gold rings, four canary birds, three French hens, two turtle-doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree. The tenth day of Christmas

My mother sent to me

Ten ships a-sailing, nine lords a-leaping, eight ladies dancing, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five gold rings, four canary birds, three French hens, two turtle-doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree.

The eleventh day of Christmas

My mother sent to me

Eleven ladies spinning, ten ships a-sailing, nine lords a-leaping, eight ladies dancing, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five gold rings, four canary birds, three French hens, two turtle-doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree.

The twelfth day of Christmas

My mother sent to me

Twelve bells a-ringing, eleven ladies spinning, ten ships a-sailing, nine lords a-leaping, eight ladies dancing, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five gold rings, four canary birds,

FOR NETTLE STINGS.

143

three French hens, two turtle-doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree.

TOMMY TROT, a man of law,

Sold his bed, and lay on straw; Sold the straw, and slept on grass, To buy his wife a looking-glass.

MUSSELS.

WHEN the pea 's in bloom

The mussel's toom.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING. 145

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING.

BY LORD HOUGHTON.⭑

FAIR little girl sat under a tree,

Sewing as long as her eyes could see;
Then smoothed her work, and folded it

right,

And said, "Dear work! good night!
good night!"

Such a number of rooks came over her head,
Crying, "Caw! caw!" on their way to bed ;
She said, as she watched their curious flight,
"Little black things! good night! good night!"

The horses neighed, and the oxen lowed,
The sheep's "Bleat! bleat!" came over the road;
All seeming to say, with a quiet delight,
"Good little girl! good night! good night!"

She did not say to the sun, "Good night!"
Though she saw him there, like a ball of light;
For she knew he had God's time to keep
All over the world, and never could sleep.
The tall pink foxglove bowed his head,
The violets curtsied, and went to bed;
And good little Lucy tied up her hair,
And said, on her knees, her favourite prayer.
*By the author's special permission.

And while on her pillow she softly lay,

She knew nothing more till again it was day, And all things said to the beautiful sun : "Good morning! good morning! our work is begun."