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[Illustration: A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells
abou--Frontispiece]




RILEY
CHILD-RHYMES

James Whitcomb Riley


WITH HOOSIER PICTURES BY

Will Vawter




Copyright 1890, 1896, 1898 and 1905




WITH HALE AFFECTION AND ABIDING FAITH
THESE RHYMES AND PICTURES
ARE INSCRIBED
TO THE CHILDREN EVERYWHERE




_He owns the bird-songs of the hills--
The laughter of the April rills;
And his are all the diamonds set
In Morning's dewy coronet,--
And his the Dusk's first minted stars
That twinkle through the pasture-bars
And litter all the skies at night
With glittering scraps of silver light;--
The rainbow's bar, from rim to rim,
In beaten gold, belongs to him._




CONTENTS

[Note from the transcriber: The Table of Contents below was taken from
the book and is an alphabetical list of the poems. A second Table of
Contents, listing the poems in the order they occur in this book, has
been provided by the transcriber.]

AT AUNTY'S HOUSE

BEAR STORY, THE

BOY LIVES ON OUR FARM, THE

BOYS' CANDIDATE, THE

BUMBLEBEE, THE

CIRCUS-DAY PARADE, THE

CURLY LOCKS

DAYS GONE BY, THE

DOWN AROUND THE RIVER

ENVOY

FUNNY LITTLE FELLOW, THE

GRANDFATHER SQUEERS

HAPPY LITTLE <DW36>, THE

HOME-MADE FAIRY-TALE, A

IMPETUOUS RESOLVE, AN

JOLLY MILLER, THE

LIFE-LESSON, A

LITTLE COAT, THE

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

LUGUBRIOUS WHING-WHANG, THE

NAUGHTY CLAUDE

NINE LITTLE GOBLINS, THE

OLD AUNT MARY'S

OLD HAY-MOW, THE

OLD TRAMP, THE

ON THE SUNNY SIDE

OUR HIRED GIRL

PET <DW53>, THE

PIXY PEOPLE, THE

RAGGEDY MAN, THE

RIDER OF THE KNEE, THE

RUNAWAY BOY, THE

SOUTH WIND AND THE SUN, THE

SQUIRTGUN UNCLE MAKED ME, THE

SUDDEN SHOWER, A

TIME OF CLEARER TWITTERINGS

WAITIN' FER THE CAT TO DIE

WHO SANTY-CLAUS WUZ

WINTER FANCIES




Contents (Listed in the Order They Appear)

