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A boy named Peter Found once in the road All harmless and helpless, A poor little toad; And ran to his playmate, And all out of breath Cried, "John, come and help, And we'll stone him to death!" And picking up stones, The two went on a run, Saying, one to the other, "Oh, won't we have fun?" Thus primed and all ready, They'd got nearly back, When a donkey came Dragging a cart on the track. Now the cart was as much As the donkey could draw, And he came with his head Hanging down; so he saw, All harmless and helpless, The poor little toad, A-taking his morning nap Right in the road. He shivered at first, Then he drew back his leg, And set up his ears, Never moving a peg. Then he gave the poor toad, With his warm nose a dump, And he woke and got off With a hop and a jump, And then with an eye Turned on Peter and John, And hanging his homely head Down, he went on. "We can't kill him now, John," Says Peter, "that's flat, In the face of an eye and An action like that!" "For my part, I haven't The heart to," says John; "But the load is too heavy The donkey has on: "Let's help him;" so both lads Set off with a will And came up with the cart At the foot of the hill. And when each a shoulder Had put to the wheel, They helped the poor donkey A wonderful deal. When they got to the top Back again they both run, Agreeing they never Had had better fun. |