The Project Gutenberg eBook of Caw! Caw! Or, The Chronicle of Crows, A Tale of the Spring-time

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Title: Caw! Caw! Or, The Chronicle of Crows, A Tale of the Spring-time

Author: R. M.

Illustrator: Jemima Blackburn

Release date: August 22, 2007 [eBook #22374]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by David Edwards, Jacqueline Jeremy and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This

file was produced from images generously made available

by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAW! CAW! OR, THE CHRONICLE OF CROWS, A TALE OF THE SPRING-TIME ***

Transcriber’s note

To preserve the character of the original book, background images and small font sizes are used. Separate links to the images and text are provided.

CAW! CAW!

or

The Chronicle of Crows

A Tale of the Spring-time

by

RM

Illustrated by

JB

LONDON; GRANT & GRIFFITH, SUCCESSORS TO NEWBERY & HARRIS:

THE CORNER OF ST PAUL’S CHURCHYARD.

WHAT HAPPENS IN SPRING WHEN THE LITTLE BIRDS SING.

In the merry spring time, thus says my song,

When the sun shines bright and the days grow long,

And the crocuses brilliant, in purple and gold,

Bloom in the gardens in numbers untold;

When in the fields the grass grows green,

And a few early lambs are seen;

When daffodils in gaudy gowns

Look gay upon the verdant downs,

And fair spring flowers of each degree

In every sheltered nook you see.

See image

Read text

HOW MANY STICKS GO TO THE NEST OF A CROW.

UPON a bright and sunny day

The Crows to one-another say,

“CAW! CAW! our nests now let us build.”

Away they fly: each beak is fill’d

With little sticks of beechen wood,

With which they build their houses good:

When all is done, with joy they see

The work of their community.

See image

Read text

THE NESTS NOW MADE, THE EGGS ARE LAID.

And, circling widely, CAW! they say,

CAW! CAW! our eggs now let us lay.

Two spotted eggs in every nest

For warmth await the mother’s breast.

And all the Crows around them fly

With flapping wings and joyful cry:

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “now it is fit

That we upon our eggs should sit.”

See image

Read text

EACH CROW BRINGS FOOD TO HIS MATE SO GOOD.

THE patient Crows for many a week

No other occupation seek;

But, while one sits and looks around,

The other makes the woods resound

With cawings loud, or frequent brings

Worms, seeds, or such delicious things,

And kindly feeds his brooding mate

From early morn till evening late.

See image

Read text

THE YOUNG CROW KNOWS WELL HOW TO CHIP THE SHELL.

Till, to reward their anxious care,

A gentle sound the parents hear

Of tapping from within the shell:

This sound doth please the mother well,

And, fondly helping with her bill,

She hears the voices weak and shrill.

“CAW! CAW!” the downy young ones say,

“How lovely is this peep of day,

Oh what a glorious sight is this,

There can be nothing here but bliss.”

“CAW! CAW!” replies the mother crow,

“There is no joy unmixed with woe.”

See image

Read text

THE CROWS SEEK SPOIL FROM THE PLOUGHMAN’S TOIL.

The father crows with tender heart

In the parental cares take part—

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “for food we’ll fly

Before our young ones hungry cry.”

In course direct they fly afar

To where the ploughmen lab’ring are,

And, seeking in the upturn’d soil,

They meet with many a wormy spoil;

And, filling their capacious beak,

Straightway their forest homes they seek.

See image

Read text

THE FATHER GOOD BRINGS YOUNG ONES FOOD.

The young crows see them homeward fly,

And stretch their skinny necks on high;

And gulping down the luscious food,

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “’tis very good.”

So daily every parent flies,

Each young one grows in strength and size;

Till seated on a branch at length,

Exulting in increasing strength,

“CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!” they proudly cry,

“We shall be flying by and bye;”

But ah, poor Crows, there’s many a slip

Between the cup and longing lip.

See image

Read text

THE FARMER IN RAGE, WAR DOTH WAGE.

The farmer heard the cawing sound,

And sent to all his neighbours round,

Begging of them every one

To bring a rifle or a gun,

If they would come the sport to see

Of shooting at the rookery;

And try to check the rural pest,

Which did the country so infest,

And stop the robbery of corn,

Which was no longer to be borne.

See image

Read text

LITTLE CARE CROWS FOR THE SCARE-CROWS.

For though the farmers had a plan

To scare them with the form of man,

The Crows, at first much terrified,

And wheeling high in circles wide,

Had soon become too bold for that;

And even perched upon the hat,

And loud in mockery cried “CAW! CAW!

’Tis nothing but a man of straw.”

See image

Read text

AN OLD CROW’S EYE DOTH MISCHIEF SPY.

The next day, as the picture shows,

The farmers met to shoot the Crows—

Their rustling underneath the trees

The young ones thought was but the breeze;

But an old Crow’s experienced eye

Discovered soon their enemy;

Whose purpose was not left in doubt,

For, uttering a murderous shout,

The shooters levelled each his gun—

Bang! Bang! the slaughter is begun.

