Little Orphant Annie

 

Little Orphant Annie
by James Whitcomb 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'-
keep;
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!

Wunst they wuz a little boy
wouldn't say his prayers,-
An' 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 wuzn't there
at all!
And they seeked him in the
rafter-room, an' cubby-hole,
an' press,
An' seeked him up the
chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres,
I guess;
But all they ever found wuz
thist his pants an'
roundabout.-
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' wunst, when they was
"company," an' ole folks wuz
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 wuz 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'-bugs in dew is
all squenched away,-
You better mind yer parunts,
an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you,
an' dry the orpant'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!