THE POET AND THE PRINTER.

THE POET AND THE PRINTER.

Two little girls—I met them once,But quite forget their name,You’ll find them on page twenty-four,The printer is to blame,The picture ought to face the words,But there! it’s all the same.Two little girls, as I remarked,They left their snug abode,Because they thought their dinner mustTaste better on the road,For forks and spoons and tablecloths,They really incommode.The ditch is far, far pleasanterThan any high-backed chair,I’m sure you will agree with themIf you’ll observe them there;And when they’d finished, off they trudgedAll thro’ the summer air.At last they reached a bridge (the bridgeYou’ll see on twenty-five),And on the bridge those little girlsAre hanging all alive;It’s marvellous how hangingWill make some children thrive!

Two little girls—I met them once,But quite forget their name,You’ll find them on page twenty-four,The printer is to blame,The picture ought to face the words,But there! it’s all the same.Two little girls, as I remarked,They left their snug abode,Because they thought their dinner mustTaste better on the road,For forks and spoons and tablecloths,They really incommode.The ditch is far, far pleasanterThan any high-backed chair,I’m sure you will agree with themIf you’ll observe them there;And when they’d finished, off they trudgedAll thro’ the summer air.At last they reached a bridge (the bridgeYou’ll see on twenty-five),And on the bridge those little girlsAre hanging all alive;It’s marvellous how hangingWill make some children thrive!

Two little girls—I met them once,But quite forget their name,You’ll find them on page twenty-four,The printer is to blame,The picture ought to face the words,But there! it’s all the same.

Two little girls—I met them once,

But quite forget their name,

You’ll find them on page twenty-four,

The printer is to blame,

The picture ought to face the words,

But there! it’s all the same.

Two little girls, as I remarked,They left their snug abode,Because they thought their dinner mustTaste better on the road,For forks and spoons and tablecloths,They really incommode.

Two little girls, as I remarked,

They left their snug abode,

Because they thought their dinner must

Taste better on the road,

For forks and spoons and tablecloths,

They really incommode.

The ditch is far, far pleasanterThan any high-backed chair,I’m sure you will agree with themIf you’ll observe them there;And when they’d finished, off they trudgedAll thro’ the summer air.

The ditch is far, far pleasanter

Than any high-backed chair,

I’m sure you will agree with them

If you’ll observe them there;

And when they’d finished, off they trudged

All thro’ the summer air.

At last they reached a bridge (the bridgeYou’ll see on twenty-five),And on the bridge those little girlsAre hanging all alive;It’s marvellous how hangingWill make some children thrive!

At last they reached a bridge (the bridge

You’ll see on twenty-five),

And on the bridge those little girls

Are hanging all alive;

It’s marvellous how hanging

Will make some children thrive!

They pondered which was best, to beUpon the bridge or under,And what they’d do suppose the bridgeWere just to split asunder,But as they couldn’t settle that,They gave it up in wonder.Now, had these children dined at home,I think I may explain,We never should have seen them hereAt dinner in the lane:Unless when they had dined at homeThey’d dined out here again.And had the bridge been never builtI think it must appearThese children ne’er had found it, thoughThey’d sought from year to year;So, how they could have hung on it,Is not exactly clear.And had I said, when I was asked,“I cannot sing in winter,I’ve run my throat against a door,And spiked it with a splinter;”—It would have put the artists out,And much annoyed the printer!

They pondered which was best, to beUpon the bridge or under,And what they’d do suppose the bridgeWere just to split asunder,But as they couldn’t settle that,They gave it up in wonder.Now, had these children dined at home,I think I may explain,We never should have seen them hereAt dinner in the lane:Unless when they had dined at homeThey’d dined out here again.And had the bridge been never builtI think it must appearThese children ne’er had found it, thoughThey’d sought from year to year;So, how they could have hung on it,Is not exactly clear.And had I said, when I was asked,“I cannot sing in winter,I’ve run my throat against a door,And spiked it with a splinter;”—It would have put the artists out,And much annoyed the printer!

They pondered which was best, to beUpon the bridge or under,And what they’d do suppose the bridgeWere just to split asunder,But as they couldn’t settle that,They gave it up in wonder.

They pondered which was best, to be

Upon the bridge or under,

And what they’d do suppose the bridge

Were just to split asunder,

But as they couldn’t settle that,

They gave it up in wonder.

Now, had these children dined at home,I think I may explain,We never should have seen them hereAt dinner in the lane:Unless when they had dined at homeThey’d dined out here again.

Now, had these children dined at home,

I think I may explain,

We never should have seen them here

At dinner in the lane:

Unless when they had dined at home

They’d dined out here again.

And had the bridge been never builtI think it must appearThese children ne’er had found it, thoughThey’d sought from year to year;So, how they could have hung on it,Is not exactly clear.

And had the bridge been never built

I think it must appear

These children ne’er had found it, though

They’d sought from year to year;

So, how they could have hung on it,

Is not exactly clear.

And had I said, when I was asked,“I cannot sing in winter,I’ve run my throat against a door,And spiked it with a splinter;”—It would have put the artists out,And much annoyed the printer!

And had I said, when I was asked,

“I cannot sing in winter,

I’ve run my throat against a door,

And spiked it with a splinter;”—

It would have put the artists out,

And much annoyed the printer!


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