4. Nursery Rhymes

* * *

The man in the moon

Came down too soon

And asked his way to Norwich;

He went by the South

And burnt his mouth

With supping cold plum porridge.

* * *

Will you lend me your mare to ride a mile?

No, she is lame leaping over a stile.

Alack! And I must go to the fair,

I’ll give you good money for lending your mare.

Oh, oh! Say you so?

Money will make the mare go.

5. Poems

What If…

Daddy, what if the sun stopped shining,

What would happen then?

If the sun stopped shining,

You’d be so surprised,

You’d stare at the heaven

With wide-open eyes,

And the wind would carry

Your light to the skies,

And the sun would start shining again!

But, Daddy, what if the wind stopped blowing,

What would happen then?

If the wind stopped blowing,

Then the land would be dry,

And your boat wouldn’t sail,

And your kite wouldn’t fly,

The grass would see your trouble,

And she’ll tell the wind,

And the wind would start blowing again!

But, Daddy, what if the grass stopped growing,

What would happen then?

Well, if the grass stopped growing,

You’d probably cry,

And the ground would be worried

By the tears from your eyes,

And, like your love for me,

The grass would grow so high,

The grass would start growing again!

But, Daddy, what if I stopped loving you,

What would happen then?

If you stopped loving me,

Then the grass would stop growing,

Then the sun would stop shining,

And the wind would stop blowing.

So you see, if you want to keep

This old world go on,

You’d better start loving me again!

Unknown

Enlarge upon the statement:

If children stopped loving their parents, and parents stopped loving their children, the world would stop going on.

6. Funny Stories No Use Trying

Uncle James: Well, Bobby, have you gained any prize at school?

Bobby: No, the other fellows have got them all.

Uncle James: But you’ll keep on trying, my boy, won’t you?

Bobby: What’s the use of trying when the other fellows keep on doing the same?

Friendly Advice

Grandfather: Excuse my interfering, Nancy, but something must be done with that son of yours. Such a foolish and ill-mannered young man!

Mother: Don’t be so strict, father. Boys will be boys. But certainly something must be done. I insist on his going abroad to see the world.

Grandfather: In your place I wouldn’t do it. I’d be afraid of the world seeing him.

It Speaks for Itself

An art critic is shown two pictures in a private picture gallery. One is an old master, the other is a modern creation. The art critic takes a long look at the former and without uttering a single word turns to the latter. He at once starts praising it.

“Why did you pass the other picture without saying a word?” somebody asks him. “It speaks for itself,” the art critic answers, “while the other certainly needs boosting.”

Tiger Hunting

A man who had traveled in Bengal was asked if he liked tiger hunting. “Well!” said the man. “I certainly enjoyed hunting tigers, but I must confess I hated being hunted by tigers myself.”