Merry Stories And
Funny Pictures
The
Dreadful Story of Harriet and the Matches
The Story
of the Man that went out Shooting
The Story of Little
Suck-a-Thumb
The Story of Augustus, who
would not have any Soup
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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
Naughty, romping girls and boys At this pretty Picture-book. |
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Just look at him! there he stands, With his nasty hair and hands. See! his nails are never cut; They are grimed as black as soot; And the sloven, I declare, Never once has combed his hair; Anything to me is sweeter Than to see Shock-headed Peter. |
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Here is cruel Frederick, see! A horrid wicked boy was he; He caught the flies, poor little things, |
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The trough was full, and faithful Tray Came out to drink one sultry day; He wagged his tail, and wet his lip, When cruel Fred snatched up a whip, And whipped poor Tray till he was sore, And kicked and whipped him more and more: |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
The pussy-cats heard this, But Harriet would not take advice: She lit a match, it was so nice!
The Pussy-cats saw this And raised their paws: |
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And see! oh, what dreadful thing! The fire has caught her apron-string; Her apron burns, her arms, her hair—
Then how the pussy-cats did mew—
So she was burnt, with all her clothes, And when the good cats sat beside The smoking ashes, how they cried! |
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. |
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The hare sits snug in leaves and grass And laughs to see the green man pass. |
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Now, as the sun grew very hot, And he a heavy gun had got, He lay down underneath a tree |
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 everywhere: "Help! Fire! Help! The Hare! The Hare!" |
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At last he stumbled at the well, Head over ears, and in he fell. The hare stopped short, took aim and, hark! Bang went the gun—she missed her mark! |
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The poor man's wife was drinking up Her coffee in her coffee-cup; The gun shot cup and saucer through; "Oh dear!" cried she; "what shall I do?" There lived close by the cottage there The hare's own child, the little hare; And while she stood upon her toes, |
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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 who suck their thumbs; And ere they dream what he's about, He takes his great sharp scissors out, And cuts their thumbs clean off—and then, You know, they never grow again." Mamma had scarcely turned her back, |
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The door flew open, in he ran, The great, long, red-legged scissor-man. Oh! children, see! the tailor's come And caught out little Suck-a-Thumb. Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go; And Conrad cries out "Oh! Oh! Oh!"
Mamma comes home: there Conrad stands, |
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Augustus was a chubby lad; Fat ruddy cheeks Augustus had: And everybody saw with joy The plump and hearty, healthy boy. He ate and drank as he was told, Next day, now look, the picture shows Yet, though he feels so weak and ill, The third day comes: Oh what a sin! Yet, when the soup is put on table, Look at him, now the fourth day's come! And, on the fifth day, he was—dead! |
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"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 looked very grave. But fidgety Phil, He won't sit still; He wriggles, And giggles, |
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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, |
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Where is Philip, where is he? Fairly covered up you see! Cloth and all are lying on him; He has pulled down all upon him. What a terrible to-do! Dishes, glasses, snapt in two! Here a knife, and there a fork! |
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As he trudged 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; Running just in Johnny's way In the sky; |
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Once, with head as high as ever, Johnny walked beside the river. Johnny watched the swallows trying Which was cleverest at flying. Oh! what fun! Johnny watched the bright round sun Going in and coming out; This was all he thought about.
One step more! oh! sad to tell! |
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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 Hooked poor Johnny out again. |
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Oh! you should have seen him shiver When they pulled him from the river. He was in a sorry plight! Dripping wet, and such a fright! Wet all over, everywhere, Clothes, and arms, and face, and hair: Johnny never will forget What it is to be so wet.
And the fishes, one, two, three, You have lost your writing-book!" |
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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. |
What a wind! oh! how it whistles Through the trees and flowers 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. |
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Soon they got to such a height, They were nearly out of sight. And the hat went up so high, That it nearly touched the sky. No one ever yet could tell Where they stopped, or where they fell: |