Chapter 145

Queer Little Stitches.Oh! queer little stitches,You surely are witches,To bother me so!I’m trying to plant you:Do stay where I want you,All straight in a row.Now keep close together!I never know whetherYou’ll do as I say.Why can’t you be smaller?You really grow taller,Try hard as I may!There! now my thread’s knotted,My finger is dottedWith sharp needle-pricks!I mean to stop trying;I cannot help crying;Oh! dear, what a fix!Yes, yes, little stitches,Iknowyou are witches—I’m sure of it now—Because you don’t botherGrown people like motherWhentheytry to sew.You love to bewilderUs poor little “childer”(As Bridget would say),By jumping and dancing,And leaping and prancing,And losing your way.Hear the bees in the clover!Sewing “over and over”They don’t understand.I wish I was out thereAnd playing about thereIn that great heap of sand!The afternoon’s going;Imustdo my sewingBefore I can play.Now behave, little stitches,Like good-natured witches,The rest of the day.I’d almost forgottenAbout waxing my cotton,As good sewers do;And—oh! what a memory!—Here is my emeryTo help coax it through.I’m so nicely providedI’ve really decidedTo finish the things.There’s nothing like trying;My needle is flyingAs if it had wings.There, good-bye, little stitches!You obstinate witches,You’re punished, you know.You’ve been very ugly,And now you sit snuglyAlong in a row.

Oh! queer little stitches,You surely are witches,To bother me so!I’m trying to plant you:Do stay where I want you,All straight in a row.Now keep close together!I never know whetherYou’ll do as I say.Why can’t you be smaller?You really grow taller,Try hard as I may!There! now my thread’s knotted,My finger is dottedWith sharp needle-pricks!I mean to stop trying;I cannot help crying;Oh! dear, what a fix!Yes, yes, little stitches,Iknowyou are witches—I’m sure of it now—Because you don’t botherGrown people like motherWhentheytry to sew.You love to bewilderUs poor little “childer”(As Bridget would say),By jumping and dancing,And leaping and prancing,And losing your way.Hear the bees in the clover!Sewing “over and over”They don’t understand.I wish I was out thereAnd playing about thereIn that great heap of sand!The afternoon’s going;Imustdo my sewingBefore I can play.Now behave, little stitches,Like good-natured witches,The rest of the day.I’d almost forgottenAbout waxing my cotton,As good sewers do;And—oh! what a memory!—Here is my emeryTo help coax it through.I’m so nicely providedI’ve really decidedTo finish the things.There’s nothing like trying;My needle is flyingAs if it had wings.There, good-bye, little stitches!You obstinate witches,You’re punished, you know.You’ve been very ugly,And now you sit snuglyAlong in a row.

Oh! queer little stitches,You surely are witches,To bother me so!I’m trying to plant you:Do stay where I want you,All straight in a row.Now keep close together!I never know whetherYou’ll do as I say.Why can’t you be smaller?You really grow taller,Try hard as I may!There! now my thread’s knotted,My finger is dottedWith sharp needle-pricks!I mean to stop trying;I cannot help crying;Oh! dear, what a fix!Yes, yes, little stitches,Iknowyou are witches—I’m sure of it now—Because you don’t botherGrown people like motherWhentheytry to sew.You love to bewilderUs poor little “childer”(As Bridget would say),By jumping and dancing,And leaping and prancing,And losing your way.Hear the bees in the clover!Sewing “over and over”They don’t understand.I wish I was out thereAnd playing about thereIn that great heap of sand!The afternoon’s going;Imustdo my sewingBefore I can play.Now behave, little stitches,Like good-natured witches,The rest of the day.I’d almost forgottenAbout waxing my cotton,As good sewers do;And—oh! what a memory!—Here is my emeryTo help coax it through.I’m so nicely providedI’ve really decidedTo finish the things.There’s nothing like trying;My needle is flyingAs if it had wings.There, good-bye, little stitches!You obstinate witches,You’re punished, you know.You’ve been very ugly,And now you sit snuglyAlong in a row.

Oh! queer little stitches,

You surely are witches,

To bother me so!

I’m trying to plant you:

Do stay where I want you,

All straight in a row.

Now keep close together!I never know whetherYou’ll do as I say.Why can’t you be smaller?You really grow taller,Try hard as I may!

Now keep close together!

I never know whether

You’ll do as I say.

Why can’t you be smaller?

You really grow taller,

Try hard as I may!

There! now my thread’s knotted,My finger is dottedWith sharp needle-pricks!I mean to stop trying;I cannot help crying;Oh! dear, what a fix!

There! now my thread’s knotted,

My finger is dotted

With sharp needle-pricks!

I mean to stop trying;

I cannot help crying;

Oh! dear, what a fix!

Yes, yes, little stitches,Iknowyou are witches—I’m sure of it now—Because you don’t botherGrown people like motherWhentheytry to sew.

Yes, yes, little stitches,

Iknowyou are witches—

I’m sure of it now—

Because you don’t bother

Grown people like mother

Whentheytry to sew.

You love to bewilderUs poor little “childer”(As Bridget would say),By jumping and dancing,And leaping and prancing,And losing your way.

You love to bewilder

Us poor little “childer”

(As Bridget would say),

By jumping and dancing,

And leaping and prancing,

And losing your way.

Hear the bees in the clover!Sewing “over and over”They don’t understand.I wish I was out thereAnd playing about thereIn that great heap of sand!

Hear the bees in the clover!

Sewing “over and over”

They don’t understand.

I wish I was out there

And playing about there

In that great heap of sand!

The afternoon’s going;Imustdo my sewingBefore I can play.Now behave, little stitches,Like good-natured witches,The rest of the day.

The afternoon’s going;

Imustdo my sewing

Before I can play.

Now behave, little stitches,

Like good-natured witches,

The rest of the day.

I’d almost forgottenAbout waxing my cotton,As good sewers do;And—oh! what a memory!—Here is my emeryTo help coax it through.

I’d almost forgotten

About waxing my cotton,

As good sewers do;

And—oh! what a memory!—

Here is my emery

To help coax it through.

I’m so nicely providedI’ve really decidedTo finish the things.There’s nothing like trying;My needle is flyingAs if it had wings.

I’m so nicely provided

I’ve really decided

To finish the things.

There’s nothing like trying;

My needle is flying

As if it had wings.

There, good-bye, little stitches!You obstinate witches,You’re punished, you know.You’ve been very ugly,And now you sit snuglyAlong in a row.

There, good-bye, little stitches!

You obstinate witches,

You’re punished, you know.

You’ve been very ugly,

And now you sit snugly

Along in a row.


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