Laura E. Richards

Why Does It Snow?

"Why does it snow? Why does it snow?"

The children come crowding around me to know.

I said to my nephew, I said to my niece,

"It's just the old woman a-plucking her geese."


With her riddle cum dinky dido,

With her riddle cum dinky dee.


The old woman sits on a pillowy cloud,

She calls to her geese, and they come in a crowd;

A cackle, a wackle, a hiss and a cluck,

And then the old woman begins for to pluck.


With her riddle cum dinky dido,

With her riddle cum dinky dee.


The feathers go fluttering up in the air,

Until the poor geese are entirely bare;

A toddle, a waddle, a hiss and a cluck,

"You may grow some more if you have the good luck!"


With your riddle cum dinky diodo,

With your riddle cum dinky dee.


The feathers go swirling around and around,

Then whirlicking, twirlicking, sink to the ground;

The farther they travel, the colder they grow,

And when they get down here, they've turned into snow.


With their riddle cum dinky dido,

With their riddle cum dinky dee.