Jack And Jill.

Little boys, sit still--     Girls, too, if you will--     And let me tell you of Jack and Jill;     For I think another     Such sister and brother     Were never the children of one mother!     For an idle lad,     As he was, Jack had     No traits, after all, that were very bad.     He, was simply Jack,     With the coat on his back     Patched up in all colors from gray to black.     Both feet were bare;     And I do declare     That he never washed his face; and his hair     Was the color of straw--     You never saw     Such a crop--as long as the moral law!     When he went to school,     It was the rule     (Though 'twas hard to say he was really a fool)     To send him at once,     So thick was his sconce,     To the block that was kept for the greatest dunce.     And Jill! no lass     Scarce ever has     Made bigger tracks on the country grass;     For her only fun     Was to romp and run,     Bare-headed, bare-footed, in wind and sun.     Wherever went Jack,     Close on his track,     With hair unbraided and down her back,     Loud-voiced and shrill,     She followed, until     No one said "Jack" without saying "Jill."     But to succeed     In teaching to read     Such a harum-scarum, was work indeed!     And I'm forced to tell     That her way to spell     Her name was with only a single 'l.'     Yet they were content.     One day they were sent     To the hill for water, and they went.     They did not drown,     But Jack fell down,     With a pail in his hand, and broke his crown!     And Jill, who must go     And always do     Exactly as Jack did, tumbled too!     Just think, if you will,     How they rolled down hill--     Straw-headed Jack and bare-footed Jill!     But up Jack got,     And home did trot,     Nor cared whether Jill was hurt or not;     While his poor bruised knob     Did burn and throb,     Tear falling on tear, sob following sob!     He could run the faster,     So a paper plaster     Had bound up the sight of his disaster     Before Jill came;     And the thoughtful dame,     For a break in her head, had fixed the same.     But Jill came in,     With a saucy grin     At seeing the plight poor Jack was in;     And when she saw     That bundle of straw     (His hair) bound up with a cloth, and his jaw     Tied up in white,     The comical sight     Made her clap her hands and laugh outright!     The dame, perplexed     And dreadfully vexed,     Got a stick and said, "I'll whip her next!"     How many blows fell     I will not tell,     But she did it in earnest, she did it well,     Till the naughty back     Was blue and black,     And Jill needed a plaster as much as Jack!     The next time, though,     Jack has to go     To the hill for water, I almost know     That bothering Jill     Will go up the hill,     And if he falls again, why, of course she will!