Robert Louis Stevenson – The Complete Collection

Chapter 2

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

XIX

System

Every night my prayers I say,

And get my dinner every day;

And every day that I've been good,

I get an orange after food.

The child that is not clean and neat ,

With lots of toys and things to eat,

He is a naughty child, I'm sure--

Or else his dear papa is poor.

XX

A Good Boy

I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day ,

I never said an ugly word, but smiled and stuck to play.

And now at last the sun is going down behind the wood ,

And I am very happy, for I know that I've been good.

My bed is waiting cool and fresh, with linen smooth and fair, And I must be off to sleepsin -by, and not forget my prayer.

I know that, till to-morrow I shall see the sun arise ,

No ugly dream shall fright my mind, no ugly sight my eyes.

But slumber hold me tightly till I waken in the dawn ,

And hear the thrushes singing in the lilacs round the lawn.

XXI

Escape at Bedtime

The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out

Through the blinds and the windows and bars ;

And high overhead and all moving about,

There were thousands of millions of stars.

There ne'er were such thousands of leaves on a tree,

Nor of people in church or the Park ,

As the crowds of the stars that looked down upon me,

And that glittered and winked in the dark.

The Dog, and the Plough, and the Hunter, and all,

And the star of the sailor, and Mars ,

These shown in the sky, and the pail by the wall

Would be half full of water and stars.

They saw me at last, and they chased me with cries,

And they soon had me packed into bed ;

But the glory kept shining and bright in my eyes,

And the stars going round in my head.

XXII

Marching Song

Bring the comb and play upon it!

Marching, here we come!

Willie c***s his highland bonnet,

Johnnie beats the drum.

Mary Jane commands the party,

Peter leads the rear ;

Feet in time, alert and hearty,

Each a Grenadier!

All in the most martial manner

Marching double-quick ;

While the napkin, like a banner,

Waves upon the stick!

Here's enough of fame and pillage,

Great commander Jane!

Now that we've been round the village,

Let's go home again.

XXIII

The Cow

The friendly cow all red and white,

I love with all my heart :

She gives me cream with all her might,

To eat with apple-tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,

And yet she cannot stray ,

All in the pleasant open air,

The pleasant light of day;

And blown by all the winds that pass

And wet with all the showers ,

She walks among the meadow grass

And eats the meadow flowers.

XXIV

Happy Thought

The world is so full of a number of things,

I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

XXV

The Wind

I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky ;

And all around I heard you pass,

Like ladies' skirts across the grass--

O wind, a-blowing all day long ,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did ,

But always you yourself you hid.

I felt you push, I heard you call ,

I could not see yourself at all--

O wind, a-blowing all day long ,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold ,

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field and tree ,

Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a-blowing all day long ,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

XXVI

Keepsake Mill

Over the borders, a sin without pardon,

Breaking the branches and crawling below ,

Out through the breach in the wall of the garden,

Down by the banks of the river we go.

Here is a mill with the humming of thunder,

Here is the weir with the wonder of foam ,

Here is the sluice with the race running under--

Marvellous places, though handy to home!

Sounds of the village grow stiller and stiller,

Stiller the note of the birds on the hill ;

Dusty and dim are the eyes of the miller,

Deaf are his ears with the moil of the mill.

Years may go by, and the wheel in the river

Wheel as it wheels for us, children, to-day ,

Wheel and keep roaring and foaming for ever

Long after all of the boys are away.

Home for the Indies and home from the ocean,

Heroes and soldiers we all will come home ;

Still we shall find the old mill wheel in motion,

Turning and churning that river to foam.

You with the bean that I gave when we quarrelled ,

I with your marble of Saturday last ,

Honoured and old and all gaily apparelled ,

Here we shall meet and remember the past.

XXVII

Good and Bad Children

Children, you are very little ,

And your bones are very brittle;

If you would grow great and stately,

You must try to walk sedately.

You must still be bright and quiet ,

And content with simple diet;

And remain, through all bewild'ring ,

Innocent and honest children.

