, just hoping that he would want to get out of bed and get into mischief, said, “I know where there are some watermelons. Farmer Brown has some down in his watermelon patch.”
And Watermelon Pete listened to what the naughty little Blackie said, and then he crawled out of bed, and ran, oh, so fast, down to the fence, and scrooged through a hole in the fence, and ran – pitter-patter, with his little bare black feet – down the path to the watermelon vines.
Then he ate, and he ate, and he ate, so many watermelons! And by and by he went to sleep under a watermelon vine. And Mr. Moon went to bed.
Then pretty soon old Mr. Rooster woke up and said, “Cock-a-doodle-doo-oo! Farmer Brown, I’m calling you-oo-o! It’s time to get up!”
So Farmer Brown got up and dressed himself, and went out of doors. And then Farmer Brown said, “Well, I guess I’ll go and see my watermelons.” And when he got there he said, “Why!” just like that. “Why, where are all my lovely watermelons?”
Then little Mrs. Hoppy Toad came out from under a burdock leaf where she lived, and said in her funny little way-up-high voice, “Farmer Brown, I know who ate your watermelons!”
“Do you, Mrs. Hoppy Toad?” said Farmer Brown. “And will you tell me who it is?”
“Oh, yes, Farmer Brown,” said little Mrs. Hoppy Toad, in her little way-up-high voice. “Watermelon Pete ate your watermelons, and he is asleep under your vines.”
And then Watermelon Pete woke, and he was so frightened, because he had been naughty, that he ran pitter-patter, pitter-patter, up the path, and what do you think?
He was so full of watermelon that he could not get back through the hole in the fence, and Farmer Brown caught him! And the naughty Blackie just sat on a fence post and laughed because he had made Watermelon Pete get into mischief!
And Watermelon Pete said, “Please, Farmer Brown, please don’t punish me, and I will never eat your watermelons any more!”
And Farmer Brown said, “All right, Watermelon Pete, I will let you off this time. But you must never listen to that naughty Blackie again. Now go and get the cow and milk her, and then come to breakfast.”
And Mrs. Farmer Brown gave Watermelon Pete a whole plate full of brown cakes for his breakfast, with crinkly cronkly sirup on them.
But the naughty Blackie couldn’t have any.
PIGGY’S THISTLE WHISTLE
A funny little Piggy to the market went,To buy himself a whistle with a bright new cent.But the shop man said, “I have no penny whistle,”So Piggy made himself one from a prickly thistle.Piggy said, “This thistle whistle’s quite as good as any;I’ll buy an apple pie with my bright new penny.”When he bought his apple pie, said the baker, “Here’s another,”And Piggy took them home to his dear old mother.And his father and his mother, and his little sister Wee,Were very, very happy with apple pie for tea.After supper all the Piggies came in from ’cross the way,To see Piggy’s thistle whistle, and ask him if he’d play.Piggy whistled gayly a good old-fashioned dance,And every little Piggy began to sing and prance.And oh, such fancy dancing, until Mother Piggy said,“The Piggy sandman’s coming.” So they all went home to bed.LADY BUG GOES SHOPPING
Mosquito was strolling one day through the town,Enjoying the balmy spring air,When whom should he meet, with her two little babes,But dear little Lady Bug fair.“Lady Bug, Lady Bug, what do you seekIn the streets of the busy town?”“Sir, I’ve been to the spiders to buy me a web,For my polka-dotted gown.”“Lady Bug, Lady Bug, fly away home,”Said old Mr. Grasshopper Gray,“The town crier fears that your children will burn;Your house is on fire, they say.”“Your story is old, Mr. Grasshopper Gray,”The Lady Bug said, “for you seeMy cottage is standing, my children are safe,For I took them shopping with me.”LITTLE BABY ELEPHANT AND HIS NEW CLOTHES
Once there was a Daddy and a Mammy Elephant, and they had a little Baby Elephant.
When Daddy Elephant came home one day he found his dear little Baby Elephant crying great big tears!
And Daddy Elephant kissed him, and said, “Why, what’s the matter with my little Baby Elephant?”
And Baby Elephant said, “Why, Daddy, I’ve worn my stockings all out, and I haven’t any more to put on.”
“Is that all?” said Daddy Elephant. “Well, come along, and we will go and see if we can find some stockings for you.”
So they went a long way, through the Jungle, until they came to Mrs. Lion’s store, and they went in.
“Good morning, Mrs. Lion,” said Daddy Elephant, very politely. “Have you some stockings that you will sell me for my little Baby Elephant?”
“Well, now, Daddy Elephant,” said Mrs. Lion, “I don’t believe I have any that would fit him; they are all so small. But if you’ll take a seat, I will ask my little Lions to make him some.”
So she called four of her little Lions, and asked them if they would make some stockings for Baby Elephant. They said they would be pleased to do it, and so they got some balls of wool and began knitting so busily with their shiny knitting needles, click, click! click, click! that pretty soon there they were, four nice long new stockings, one for each foot.
Then Daddy Elephant paid for the stockings and put them on Baby Elephant. And Baby Elephant said, “These are perfectly lovely new stockings, Daddy, but now, do you know, I believe I ought to have some new shoes, so I won’t spoil my nice new stockings.”
