The Raggedy Man An' nen-ef our hired girl says he can― Ain't he a' awful good Raggedy Man? W'y, the Raggedy Man- he's ist so good An' the Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got, The Raggedy Man-one time when he An' I says "'M go' to be a Raggedy Man!- 167 James Whitcomb Riley [1852-1916] THE MAN IN THE MOON SAID the Raggedy Man, on a hot afternoon, "My! Sakes! What a lot o' mistakes Some little folks makes on The Man in the Moon! Might drop a few facts that would interest you Through!- If you wanted 'em to Some actual facts that might interest you! "O The Man in the Moon has a crick in his back; Whee! Whimm! Ain't you sorry for him? And a mole on his nose that is purple and black; But isn't he wise To jes' dream of stars, as the doctors advise? "And The Man in the Moon has a boil on his ear, Whee! Whing! What a singular thing! I know! but these facts are authentic, my dear,- Ho! Why, certainly so! It might be a dimple turned over, you know! Little Orphant Annie "And The Man in the Moon has a rheumatic knee, Gee! Whizz! What a pity that is! 169 And his toes have worked round where his heels ought to be. So whenever he wants to go North he goes South, And comes back with porridge crumbs all round his mouth, And he brushes them off with a Japanese fan. Whing! What a marvelous man! What a very remarkably marvelous man! "And The Man in the Moon," sighed the Raggedy Man, "Gits! So! Sullonesome, you know, Up there by hisse'f sence creation began! That when I call on him and then come away, Dadd! I'd go pardners with him Jes' jump my job here and be pardners with him!" James Whitcomb Riley [1852-1916] LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE LITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, away, An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board an'-keep; An' all us other children, when the supper things is done, Ef you Watch Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers- His Mammy heered him holler, an' his Daddy heered him bawl, An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all! An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press, An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I guess; But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout: An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Watch An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin, An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin; An' onc't when they was "company," an' ole folks was there, She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care! An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide, They was two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side, An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about! An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Watch Out! The Night Bird An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue, 171 An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear, Ef you Watch Out! James Whitcomb Riley [1852-1916] OUR HIRED GIRL OUR hired girl, she's 'Lizabuth Ann; An' she can cook best things to eat! She ist puts dough in our pie-pan, An' pours in somepin' 'at's good an' sweet; With cinnamon; an' nen she'll stop An' stoop an' slide it, ist as slow, "Clear out o' my way! They's time fer work, an' time fer play! When our hired girl 'tends like she's mad, |