See image

Read text

THE FARMER’S GUN THE WORK HATH DONE.

Bang! Bang! again for every ball

Wounded or dead the young Crows fall;

The old Crows wheeling in the skies

Helpless behold their agonies,

And, piteous cawing up on high,

Answer their young ones dying cry—

Who fall, poor little suffering things,

With broken legs and wounded wings.

See image

Read text

AT DAY’S DECLINE THE MOON DOTH SHINE.

At last the sun begins to sink,

And soon is on the very brink

Of setting in the quiet sea;

The ploughing horses leave the lea,

The weary workman homeward goes

Thinking of supper and repose;

And darkness closes o’er the scene,

Where late the murderous sport had been:

The moon, with pale and pitying looks,

Shines on the slaughter-field of rooks:

The owlets hoot, from ivy bower,

In the grey embattled tower—

“Tuwit, tuwit, towhoo!” they say,

And echoing through the ruins grey,

The sound disturbs the daily sleep

Of bats who dwell in dungeon keep,

Who ’mong the ruins nightly flit,

And under aged arches sit.

See image

Read text

HOME RETURNING AT THE GLOAMING.

The farmers can no longer mark

The Crows among the branches dark:

Now let us homeward go, they say;

And gathering up their slaughtered prey,

His share each one in bundles ties,

And takes them home to make crow pies.

See image

Read text

THE CROWS FLY AWAY BUT RETURN THE NEXT DAY.

Of Crows who were not shot, the few

Far to the distant mountains flew,

But found not there the expected rest:

A longing seized them for their nest,

“CAW! CAW!” with one accord they cry,

“Let us directly homeward fly.”

So in undeviating track,

Like column huge of dotted black,

Straightway their course they homeward bent,

And meditating as they went—

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “How well we know

There is no joy unmixed with woe.”

See image

Read text

THE

ENGLISH STRUWWELPETER

OR

PRETTY STORIES

AND

FUNNY PICTURES.

When the children have been good,

That is, be it understood,

Good at meal-times, good at play,

Good all night, and good all day,—

They shall have the pretty things

Merry Christmas always brings.

Naughty, romping girls and boys

Tear their clothes and make a noise,

Spoil their pinafores and frocks,

And deserve no Christmas-box.

Such as these shall never look

At this pretty Picture-Book.

See image

Read text

1. SHOCK-HEADED PETER.

Just look at him! There he stands,

With his nasty hair and hands.

See! his nails are never cut;

They are grim’d as black as soot;

And the sloven, I declare,

Never once has comb’d his hair;

Any thing to me is sweeter

Than to see Shock-headed Peter.

See image

Read text

2. THE STORY OF CRUEL FREDERICK.

Here is cruel Frederick, see!

A horrid wicked boy was he;

He caught the flies, poor little things,

And then tore off their tiny wings;

He kill’d the birds, and broke the chairs,

And threw the kitten down the stairs;

And Oh! far worse than all beside,

He whipp’d his Mary, till she cried.

See image

Read text

The trough was full, and faithful Tray

Came out to drink one sultry day;

He wagg’d his tail, and wet his lip,

When cruel Fred snatch’d up a whip,

And whipp’d poor Tray till he was sore,

And kick’d and whipp’d him more and more;

At this, good Tray grew very red,

And growl’d and bit him till he bled;

Then you should only have been by,

To see how Fred did stream and cry!

See image

Read text

So Frederick had to go to bed;

His leg was very sore and red!

The Doctor came and shook his head,

And made a very great to-do,

And gave him nasty physic too.

But good dog Tray is happy now;

He has no time to say “bow-wow!”

He seats himself in Frederick’s chair,

And laughs to see the nice things there:

The soup he swallows, sup by sup,—

And eats the pies and puddings up.

See image

Read text

3. THE DREADFUL STORY ABOUT HARRIET AND THE MATCHES.

It almost makes me cry to tell

What foolish Harriet befell.

Mamma and Nurse went out one day,

And left her all alone at play;

Now, on the table close at hand,

A box of matches chanc’d to stand;

And kind Mamma and Nurse had told her,

That if she touch’d them, they should scold her.

But Harriet said, “Oh, what a pity!

For, when they burn, it is so pretty;

They crackle so, and spit, and flame;

Mamma, too, often does the same.”

The pussy-cats heard this,

And they began to hiss,

And stretch their claws,

And raise their paws;

“Me-ow,” they said, “me-ow, me-o

You’ll burn to death, if you do so”.

But Harriet would not take advice,

She lit a match, it was so nice!

It crackled so, it burn’d so clear,—

Exactly like the picture here.

She jump’d for joy and ran about,

And was too pleas’d to put it out.

The pussy-cats saw this,

And said, “Oh, naughty, naughty Miss!”

And stretch’d their claws,

And rais’d their paws;

“’Tis very, very wrong, you know,

Me-ow, Me-o, Me-ow, Me-o,

You will be burnt, if you do so”.

See image

Read text

And see! Oh! what a dreadful thing!

The fire has caught her apron-string;

Her apron burns, her arms, her hair;

She burns all over, every where.

