Nothing To Do

Don't know what to do to-day.     Got so many things to do     I can't do them. Want to play,     But my toys are all too new     I don't like to play with them:     Blocks and paints and dogs and guns;     Watch that winds up by the stem;     And a train of cars that runs     Round a track and far away.     Don't know what to do to-day.     Don't know what to do to-day.     Whether just to stand and look     At my Christmas-tree, or stay     Looking at my picture-book     Full of fairy stories; or     Ask to have them read to me;     Or to bother mother for     Something off the Christmas-tree:     I don't know and I can't say     Don't know what to do to-day.     Don't know what to do to-day.     Never can make up my mind.     I could take my new red sleigh     And go sleighing on behind     Some old wagon on the snow     As the other children do:     But, you see, I just don't know!     There's my brand new wagon, too;     It'd be lonesome, me away.     Don't know what to do to-day.     Don't know what to do to-day.     There's my fine new rocking-horse,     Long of tail and dapple-gray,     I might ride on him of course:     But my new velocipede     What would it do then? or what     Would that "fiery, untamed steed,"     That I almost had forgot,     Hobbyhorse just think or say?     Don't know what to do to-day.     Don't know what to do to-day.     But I know what I could do:     I could make my donkey bray     By just twisting round a screw     In his stomach, and that's all;     I might make my rooster crow;     And my big mechanical doll     Play his music-box; and, oh!     I could make my old hen lay.     That's what I could do to-day.     "Don't know what to do to-day!"     Mother says, "Well, I suppose,     Better put your toys away.     You've too many, heaven knows!     Don't know what Old Santa meant     Bringing you a toy-store. You     Have too much, that's evident;     Give some to those children who     Have n't toys with which to play.     That's what you could do to-day.     "Don't know what to do to-day?     That's just what you could do! take     Lot of these new toys, you say     You won't play with, and just make     Christmas visits to the poor:     Little boys and girls Old Kris     Skipped; just made his old sleigh soar     O'er their chimneys; seemed to miss     Every one along his way.     That's what you could do to-day."     That's what I could do to-day.     Then I helped her put some things,     Toys and cakes and fruit, away;     Parceled up and wrapped with strings,     In a basket. Then we went     And it was a lot of fun!     To an alley-tenement:     Made them happy, every one.     It was better than a play.     That was what I did to-day.