Ballads for little folk . t when it is raining this way !And to earn what you eat,Doesnt make your food sweet,In spite of what some folks may say. Now there is that hen,Said this cross little wren, Shes fed till shes fat as a drum ;While I strive and sweatFor each bug that I get,And nobody gives me a crumb. I cant see for my lifeWhy the old farmers wife 184 The Envious Wren. Treats her so much better than me ; Suppose on the ground I hop carelessly roundFor a while, and just see what Ill see. Said this cute little wren, Ill make friends with the hen,And perhaps she will ask me to stay ; And th
Ballads for little folk . t when it is raining this way !And to earn what you eat,Doesnt make your food sweet,In spite of what some folks may say. Now there is that hen,Said this cross little wren, Shes fed till shes fat as a drum ;While I strive and sweatFor each bug that I get,And nobody gives me a crumb. I cant see for my lifeWhy the old farmers wife 184 The Envious Wren. Treats her so much better than me ; Suppose on the ground I hop carelessly roundFor a while, and just see what Ill see. Said this cute little wren, Ill make friends with the hen,And perhaps she will ask me to stay ; And then upon bread Every day Id be fed,And life would be nothing but play. So down flew the wren. Stop to tea, saigj the hen ;And soon biddys supper was sent ; But scarce stopping to taste, The poor bird left in haste,And this was the reason she went : When the farmers kind dame To the poultry-yard came,She said — and the wren shook with fright Biddys so fat shell do For a pie or a stew,And I guess I shall kill her THE HAPPY LITTLE WIFE. Now, Gudhand, have you sold the cowYou took this morn to town ?And did you get the silver groatsIn your hand, paid safely down ? And yet I hardly need to ask ;You hardly need to tell ;For I see by the cheerful face you bring,That you have done right well. Well! I did not exactly sell her,Nor give her away, of course ;But Ill tell you what I did, good wife,I swapped her for a horse. A horse ! Oh, Gudhand, you have doneJust what will please me best,For now we can have a carriage,And ride as well as the rest. Nay, not so fast, my good dame,We shall not want a gig:I had not ridden half a mile Till I swapped my horse for a pig. i86 The Happy Little Wife. That s just the thing, she answered, I would have done myself:We can have a flitch of bacon nowTo put upon the shelf. And when our neighbors come to dineWith us, theyll have a treat ;There is no need that we should ride,But there is that we should eat. Alack ! alack ! said Gudhand, I fear yo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectchildre, bookyear1874