Then how the pussy-cats did mew,

What else, poor pussies, could they do?

They scream’d for help, ’twas all in vain!

So then, they said,—“we’ll scream again;

Make haste, make haste, me-ow, me-o

She’ll burn to death,—we told her so”.

So she was burnt, with all her clothes,

And arms, and hands, and eyes and nose;

Till she had nothing more to lose

Except her little scarlet shoes;

And nothing else but these was found

Among her ashes on the ground.

And when the good cats sat beside

The smoking ashes, how they cried!

“Me-ow, me-oo, me-ow, me-oo

What will Mamma and Nursy do?”

Their tears ran down their cheeks so fast,

They made a little pond at last.

See image

Read text

4. THE STORY OF THE INKY BOYS.

As he had often done before,

The woolly-headed black-a-moor

One nice fine summer’s day went out

To see the shops and walk about;

And as he found it hot, poor fellow,

He took with him his green umbrella.

Then Edward, little noisy wag,

Ran out and laugh’d, and wav’d his flag;

And William came in jacket trim,

And brought his wooden hoop with him;

And Arthur, too, snatch’d up his toys

And join’d the other naughty boys;

So, one and all set up a roar

And laugh’d and hooted more and more,

And kept on singing,—only think!—

“Oh! Blacky, you’re as black as ink.”

See image

Read text

Now tall Agrippa lived close by,—

So tall, he almost touch’d the sky;

He had a mighty inkstand too,

In which a great goose-feather grew;

He call’d out in an angry tone,

“Boys, leave the black-a-moor alone!

For if he tries with all his might,

He cannot change from black to white.”

But ah! they did not mind a bit

What great Agrippa said of it;

But went on laughing, as before,

And hooting at the black-a-moor.

See image

Read text

Then great Agrippa foams with rage,

Look at him on this very page!

He seizes Arthur, seizes Ned,

Takes William by his little head;

And they may scream and kick, and call,

Into the ink he dips them all;

Into the inkstand, one, two, three,

Till they are black, as black can be;

Turn over now and you shall see.

See image

Read text

See, there they are, and there they run!

The black-a-moor enjoys the fun.

They have been made as black as crows,

Quite black all over, eyes and nose,

And legs, and arms, and heads, and toes,

And trowsers, pinafores, and toys,—

The silly little inky boys!

Because they set up such a roar,

And teas’d the harmless black-a-moor.

See image

Read text

5. THE STORY OF THE MAN THAT WENT OUT SHOOTING.

This is the man that shoots the hares;

This is the coat he always wears:

With game-bag, powder-horn and gun,

He’s going out to have some fun.

He finds it hard, without a pair

Of spectacles, to shoot the hare:

The hare sits snug in leaves and grass,

And laughs to see the green man pass.

Now, as the sun grew very hot,

And he a heavy gun had got,

He lay down underneath a tree

And went to sleep, as you may see.

And, while he slept like any top,

The little hare came, hop, hop, hop,—

Took gun and spectacles, and then

On her hind legs went off again.

See image

Read text

The green man wakes, and sees her place

The spectacles upon her face;

And now she’s trying, all she can,

To shoot the sleepy green-coat man.

He cries and screams and runs away;

The hare runs after him all day,

And hears him call out every where,

“Help! Fire! Help! The Hare! The Hare!”

See image

Read text

At last he stumbled at the well

Head over ears, and in he fell.

The hare stopp’d short, took aim, and hark!

Bang went the gun,—she miss’d her mark!

The poor man’s wife was drinking up

Her coffee in her coffee-cup;

The gun shot cup and saucer through

“O dear!” cried she, “what shall I do?”

There liv’d close by the cottage there

The hare’s own child, the little hare;

And while she stood upon her toes,

The coffee fell and burn’d her nose,

“O dear!” she cried, with spoon in hand,

“Such fun I do not understand.”

See image

Read text

6. THE STORY OF LITTLE SUCK-A-THUMB.

One day, Mamma said “Conrad dear,

I must go out and leave you here.

But mind now, Conrad, what I say,

Don’t suck your thumb while I’m away.

The great tall tailor always comes

To little boys that suck their thumbs;

And ere they dream what he’s about,

He takes his great sharp scissars out

And cuts their thumbs clean off,—and then,

You know, they never grow again.”

Mamma had scarcely turn’d her back,

The thumb was in, Alack! Alack!

See image

Read text

The door flew open, in he ran,

The great, long, red-legg’d scissar-man.

Oh! children, see! the tailor’s come

And caught out little Suck-a-Thumb.

Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissars go;

And Conrad cries out—Oh! Oh! Oh!

Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;

That both his thumbs are off at last.

Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,

And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;—

“Ah!” said Mamma, “I knew he’d come

To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb.”

See image

Read text

7. THE STORY OF AUGUSTUS WHO WOULD NOT HAVE ANY SOUP.

Augustus was a chubby lad;

Fat ruddy cheeks Augustus had;

And every body saw with joy

The plump and hearty healthy boy.

He ate and drank as he was told,

And never let his soup get cold.

