Old Superstitions Cut your nails on Monday, cut them for news; f Cut them on Saturday, a journey you'll go; T MARRY Monday, marry for wealth; Marry Tuesday, marry for health; Marry Thursday, marry for crosses, Marry Saturday, no luck at all. SNEEZE on a Monday, you sneeze for danger,,.. The devil will have you the whole of the week.. MONDAY'S child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Saturday's child works hard for its living," And a child that's born on the Sabbath day 67 J THE ROAD TO SLUMBERLAND WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD DUTCH LULLABY WYNKEN, Blynken, and Nod one night Sailed off in a wooden shoe,— Sailed on a river of crystal light Into a sea of dew. "Where are you going, and what do you wish?" The old moon asked the three. "We have come to fish for the herring fish That live in this beautiful sea; Nets of silver and gold have we!" Blynken, And Nod. The old moon laughed and sang a song, The little stars were the herring fish That lived in that beautiful sea "Now cast your nets wherever you wish,— So cried the stars to the fishermen three, Wynken, Blynken, All night long their nets they threw To the stars in the twinkling foam, 1 Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe, 69 The Sugar-Plum Tree 'Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed As if it could not be; And some folk thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed Of sailing that beautiful sea; But I shall name you the fishermen three: Wynken, And Nod. Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes, And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies So shut your eyes while Mother sings Of wonderful sights that be, And you shall see the beautiful things As you rock in the misty sea Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, And Nod. Eugene Field [1850-1895] THE SUGAR-PLUM TREE HAVE you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree? 'Tis a marvel of great renown! It blooms on the shore of the Lollypop sea The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet That good little children have only to eat Of that fruit to be happy next day. When you've got to the tree, you would have a hard time To capture the fruit which I sing; The tree is so tall that no person could climb To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing! But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat, And this is the way you contrive to get at You say but the word to that gingerbread dog And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around From this leafy limb unto that, And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground- There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes, With stripings of scarlet or gold, And you carry away of the treasure that rains, As much as your apron can hold! So come, little child, cuddle closer to me In your dainty white nightcap and gown, And I'll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree In the garden of Shut-Eye Town. Eugene Field [1850-1895] WHEN THE SLEEPY MAN COMES WHEN the Sleepy Man comes with the dust on his eyes, (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!) He shuts up the earth, and he opens the skies. (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!) E He smiles through his fingers, and shuts up the sun; di (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!) The stars that he loves he lets out one by one. (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!) He comes from the castles of Drowsy-boy Town; At the touch of his hand the tired eyelids fall down." He comes with a murmur of dream in his wings; And whispers of mermaids and wonderful things. i Auld Daddy Darkness Then the top is a burden, the bugle a bane; (Oh, weary, my Dearie, 'so weary!) When one would be faring down Dream-a-way, Lane. (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!), When one would be wending in Lullaby Wherry, (Oh, weary, my Dearie, so weary!) To Sleepy Man's Castle, by Comforting Ferry... (So hush-a-by, weary my Dearie!) Charles G. D. Roberts [1860 AULD DADDY DARKNESS AULD Daddy Darkness creeps frae his hole, See him in the corners hidin' frae the licht, Awa' to hide the birdie within its cosy nest, Awa' to lap the wee floocrs on their mither's breast, I He comes when we're weary to wean's frae oor waes, Steek yer een, my wee tot, ye'll see Daddy then; 71 |