And Daddy Elephant said, “Why, what a funny little Baby Elephant you are! Just as soon as you get one thing you think of something else. But come along, and we will see if we can find you some shoes.”
So they went a long, long way through the Jungle, until they came to Mrs. Tiger’s store.
“Good morning, Mrs. Tiger,” said Daddy Elephant, very politely indeed. “Have you some shoes that you could sell me for my little Baby Elephant?”
“Why, no, Daddy Elephant,” said Mrs. Tiger, “I haven’t any big enough for him. But if you will take a seat and wait, I will call my Tiger shoemakers, and have some made for him.”
So they waited patiently while the Tiger shoemakers made some shoes. “Tip-a-tap, tip-a-tap, tip-a-tap-too!” went the hammers, until pretty soon there they were, four nice new red shoes with one for each foot.
Then Daddy paid Mrs. Tiger for them, and put them on and buttoned them up, and Baby Elephant said, “My! These are lovely new shoes, Daddy, and I thank you, but now I look so nice, shouldn’t I have a hat?”
And Daddy Elephant laughed and said, “Well, you are a funny little Baby Elephant. But come along, and I will see if I can find a hat for you.”
So they walked and walked a long way through the Jungle, and after a while they came to Mrs. Monkey’s millinery store.
And Daddy Elephant said, oh, very politely, “How do you do, Mrs. Monkey? Have you your new spring hats in? My little Baby thinks he’d like a hat.”
And Mrs. Monkey said that she didn’t believe she had a hat that would quite fit Baby Elephant, because they were very small this season, but that she would make him one. So she sent her little Monkeys out into the Jungle, and pretty soon they came back with some palm-tree leaves. And she sewed them into the prettiest hat you ever saw.
But Baby Elephant wanted trimming on his hat. So she found some ribbon grass, and made some bows, and rosettes, and put them on and Daddy Elephant paid her for it, and they started out again.
Then Baby Elephant laughed. “Daddy, don’t I look funny with my stockings and shoes and nice new hat, and no coat on?”
And Daddy said, “Oh, you funny baby! Well, come along, and we’ll see if we can find you a coat.” And they walked and walked, and nobody could make a coat until they came to where the Tailor Bird lived. And he said he could make a coat, “Just as easy!”
So he took a big piece of cloth, and spread it on the ground, and laid Baby Elephant down on it, and cut a coat just like him, but he got it a good deal too big, and it has wrinkled ever since.
But Baby Elephant liked it, and was very proud of his pretty new things, and promised his Daddy he would keep them all very nice. And when he got home he ran and kissed his Mammy Elephant, who had just begun to wonder where he and Daddy had been all day.
And then they all had supper.
LITTLE BROWN HEN
Little Brown Hen, one warm spring day,Made a nest in the barn, in the clover hay.Said Little Brown Hen, "Eggs are so dear,The Farmer Boy might come in here,“So I really believe it may be wise,To hide my nest from his bright blue eyes.”The Bossy-calf saw her very well,But she knew the Bossy-calf wouldn’t tell.And every day when the clock struck ten,With a cheerful song that Little Brown HenLaid an egg in the nest in the clover hay,Until she had twelve eggs hidden away.In that nest, which was almost out of sight,Sat Little Brown Hen, both day and night;And the Bossy-calf knew her secret well,But the Bossy-calf would never tell.And the little gray mice came there to play,To amuse the Little Brown Hen all day,Till one morning, oh, such a pretty sight,Out in the sunshine warm and bright!Little Brown Hen – proud, happy dame —With twelve little fluffy chickens came!Said Baby Fritz, with a joyous shout,“Look, Buddie, the chicks are all popped out!”You should have seen the Farmer Boy!His eyes were all bulged out with joy.But the Bossy-calf didn’t see, alas!He was out in the meadow, eating grass.THE LITTLE BROWN DOG AND THE LITTLE WHITE CAT
The Little Brown Dog had a little cold nose,O me, O my!The Little White Cat had pins in her toes,O me, O my!The Little Brown Dog poked his little cold noseToo near the pins in the little Cat’s toes!Said the Dog, “Woo, ow!” Said the Cat, “Meouw!”O me, O my! O me, O my!Said the Little White Cat, “I did not know,O me, O my!That my sharp little pins could hurt you so.It makes me sigh!”Said the Little Brown Dog, “If you didn’t know,That makes it well, so let it go.”Laughed the Dog, “Bow-wow!” Laughed the Cat, “Meouw!”O me, O my! O me, O my!Said the Little Brown Dog to the Little White Cat,“O me, O my!There’s a bowl of cream on the kitchen mat.O me, O my!”They ate the cream, and after that,The best of friends were the Dog and Cat,And the Cat sings, “Meouw!” and the Dog, “Bow-wow!”O me, O my! O me, O my!THE WOODPECKER BIRD AND THE OWL
Said the woodpecker bird,"I have just overheardWise Owl telling how to be happy.“You must sing your own song,Stay where you belong,And play fair with every chappie.”