But one day, one cold winter’s day!

He scream’d out—“Take the soup away!

O take the nasty soup away!

I won’t have any soup to-day.”

Next day, now look, the picture shows

How lank and lean Augustus grows!

Yet, though he feels so weak and ill,

The naughty fellow cries out still—

“Not any soup for me, I say:

O take the nasty soup away!

I won’t have any soup to-day.”

The third day comes; Oh what a sin!

To make himself so pale and thin.

Yet, when the soup is put on table,

He screams, as loud as he is able,—

“Not any soup for me, I say:

O take the nasty soup away!

I won’t have any soup to-day!”

Look at him, now the fourth day’s come

He scarcely weighs a sugar-plum;

He’s like a little bit of thread;

And on the fifth day, he was—dead!

See image

Read text

8. THE STORY OF FIDGETY PHILIP.

Let me see if Philip can

Be a little gentleman;

Let me see, if he is able

To sit still for once at table:

Thus Papa bade Phil behave;

And Mamma look’d very grave.

But fidgety Phil,

He won’t sit still;

He wriggles

And giggles,

And then, I declare,

Swings backwards and forwards

And tilts up his chair,

Just like any rocking horse;—

“Philip! I am getting cross!”

See image

Read text

See the naughty restless child

Growing still more rude and wild,

Till his chair falls over quite.

Philip screams with all his might

Catches at the cloth, but then

That makes matters worse again.

Down upon the ground they fall,

Glasses, plates, knives, forks and all.

How Mamma did fret and frown,

When she saw them tumbling down!

And Papa made such a face!

Philip is in sad disgrace.

See image

Read text

Where is Philip, where is he?

Fairly cover’d up you see!

Cloth and all are lying on him;

He has pull’d down all upon him.

What a terrible to-do!

Dishes, glasses, snapt in two!

Here a knife, and there a fork!

Philip, this is cruel work.

Table all so bare, and ah!

Poor Papa, and poor Mamma

Look quite cross, and wonder how

They shall make their dinner now.

See image

Read text

9. THE STORY OF JOHNNY HEAD-IN-AIR.

As he trudg’d along to school,

It was always Johnny’s rule

To be looking at the sky

And the clouds that floated by;

But what just before him lay,

In his way,

Johnny never thought about;

So that every one cried out—

“Look at little Johnny there,

Little Johnny Head-In-Air!”

Running just in Johnny’s way,

Came a little dog one day;

Johnny’s eyes were still astray

Up on high,

In the sky;

And he never heard them cry—

“Johnny, mind, the dog is nigh!”

Bump!

Dump!

Down they fell, with such a thump.

Dog and Johnny in a lump!

See image

Read text

Once, with head as high as ever,

Johnny walk’d beside the river.

Johnny watch’d the swallows trying

Which was cleverest at flying.

Oh! what fun!

Johnny watch’d the bright round sun

Going in and coming out;

This was all he thought about.

So he strode on, only think!

To the river’s very brink,

Where the bank was high and steep,

And the water very deep;

And the fishes, in a row,

Stared to see him coming so.

One step more! Oh! sad to tell!

Headlong in poor Johnny fell.

And the fishes, in dismay,

Wagg’d their tails and ran away.

See image

Read text

There lay Johnny on his face,

With his nice red writing-case;

But, as they were passing by,

Two strong men had heard him cry;

And, with sticks, these two strong men

Hook’d poor Johnny out again.

Oh! you should have seen him shiver

When they pull’d him from the river.

He was in a sorry plight,

Dripping wet, and such a fright!

Wet all over, every where,

Clothes, and arms, and face, and hair:

Johnny never will forget

What it is to be so wet.

And the fishes, one, two, three,

Are come back again, you see;

Up they came the moment after,

To enjoy the fun and laughter.

Each popp’d out his little head.

And, to tease poor Johnny, said

“Silly little Johnny, look,

You have lost your writing-book!”

See image

Read text

10. THE STORY OF FLYING ROBERT.

When the rain comes tumbling down

In the country or the town,

All good little girls and boys

Stay at home and mind their toys.

Robert thought,—“No, when it pours,

It is better out of doors.”

Rain it did, and in a minute

Bob was in it.

Here you see him, silly fellow,

Underneath his red umbrella.

What a wind! Oh! how it whistles

Through the trees and flow’rs and thistles!

It has caught his red umbrella;

Now look at him, silly fellow,

Up he flies

To the skies.

No one heard his screams and cries;

Through the clouds the rude wind bore him,

And his hat flew on before him.

Soon they got to such a height,

They were nearly out of sight!

And the hat went up so high,

That it really touch’d the sky.

No one ever yet could tell

Where they stopp’d, or where they fell:

Only, this one thing is plain,

Bob was never seen again!

See image

Read text

Caw! Caw!

WHAT HAPPENS IN SPRING WHEN THE LITTLE BIRDS SING.

In the merry spring time, thus says my song,

When the sun shines bright and the days grow long,

And the crocuses brilliant, in purple and gold,

Bloom in the gardens in numbers untold;

When in the fields the grass grows green,

And a few early lambs are seen;

When daffodils in gaudy gowns

Look gay upon the verdant downs,

And fair spring flowers of each degree

In every sheltered nook you see.

