Kindergarten Read Aloud Banquet



Nursery Songs for July

Over the Hills and Far Away



Bo-Peep



Buy a Broom



Lucy Locket




A Child's Garden of Verses

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.


  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 5 Drummer the Woodpecker Drums in Vain The Twins Go Fishing The Wee, Wee Man The Night Moth with a Crooked Feeler Giant Energy and Fairy Skill The Fishing Story The Two Brothers, Jacob and Esau
To Market One Misty Moisty Morning Old Chairs To Mend My Johnnie Robin and Richard The Man in the Moon A Man and a Maid
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Frederick Richardson's Book for Children  by Frederick Richardson

[Illustration]

dropcap image NCE on a time there were three Billy-goats, who were to go up to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was Gruff.

On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to cross; and under this bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.

So first of all came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.


[Illustration]

"Trip, trap; trip, trap!" went the bridge.

"WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.

"Oh! it is only I, the tiniest billy-goat Gruff; and I'm going up to the hill-side to make myself fat," said the billy-goat, with such a small voice.

"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.

"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy-goat; "wait a bit till the second billy-goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."

"Well! be off with you," said the Troll.

A little while after came the second billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.

"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge,

"WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.


[Illustration]


[Illustration]

"Oh! it's the second billy-goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hill-side to make myself fat," said the billy-goat, who hadn't such a small voice.

"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.

"Oh, no! don't take me. Wait a little till the big billy-goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."

"Very well! be off with you," said the Troll.


[Illustration]

But just then up came the big billy-goat Gruff.

"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge, for the billy-goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.

"WHO'S THAT tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.

"IT'S I! THE BIG BILLY-GOAT GRUFF," said the billy-goat, who had an ugly, hoarse voice of his own.


[Illustration]

"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," roared the Troll.

"Well, come along! I've got two spears,

And I'll poke your nose and pierce your ears;

I've got besides two curling-stones,

And I'll bruise your body and rattle your bones."

That was what the big billy-goat said; and so he flew at the Troll, and tossed him out into the burn, and after that he went up to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home again; and if the fat hasn't fallen of them, why they're still fat; and so:

Snip, snap, snout,

This tale's told out.


[Illustration]