Happy hearts and happy faces ,

Happy play in grassy places--

That was how in ancient ages,

Children grew to kings and sages.

But the unkind and the unruly ,

And the sort who eat unduly,

They must never hope for glory--

Theirs is quite a different story!

Cruel children, crying babies ,

All grow up as geese and gabies ,

Hated, as their age increases,

By their nephews and their nieces.

XXVIII

Foreign Children

Little Indian, Sioux, or Crow ,

Little frosty Eskimo,

Little Turk or Japanee ,

Oh! don't you wish that you were me?

You have seen the scarlet trees

And the lions over seas;

You have eaten ostrich eggs,

And turned the turtles off their legs.

Such a life is very fine ,

But it's not so nice as mine:

You must often as you trod,

Have wearied NOT to be abroad.

You have curious things to eat ,

I am fed on proper meat;

You must dwell upon the foam,

But I am safe and live at home.

Little Indian, Sioux or Crow ,

Little frosty Eskimo,

Little Turk or Japanee ,

Oh! don't you wish that you were me?

XXIX

The Sun Travels

The sun is not a-bed, when I

At night upon my pillow lie ;

Still round the earth his way he takes,

And morning after morning makes.

While here at home, in shining day ,

We round the sunny garden play,

Each little Indian sleepy-head

Is being kissed and put to bed.

And when at eve I rise from tea ,

Day dawns beyond the Atlantic Sea;

And all the children in the west

Are getting up and being dressed.

XXX

The Lamplighter

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky.

It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;

For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,

With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.

Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea,

And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be;

But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do,

O Leerie , I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you!

For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,

And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;

And oh! before you hurry by with ladder and with light;

O Leerie , see a little child and nod to him to -night!

XXXI

My Bed is a Boat

My bed is like a little boat;

Nurse helps me in when I embark ;

She girds me in my sailor's coat

And starts me in the dark.

At night I go on board and say

Good-night to all my friends on shore ;

I shut my eyes and sail away

And see and hear no more.

And sometimes things to bed I take,

As prudent sailors have to do ;

Perhaps a slice of wedding-cake,

Perhaps a toy or two.

All night across the dark we steer;

But when the day returns at last ,

Safe in my room beside the pier,

I find my vessel fast.

XXXII

The Moon

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall ;

She shines on thieves on the garden wall,

On streets and fields and harbour quays,

And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,

The howling dog by the door of the house,

The bat that lies in bed at noon,

All love to be out by the light of the moon.

But all of the things that belong to the day

Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way ;

And flowers and children close their eyes

Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

XXXIII

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide ,

River and trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,

Down on the roof so brown--

Up in the air I go flying again,

Up in the air and down!

XXXIV

Time to Rise

A birdie with a yellow bill

Hopped upon my window sill ,

Cocked his shining eye and said:

" Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy-head!"

XXXV

Looking-Glass River

Smooth it glides upon its travel,

Here a wimple, there a gleam--

O the clean gravel!

O the smooth stream!

Sailing blossoms, silver fishes,

Paven pools as clear as air--

How a child wishes

To live down there!

We can see our colored faces

Floating on the shaken pool

Down in cool places ,

Dim and very cool;

Till a wind or water wrinkle,

Dipping marten, plumping trout,

Spreads in a twinkle

And blots all out.

See the rings pursue each other;

All below grows black as night,

Just as if mother

Had blown out the light!

Patience, children, just a minute--

See the spreading circles die;

The stream and all in it

Will clear by-and-by.

XXXVI

Fairy Bread

Come up here, O dusty feet!

Here is fairy bread to eat.

Here in my retiring room ,

Children, you may dine

On the golden smell of broom

And the shade of pine ;

And when you have eaten well,

Fairy stories hear and tell.

XXXVII

From a Railway Carriage

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;

And charging along like troops in a battle

All through the meadows the horses and cattle:

All of the sights of the hill and the plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles ,

All by himself and gathering brambles;

Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;

And here is the green for stringing the daisies!

Here is a cart run away in the road

Lumping along with man and load ;

And here is a mill, and there is a river:

Each a glimpse and gone forever!