Return to page

HOW MANY STICKS GO TO THE NEST OF A CROW.

UPON a bright and sunny day

The Crows to one-another say,

“CAW! CAW! our nests now let us build.” Away they fly: each beak is fill’d

With little sticks of beechen wood,

With which they build their houses good:

When all is done, with joy they see

The work of their community.

Return to page

THE NESTS NOW MADE, THE EGGS ARE LAID.

And, circling widely, CAW! they say,

CAW! CAW! our eggs now let us lay.

Two spotted eggs in every nest

For warmth await the mother’s breast.

And all the Crows around them fly

With flapping wings and joyful cry:

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “now it is fit

That we upon our eggs should sit.”

Return to page

EACH CROW BRINGS FOOD TO HIS MATE SO GOOD.

THE patient Crows for many a week

No other occupation seek;

But, while one sits and looks around,

The other makes the woods resound

With cawings loud, or frequent brings

Worms, seeds, or such delicious things,

And kindly feeds his brooding mate

From early morn till evening late.

Return to page

THE YOUNG CROW KNOWS WELL HOW TO CHIP THE SHELL.

Till, to reward their anxious care,

A gentle sound the parents hear

Of tapping from within the shell:

This sound doth please the mother well,

And, fondly helping with her bill,

She hears the voices weak and shrill.

“CAW! CAW!” the downy young ones say,

“How lovely is this peep of day,

Oh what a glorious sight is this,

There can be nothing here but bliss.”

“CAW! CAW!” replies the mother crow,

“There is no joy unmixed with woe.”

Return to page

THE CROWS SEEK SPOIL FROM THE PLOUGHMAN’S TOIL.

The father crows with tender heart

In the parental cares take part—

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “for food we’ll fly

Before our young ones hungry cry.”

In course direct they fly afar

To where the ploughmen lab’ring are,

And, seeking in the upturn’d soil,

They meet with many a wormy spoil;

And, filling their capacious beak,

Straightway their forest homes they seek.

Return to page

THE FATHER GOOD BRINGS YOUNG ONES FOOD.

The young crows see them homeward fly,

And stretch their skinny necks on high;

And gulping down the luscious food,

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “’tis very good.”

So daily every parent flies,

Each young one grows in strength and size;

Till seated on a branch at length,

Exulting in increasing strength,

“CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!” they proudly cry,

“We shall be flying by and bye;”

But ah, poor Crows, there’s many a slip

Between the cup and longing lip.

Return to page

THE FARMER IN RAGE, WAR DOTH WAGE.

The farmer heard the cawing sound,

And sent to all his neighbours round,

Begging of them every one

To bring a rifle or a gun,

If they would come the sport to see

Of shooting at the rookery;

And try to check the rural pest,

Which did the country so infest,

And stop the robbery of corn,

Which was no longer to be borne.

Return to page

LITTLE CARE CROWS FOR THE SCARE-CROWS.

For though the farmers had a plan

To scare them with the form of man,

The Crows, at first much terrified,

And wheeling high in circles wide,

Had soon become too bold for that;

And even perched upon the hat,

And loud in mockery cried “CAW! CAW!

’Tis nothing but a man of straw.”

Return to page

AN OLD CROW’S EYE DOTH MISCHIEF SPY.

The next day, as the picture shows,

The farmers met to shoot the Crows—

Their rustling underneath the trees

The young ones thought was but the breeze;

But an old Crow’s experienced eye

Discovered soon their enemy;

Whose purpose was not left in doubt,

For, uttering a murderous shout,

The shooters levelled each his gun—

Bang! Bang! the slaughter is begun.

Return to page

THE FARMER’S GUN THE WORK HATH DONE.

Bang! Bang! again for every ball

Wounded or dead the young Crows fall;

The old Crows wheeling in the skies

Helpless behold their agonies,

And, piteous cawing up on high,

Answer their young ones dying cry—

Who fall, poor little suffering things,

With broken legs and wounded wings.

Return to page

AT DAY’S DECLINE THE MOON DOTH SHINE.

At last the sun begins to sink,

And soon is on the very brink

Of setting in the quiet sea;

The ploughing horses leave the lea,

The weary workman homeward goes

Thinking of supper and repose;

And darkness closes o’er the scene,

Where late the murderous sport had been:

The moon, with pale and pitying looks,

Shines on the slaughter-field of rooks:

The owlets hoot, from ivy bower,

In the grey embattled tower—

“Tuwit, tuwit, towhoo!” they say,

And echoing through the ruins grey,

The sound disturbs the daily sleep

Of bats who dwell in dungeon keep,

Who ’mong the ruins nightly flit,

And under aged arches sit.

Return to page

HOME RETURNING AT THE GLOAMING.

The farmers can no longer mark

The Crows among the branches dark:

Now let us homeward go, they say;

And gathering up their slaughtered prey,

His share each one in bundles ties,

And takes them home to make crow pies.

