TOYS AND PLAY, IN-DOORS AND OUT

At evening when the lamp is lit, Around the fire my parents sit; They sit at home and talk and sing, And do not play at anything. Now, with my little gun, I crawl All in the dark along the wall, And follow round the forest track Away behind the sofa back. There, in the night, where none can spy, All in my hunter’s camp I lie, And play at books that I have read Till it is time to go to bed. These are the hills, these are the woods, These are my starry solitudes; And there the river by whose brink The roaring lions come to drink. I see the others far away As if in firelit camp they lay, And I, like to an Indian scout, Around their party prowled about. So, when my nurse comes in for me, Home I return across the sea, And go to bed with backward looks At my dear land of Story-books.

Build me a castle of sand Down by the sea. Here on the edge of the strand Build it for me. How shall a foeman invade, Where may he land, While we can raise with our spade Castles of sand? Turrets upleap and aspire, Battlements rise Sweeping the sea with their fire, Storming the skies. Pile that a monarch might own, Mightily plann’d! I can’t sit here on a throne, This is too grand. Build me a cottage of sand Up on the hill; Snug in a cleft it must stand Sunny and still. Plant it with ragwort and ling, Bramble and bine: Castles I’ll leave to the King, This shall be mine. Storm-clouds drive over the land, High flies the spray; Gone are our houses of sand, Vanished away! Look at the damage you’ve done, Sea-wave and rain! —“Nay, we but give you your fun Over again.”

Hush a while, my darling, for the long day closes, Nodding into slumber on the blue hill’s crest. See the little clouds play Ring a ring o’ roses, Planting Fairy gardens in the red-rose West. Greet him for us, cloudlets, say we’re not forgetting Golden gifts of sunshine, merry hours of play. Ring a ring o’ roses round the sweet sun’s setting, Spread a bed of roses for the dear dead day. Hush-a-bye, my little one, the dear day dozes, Doffed his crown of kingship and his fair flag furled, While the earth and sky play Ring a ring o’ roses, Ring a ring o’ roses round the rose-red world.