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

THE RAGGEDY MAN

CURLY LOCKS

THE FUNNY LITTLE FELLOW

THE HAPPY LITTLE <DW36>

THE RIDER OF THE KNEE

DOWN AROUND THE RIVER

AT AUNTY'S HOUSE

THE DAYS GONE BY

THE BUMBLEBEE

THE BOY LIVES ON OUR FARM

THE SQUIRTGUN UNCLE MAKED ME

THE OLD TRAMP

OLD AUNT MARY'S

WINTER FANCIES

THE RUNAWAY BOY

THE LITTLE COAT

AN IMPETUOUS RESOLVE

WHO SANTY-CLAUS WUZ

THE NINE LITTLE GOBLINS

TIME OF CLEARER TWITTERINGS

THE CIRCUS-DAY PARADE

THE LUGUBRIOUS WHING-WHANG

WAITIN' FER THE CAT TO DIE

NAUGHTY CLAUDE

THE SOUTH WIND AND THE SUN

THE JOLLY MILLER

OUR HIRED GIRL

THE BOYS' CANDIDATE

THE PET <DW53>

THE OLD HAY-MOW

ON THE SUNNY SIDE

A SUDDEN SHOWER

GRANDFATHER SQUEERS

THE PIXY PEOPLE

A LIFE-LESSON

A HOME-MADE FAIRY-TALE

THE BEAR STORY

ENVOY




ILLUSTRATIONS

WITCH-TALES

THEY WAS TWO GREAT BIG BLACK THINGS A-STANDIN' BY HER SIDE

AN' WHEN THEY TURN'T THE KIVVERS DOWN

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE--TAILPIECE

THE RAGGEDY MAN--TITLE

HE SHOWED ME THE HOLE 'AT THE WUNKS IS GOT

CURLY LOCKS--TITLE

SIT ON A CUSHION AND SEW A FINE SEAM

THE FUNNY LITTLE FELLOW--TITLE

NEVER KNEW A BABY THAT WOULDN'T CROW FOR HIM

THE HAPPY LITTLE <DW36>--TITLE

AN' I PECK ON THE WINDER

AN' COOKS A' EGG FER ME

THE HAPPY LITTLE <DW36>--TAILPIECE

THE RIDER OF THE KNEE

DOWN AROUND THE RIVER--TITLE

NOON-TIME AND JUNE-TIME DOWN AROUND THE RIVER

DOWN AROUND THE RIVER--TAILPIECE

AT AUNTY'S HOUSE--TITLE

WE ET OUT ON THE PORCH

THE DAYS GONE BY--TITLE

IN THE ORCHARD

THE BUMBLEBEE

THE BOY LIVES ON OUR FARM--TITLE

STAND UP LIKE HIM AN' DRIVE

THE SQUIRTGUN UNCLE MAKED ME--TITLE

THE SQUIRTGUN--TAILPIECE

AN' NEN HE PEELED OFF THE BARK

THE OLD TRAMP

WE PATTER ALONG IN THE DUST AGAIN

OLD AUNT MARY'S--TAILPIECE

WINTER FANCIES--TITLE

WINTER WITHOUT AND WARMTH WITHIN

HERE IN MY ROOM I'M AS SNUGLY SHUT

AN' A GREA'-BIG PIG WENT "BOOH!"

HUG WITE CLOSE ROUND HER NECK

THE LITTLE COAT

THE LITTLE COAT--TAILPIECE

AN IMPETUOUS RESOLVE--TITLE

I'M GO' TO BE A BAKER

A-SLINGIN' PIE-CRUST 'LONG THE ROAD

WHO SANTY-CLAUS WUZ--TITLE

AN' QUAR'L WITH HIS FROSTED HEELS

WHO SANTY-CLAUS WUZ--TAILPIECE

THE NINE LITTLE GOBLINS

THE NINE LITTLE GOBLINS--TAILPIECE

TIME OF CLEARER TWITTERINGS--TITLE

WHERE THE SHELLBARK HICKORY TREE

THE CIRCUS-DAY PARADE

HOW THE CAGES JOLTED PAST

AND, LAST OF ALL, THE CLOWN

THE LUGUBRIOUS WHING-WHANG--TITLE

WAITIN' FER THE CAT TO DIE--TITLE

BAREFOOTED, HUNGRY, LEAN, ORNRY BOYS

WHY YOU ROCK SO SLOW?

NAUGHTY CLAUDE

THE SOUTH WIND AND THE SUN--TITLE

THIS PAIR OF MERRY FAYS

THE JOLLY MILLER--TITLE

THAT CAT O' YOURN I'D KILL HER

WUZ PARCHIN' CORN FER THE RAGGEDY MAN

THE BOYS' CANDIDATE

THE PET <DW53>--TITLE

AN' NEN WHEN BILLY FIGHTED ME

THE OLD HAY-MOW--TITLE

IN OUR HAY-MOW WHERE I KEEP STORE

ON THE SUNNY SIDE--TITLE

AS A ROMPING BOY

A SUDDEN SHOWER--TITLE

SCHOOLGIRL FACES... GLEAM FROM THE SHAWLS ABOUT THEIR HEADS

A SUDDEN SHOWER--TAILPIECE

GRANDFATHER SQUEERS--TITLE

AND SMOKE LEAF-TOBACCO

GRANDFATHER SQUEERS--TAILPIECE

THE PIXY PEOPLE--TITLE

WINGED ABOVE THE WALK

A LIFE-LESSON--TITLE

BUT HEAVEN HOLDS ALL FOR WHICH YOU SIGH

A HOME-MADE FAIRY-TALE--TITLE

A LITTLE DUDE-FAIRY

ENVOY




RILEY CHILD-RHYMES




LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

[Illustration: They was two great big black things a-standin' by her side]

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 childern, 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!

Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--
So 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 wasn'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 was thist his pants an' roundabout:--
An' the Gobble-uns'll git you
  Ef you
    Don't
      Watch
        Out!

[Illustration: An' when they turn't the kivvers down]

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood an' kin;
An' onc't, when they was "company," an' ole folks was 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 was 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-uns'll 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 parents, an' yer teachers 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'll git you
  Ef you
    Don't
      Watch
        Out!

[Illustration: Little Orphant Annie--Tailpiece]




THE RAGGEDY MAN

[Illustration: The Raggedy Man--Title]

O The Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa;
An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!
He comes to our house every day,
An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay;
An' he opens the shed--an' we all ist laugh
When he drives out our little old wobble-ly calf;
An' nen--ef our hired girl says he can--
He milks the cow fer 'Lizabuth Ann.--
  Aint he a' awful good Raggedy Man?
    Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

W'y, The Raggedy Man--he's ist so good
He splits the kindlin' an' chops the wood;
An' nen he spades in our garden, too,
An' does most things 'at _boys_ can't do!--
He clumbed clean up in our big tree
An' shooked a' apple down fer me--
An' nother'n', too, fer 'Lizabuth Ann--
An' nother'n', too, fer The Raggedy Man.--
  Aint he a' awful kind Raggedy Man?
    Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

[Illustration: He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got]

An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes
An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes:
Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,
An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers therselves!
An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,
He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,
'At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can
Turn into me, er