Return to page

THE CROWS FLY AWAY BUT RETURN THE NEXT DAY.

Of Crows who were not shot, the few

Far to the distant mountains flew,

But found not there the expected rest:

A longing seized them for their nest,

“CAW! CAW!” with one accord they cry,

“Let us directly homeward fly.”

So in undeviating track,

Like column huge of dotted black,

Straightway their course they homeward bent,

And meditating as they went—

“CAW! CAW!” they say, “How well we know

There is no joy unmixed with woe.”

Return to page

The English Struwwelpeter

When the children have been good,

That is, be it understood,

Good at meal-times, good at play,

Good all night, and good all day,—

They shall have the pretty things

Merry Christmas always brings.

Naughty, romping girls and boys

Tear their clothes and make a noise,

Spoil their pinafores and frocks,

And deserve no Christmas-box.

Such as these shall never look

At this pretty Picture-Book.

Return to page

1. SHOCK-HEADED PETER.

Just look at him! There he stands,

With his nasty hair and hands.

See! his nails are never cut;

They are grim’d as black as soot;

And the sloven, I declare,

Never once has comb’d his hair;

Any thing to me is sweeter

Than to see Shock-headed Peter.

Return to page

2. THE STORY OF CRUEL FREDERICK.

Here is cruel Frederick, see!

A horrid wicked boy was he;

He caught the flies, poor little things,

And then tore off their tiny wings;

He kill’d the birds, and broke the chairs,

And threw the kitten down the stairs;

And Oh! far worse than all beside,

He whipp’d his Mary, till she cried.

Return to page

The trough was full, and faithful Tray

Came out to drink one sultry day;

He wagg’d his tail, and wet his lip,

When cruel Fred snatch’d up a whip,

And whipp’d poor Tray till he was sore,

And kick’d and whipp’d him more and more;

At this, good Tray grew very red,

And growl’d and bit him till he bled;

Then you should only have been by,

To see how Fred did stream and cry!

Return to page

So Frederick had to go to bed;

His leg was very sore and red!

The Doctor came and shook his head,

And made a very great to-do,

And gave him nasty physic too.

But good dog Tray is happy now;

He has no time to say “bow-wow!”

He seats himself in Frederick’s chair,

And laughs to see the nice things there:

The soup he swallows, sup by sup,—

And eats the pies and puddings up.

Return to page

3. THE DREADFUL STORY ABOUT HARRIET AND THE MATCHES.

It almost makes me cry to tell

What foolish Harriet befell.

Mamma and Nurse went out one day,

And left her all alone at play;

Now, on the table close at hand,

A box of matches chanc’d to stand;

And kind Mamma and Nurse had told her,

That if she touch’d them, they should scold her.

But Harriet said, “Oh, what a pity!

For, when they burn, it is so pretty;

They crackle so, and spit, and flame;

Mamma, too, often does the same.”

The pussy-cats heard this,

And they began to hiss,

And stretch their claws,

And raise their paws;

“Me-ow,” they said, “me-ow, me-o

You’ll burn to death, if you do so”.

But Harriet would not take advice,

She lit a match, it was so nice!

It crackled so, it burn’d so clear,—

Exactly like the picture here.

She jump’d for joy and ran about,

And was too pleas’d to put it out.

The pussy-cats saw this,

And said, “Oh, naughty, naughty Miss!”

And stretch’d their claws,

And rais’d their paws;

“’Tis very, very wrong, you know,

Me-ow, Me-o, Me-ow, Me-o,

You will be burnt, if you do so”.

Return to page

And see! Oh! what a dreadful thing!

The fire has caught her apron-string;

Her apron burns, her arms, her hair;

She burns all over, every where.

Then how the pussy-cats did mew,

What else, poor pussies, could they do?

They scream’d for help, ’twas all in vain!

So then, they said,—“we’ll scream again;

Make haste, make haste, me-ow, me-o

She’ll burn to death,—we told her so”.

So she was burnt, with all her clothes,

And arms, and hands, and eyes and nose;

Till she had nothing more to lose

Except her little scarlet shoes;

And nothing else but these was found

Among her ashes on the ground.

And when the good cats sat beside

The smoking ashes, how they cried!

“Me-ow, me-oo, me-ow, me-oo

What will Mamma and Nursy do?”

Their tears ran down their cheeks so fast,

They made a little pond at last.

Return to page

4. THE STORY OF THE INKY BOYS.

As he had often done before,

The woolly-headed black-a-moor

One nice fine summer’s day went out

To see the shops and walk about;

And as he found it hot, poor fellow,

He took with him his green umbrella.

Then Edward, little noisy wag,

Ran out and laugh’d, and wav’d his flag;

And William came in jacket trim,

And brought his wooden hoop with him;

And Arthur, too, snatch’d up his toys

And join’d the other naughty boys;

So, one and all set up a roar

And laugh’d and hooted more and more,

And kept on singing,—only think!—

“Oh! Blacky, you’re as black as ink.”

