Chapter I: Preface

Several of the rhymed stories in this book are true stories, and children may enjoy them the more for knowing that Barney, a real donkey, did run away and play pranks as the rhymes say; that Midget did ride horseback; that the deer did toss the hay to the hungry pony; and that Queen Victoria did restore the birds' nesting-place in the old round tower at Windsor. Pony Rollo, too, is a real character, clever and lovable, although some liberties have been taken in the portrayal of him and his doings. Barney Gray is still living, petted by his now grown-up owners and enjoyed by all children who visit the farm to which the donkey came about twenty years ago, and a drive with Barney is quite as likely now as in former days to have unexpected features.

The pictures of Barney and some of the other pets have been drawn by Mr. Bridgman from photographs taken expressly for this book.

In the belief that such rhymes as are herein offered gratify and increase in children both the love of animals and the sense of humor, this new volume is sent forth not only to give pleasure, but to contribute what it may to the fostering of these desirable traits.

Kindergartners will find here, as in _Through the Farmyard Gate_, suitable material for kindergarten use; for example, the cumulative rhyme, _The Pigeons_, and the tracing-back rhyme, _Who Gives us Our Thanksgiving Dinner?_

For courteous permission to use such of these rhymes as have already appeared in print, acknowledgments are made to publishers and periodicals as follows: The Century Company, New York (_St. Nicholas_); S. E. Cassino, Salem, Massachusetts (_Little Folks_); and Milton Bradley Co., Springfield, Massachusetts (_Kindergarten Review_).

EMILIE POULSSON.

BOSTON, MASS., 1905.

CONTENTS

PAGE

THE RUNAWAY DONKEY 1

THE PONY ROLLO RHYMES:--

I. The Pony Needed 11

II. The Pony's Arrival 14

III. The Pony's Tricks 18

IV. The Pony Named 22

V. The Pony and Teddy 24

VI. The Pony as Cowboy 28

VII. The Check-rein Story 33

VIII. Pony Rollo and Little Dog Midget 37

THE KINDLY DEER 42

FARM VOICES 46

"BY FAVOR OF THE QUEEN" 48

THE PIGEONS 52

THE CHILD AND THE PIGEONS 56

WHO GIVES US OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER? 57

CLOTHES 60

AT THE POND 63

THE BALLAD OF THE BUMPTIOUS BOY 67

THE NOISY RHYME 70

THE DONKEY'S EARS 72

OLD BARNEY'S LATEST PRANK 74

THE RUNAWAY DONKEY

A sturdy little donkey,
All dressed in sober gray,
Once took it in his long-eared head
That he would run away.

So, when a little open
He saw the stable door,
He ran as if he never would
Come back there any more.

Away that donkey galloped
And ran and ran and ran
And ran and ran and ran and ran
And RAN and RAN and =RAN=!

Behind him ran the children,
The groom and coachman, too;
The farmer and the farmer's man,
To see what they could do.

Some carried whips to whip him;
Some, oats to coax him near;
Some called, "Come here, you foolish beast!"
And some, "Come, Barney, dear."

But not a whit cared Barney
For cross or coaxing word;
And clatter, clatter, clatter still,
His little hoofs were heard.

And all across the meadow,
And up and o'er the hill,
And through the woods and down the dale
He galloped with a will.

And into every hay field
And through the swamp and mire
Still Barney ran and ran and ran
As if he'd never tire!

His chasers all stopped running;
Then meek as any lamb
Did Barney stand, as if to say,
"Come catch me! Here I am."

But when one of them started,
Then Barney started too;
As if the chase had just begun,
Away he swiftly flew.

But there's an end to all things,
And so, the stupid elf,
When no one else could capture him
This donkey caught himself.

For, running in the barnyard,
He did not calculate
What consequences would befall,
And hit the swinging gate.

It quickly swung together;
Down dropped the iron latch.
Oh, Barney Gray, to think that you
The runaway should catch!

The children danced with pleasure,
The groom roared with delight,
The others smiled their broadest smiles
Or laughed with all their might.

But Barney, naughty Barney,
Had mischief in him still;
For when the laughing coachman tried
To lead him up the hill,

His donkeyship determined
That he would yet have fun,
So braced himself and stood stock still
As if he weighed a ton!

But mighty was the coachman
And pulled with such a will
That Barney soon was being dragged
Full roughly up the hill.

"Well, well!" at last thought Barney,
"The coachman is so strong,
I might as well be good just now,"
And so he walked along.

And when he reached the stable
And stood within his stall
You'd scarce believe so meek a beast
_Could_ run away at all!

But all the meditations
Of this meek Barney Gray
Are only of some future time
When he may run away.

PONY ROLLO RHYMES