LITTLE ORPHANT
ANNIE
Little
Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs
away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an'dust the hearth an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an earn her
board-an'-keep;
An' all us other children, when the supper things is
done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
Wunst they wuz a
little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--
An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him
bawl,'An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't
there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole
an' press,
An seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I
guess;
But all they ever found wuz his pants an'
round-about:--
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh and grin,
An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood-an'kin;
An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wus
there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't
care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run
an' hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her
side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she
knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-un 'ill git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an'
dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's
tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all
about,
Er the Gobble-uns 'ill git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
James
Whitcomb Riley
KIDS ADVICE TO KIDS
"Never trust a dog to watch your food." Patrick, age10
"When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer." Hannah, age 9
"Never tell you mom her diet's not working." Michael, age 14
"Stay away from prunes." Randy, age 9
"Never pee on an electric fence." Robert, age 13
"Don't squat with your spurs on." Noronha, age 13
"When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair." Taylia, age 11
"Don't pull your dad's finger when he tells you to." Emily, age 10
"Never allow your three-year old brother in the same room as your school assignment." Traci, age 14
"Don't sneeze in front of your mom when eating crackers." Mitchell, age 12
"Puppies still have bad breath, even after eating a Tic-Tac." Andrew, age 9
"Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time." Kyoyo, age 9
"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk." Armir, age 9
"Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts." Kellie, age 11
"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse." Naomi, 15
"Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick." Lauren, age 9
"Don't pick on your sister when she is holding a baseball bat." Joel, age 10
"When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she is on the phone." Alyesha, age 13
"Never baptize a cat." Eileen, 8
"The best place to be when you're sad is grandpa's lap." anonymous
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INDEX
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
Wunst they wuz a
little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--
An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him
bawl,'An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't
there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole
an' press,
An seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I
guess;
But all they ever found wuz his pants an'
round-about:--
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh and grin,
An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood-an'kin;
An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wus
there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't
care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run
an' hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her
side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she
knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-un 'ill git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an'
dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's
tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all
about,
Er the Gobble-uns 'ill git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
James Whitcomb Riley
KIDS ADVICE TO KIDS
"Never trust a dog to watch your food." Patrick, age10
"When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer." Hannah, age 9
"Never tell you mom her diet's not working." Michael, age 14
"Stay away from prunes." Randy, age 9
"Never pee on an electric fence." Robert, age 13
"Don't squat with your spurs on." Noronha, age 13
"When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair." Taylia, age 11
"Don't pull your dad's finger when he tells you to." Emily, age 10
"Never allow your three-year old brother in the same room as your school assignment." Traci, age 14
"Don't sneeze in front of your mom when eating crackers." Mitchell, age 12
"Puppies still have bad breath, even after eating a Tic-Tac." Andrew, age 9
"Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time." Kyoyo, age 9
"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk." Armir, age 9
"Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts." Kellie, age 11
"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse." Naomi, 15
"Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick." Lauren, age 9
"Don't pick on your sister when she is holding a baseball bat." Joel, age 10
"When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she is on the phone." Alyesha, age 13
"Never baptize a cat." Eileen, 8
"The best place to be when you're sad is grandpa's lap." anonymous
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