Return to page

Now tall Agrippa lived close by,—

So tall, he almost touch’d the sky;

He had a mighty inkstand too,

In which a great goose-feather grew;

He call’d out in an angry tone,

“Boys, leave the black-a-moor alone!

For if he tries with all his might,

He cannot change from black to white.”

But ah! they did not mind a bit

What great Agrippa said of it;

But went on laughing, as before,

And hooting at the black-a-moor.

Return to page

Then great Agrippa foams with rage,

Look at him on this very page!

He seizes Arthur, seizes Ned,

Takes William by his little head;

And they may scream and kick, and call,

Into the ink he dips them all;

Into the inkstand, one, two, three,

Till they are black, as black can be;

Turn over now and you shall see.

Return to page

See, there they are, and there they run!

The black-a-moor enjoys the fun.

They have been made as black as crows,

Quite black all over, eyes and nose,

And legs, and arms, and heads, and toes,

And trowsers, pinafores, and toys,—

The silly little inky boys!

Because they set up such a roar,

And teas’d the harmless black-a-moor.

Return to page

5. THE STORY OF THE MAN THAT WENT OUT SHOOTING.

This is the man that shoots the hares;

This is the coat he always wears:

With game-bag, powder-horn and gun,

He’s going out to have some fun.

He finds it hard, without a pair

Of spectacles, to shoot the hare:

The hare sits snug in leaves and grass,

And laughs to see the green man pass.

Now, as the sun grew very hot,

And he a heavy gun had got,

He lay down underneath a tree

And went to sleep, as you may see.

And, while he slept like any top,

The little hare came, hop, hop, hop,—

Took gun and spectacles, and then

On her hind legs went off again.

Return to page

The green man wakes, and sees her place

The spectacles upon her face;

And now she’s trying, all she can,

To shoot the sleepy green-coat man.

He cries and screams and runs away;

The hare runs after him all day,

And hears him call out every where,

“Help! Fire! Help! The Hare! The Hare!”

Return to page

At last he stumbled at the well

Head over ears, and in he fell.

The hare stopp’d short, took aim, and hark!

Bang went the gun,—she miss’d her mark!

The poor man’s wife was drinking up

Her coffee in her coffee-cup;

The gun shot cup and saucer through

“O dear!” cried she, “what shall I do?”

There liv’d close by the cottage there

The hare’s own child, the little hare;

And while she stood upon her toes,

The coffee fell and burn’d her nose,

“O dear!” she cried, with spoon in hand,

“Such fun I do not understand.”

Return to page

6. THE STORY OF LITTLE SUCK-A-THUMB.

One day, Mamma said “Conrad dear,

I must go out and leave you here.

But mind now, Conrad, what I say,

Don’t suck your thumb while I’m away.

The great tall tailor always comes

To little boys that suck their thumbs;

And ere they dream what he’s about,

He takes his great sharp scissars out

And cuts their thumbs clean off,—and then,

You know, they never grow again.”

Mamma had scarcely turn’d her back,

The thumb was in, Alack! Alack!

Return to page

The door flew open, in he ran,

The great, long, red-legg’d scissar-man.

Oh! children, see! the tailor’s come

And caught out little Suck-a-Thumb.

Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissars go;

And Conrad cries out—Oh! Oh! Oh!

Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;

That both his thumbs are off at last.

Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,

And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;—

“Ah!” said Mamma, “I knew he’d come

To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb.”

Return to page

7. THE STORY OF AUGUSTUS WHO WOULD NOT HAVE ANY SOUP.

Augustus was a chubby lad;

Fat ruddy cheeks Augustus had;

And every body saw with joy

The plump and hearty healthy boy.

He ate and drank as he was told,

And never let his soup get cold.

But one day, one cold winter’s day!

He scream’d out—“Take the soup away!

O take the nasty soup away!

I won’t have any soup to-day.”

Next day, now look, the picture shows

How lank and lean Augustus grows!

Yet, though he feels so weak and ill,

The naughty fellow cries out still—

“Not any soup for me, I say:

O take the nasty soup away!

I won’t have any soup to-day.”

The third day comes; Oh what a sin!

To make himself so pale and thin.

Yet, when the soup is put on table,

He screams, as loud as he is able,—

“Not any soup for me, I say:

O take the nasty soup away!

I won’t have any soup to-day!”

Look at him, now the fourth day’s come

He scarcely weighs a sugar-plum;

He’s like a little bit of thread;

And on the fifth day, he was—dead!

Return to page

8. THE STORY OF FIDGETY PHILIP.

Let me see if Philip can

Be a little gentleman;

Let me see, if he is able

To sit still for once at table:

Thus Papa bade Phil behave;

And Mamma look’d very grave.

But fidgety Phil,

He won’t sit still;

He wriggles

And giggles,

And then, I declare,

Swings backwards and forwards

And tilts up his chair,

Just like any rocking horse;—

“Philip! I am getting cross!”

Return to page

See the naughty restless child

Growing still more rude and wild,

Till his chair falls over quite.

Philip screams with all his might

Catches at the cloth, but then

That makes matters worse again.

Down upon the ground they fall,

Glasses, plates, knives, forks and all.

