Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay

[bobbieinok]

http://www.antelope-ebooks.com/POETRY/MB/poem01.html

by James Whitcome Riley

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs 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' all us other children, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,



An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you


Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers, --
So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an his Daddy heerd 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-flu, an' ever'wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found was thist his pants an' rounda-bout: -

An' the Gobble-uns'll git you


Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

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

Don't

Watch

Out!

An' little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'-bug in dew is all squenched away, ---
You better mind yer parents, an' yer teachers fond an' dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns'll git you


Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

[annabanana]

1. I memorized this to amuse my parent's friends

when I was pretty young. I can still "do" it....talk about junk in the attic!

[Sydnie]

2. I absolutely LOVE that poem

My third grade teacher read that to the class (many decades ago) and I have never forgotten it. Thanks for posting it.

[soothsayer]

3. I read that to my little godson all the time! he loves it

Sooo scary!

[patricia92243]

4. My mother used to recite this. Almost made me cry to read it again.

I miss her.