How Mamma did fret and frown,

When she saw them tumbling down!

And Papa made such a face!

Philip is in sad disgrace.

Return to page

Where is Philip, where is he?

Fairly cover’d up you see!

Cloth and all are lying on him;

He has pull’d down all upon him.

What a terrible to-do!

Dishes, glasses, snapt in two!

Here a knife, and there a fork!

Philip, this is cruel work.

Table all so bare, and ah!

Poor Papa, and poor Mamma

Look quite cross, and wonder how

They shall make their dinner now.

Return to page

9. THE STORY OF JOHNNY HEAD-IN-AIR.

As he trudg’d along to school,

It was always Johnny’s rule

To be looking at the sky

And the clouds that floated by;

But what just before him lay,

In his way,

Johnny never thought about;

So that every one cried out—

“Look at little Johnny there,

Little Johnny Head-In-Air!”

Running just in Johnny’s way,

Came a little dog one day;

Johnny’s eyes were still astray

Up on high,

In the sky;

And he never heard them cry—

“Johnny, mind, the dog is nigh!”

Bump!

Dump!

Down they fell, with such a thump.

Dog and Johnny in a lump!

Return to page

Once, with head as high as ever,

Johnny walk’d beside the river.

Johnny watch’d the swallows trying

Which was cleverest at flying.

Oh! what fun!

Johnny watch’d the bright round sun

Going in and coming out;

This was all he thought about.

So he strode on, only think!

To the river’s very brink,

Where the bank was high and steep,

And the water very deep;

And the fishes, in a row,

Stared to see him coming so.

One step more! Oh! sad to tell!

Headlong in poor Johnny fell.

And the fishes, in dismay,

Wagg’d their tails and ran away.

Return to page

There lay Johnny on his face,

With his nice red writing-case;

But, as they were passing by,

Two strong men had heard him cry;

And, with sticks, these two strong men

Hook’d poor Johnny out again.

Oh! you should have seen him shiver

When they pull’d him from the river.

He was in a sorry plight,

Dripping wet, and such a fright!

Wet all over, every where,

Clothes, and arms, and face, and hair:

Johnny never will forget

What it is to be so wet.

And the fishes, one, two, three,

Are come back again, you see;

Up they came the moment after,

To enjoy the fun and laughter.

Each popp’d out his little head.

And, to tease poor Johnny, said

“Silly little Johnny, look,

You have lost your writing-book!”

Return to page

10. THE STORY OF FLYING ROBERT.

When the rain comes tumbling down

In the country or the town,

All good little girls and boys

Stay at home and mind their toys.

Robert thought,—“No, when it pours,

It is better out of doors.”

Rain it did, and in a minute

Bob was in it.

Here you see him, silly fellow,

Underneath his red umbrella.

What a wind! Oh! how it whistles

Through the trees and flow’rs and thistles!

It has caught his red umbrella;

Now look at him, silly fellow,

Up he flies

To the skies.

No one heard his screams and cries;

Through the clouds the rude wind bore him,

And his hat flew on before him.

Soon they got to such a height,

They were nearly out of sight!

And the hat went up so high,

That it really touch’d the sky.

No one ever yet could tell

Where they stopp’d, or where they fell:

Only, this one thing is plain,

Bob was never seen again!

Return to page

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Table of Contents

CAW! CAW!

Caw! Caw!

WHAT HAPPENS IN SPRING WHEN THE LITTLE BIRDS SING.

HOW MANY STICKS GO TO THE NEST OF A CROW.

THE NESTS NOW MADE, THE EGGS ARE LAID.

EACH CROW BRINGS FOOD TO HIS MATE SO GOOD.

THE YOUNG CROW KNOWS WELL HOW TO CHIP THE SHELL.

THE CROWS SEEK SPOIL FROM THE PLOUGHMAN’S TOIL.

THE FATHER GOOD BRINGS YOUNG ONES FOOD.

THE FARMER IN RAGE, WAR DOTH WAGE.

LITTLE CARE CROWS FOR THE SCARE-CROWS.

AN OLD CROW’S EYE DOTH MISCHIEF SPY.

THE FARMER’S GUN THE WORK HATH DONE.

AT DAY’S DECLINE THE MOON DOTH SHINE.

HOME RETURNING AT THE GLOAMING.

THE CROWS FLY AWAY BUT RETURN THE NEXT DAY.

The English Struwwelpeter

1. SHOCK-HEADED PETER.

2. THE STORY OF CRUEL FREDERICK.

3. THE DREADFUL STORY ABOUT HARRIET AND THE MATCHES.

4. THE STORY OF THE INKY BOYS.

5. THE STORY OF THE MAN THAT WENT OUT SHOOTING.

6. THE STORY OF LITTLE SUCK-A-THUMB.

7. THE STORY OF AUGUSTUS WHO WOULD NOT HAVE ANY SOUP.

8. THE STORY OF FIDGETY PHILIP.

9. THE STORY OF JOHNNY HEAD-IN-AIR.

10. THE STORY OF FLYING ROBERT.

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE