Florence Hoatson

“ About my little dollies I'll tell you all I can,
One's called Belinda Bella and one Eliza Ann.
Belinda's hair is golden, her eyes a lovely blue,
Her dress is soft and frilly, and tied with ribbon too,
She has a pretty bonnet, and shoes and gloves and fan,
For she's Belinda Bella and not Eliza Ann.
Eliza's hair is browny, one eye has gone away,
She has a flannel nighty and wears it all the day,
Her face is scratched and battered, just like our wat'ring-can;
She's not Belinda Bella, but just Eliza Ann. ”

“ A clock has hands like you and me....
"Tick-tock, tick-tock,
I am always right," said the Nursery Clock.
II FAIRIES
Hyde Park
The fairies live in Hyde Park—the London ones, I mean;
They love to see the blue sky and feel a bit of green;
They look out for the children, and beckon as they pass,
And fix up fairy notices, "Please keep ON the grass."
The fairies live in Hyde Park because they love to hide;
They tell the roar of London Town to keep itself outside,
For there are all the furry things, the birds and woolly lambs,
And little new-born fairy-folk asleep inside their prams. ”

“ Making marks on people's doors,
That's Tibby.
Little shirt-front, snowy-white,
Two green eyes so round and bright,
Velvet body strong and light,
That's Tibby.
Pinky tongue that washes fur,
Every part except his purr,
Sometimes much too bored to stir,
That's Tibby.
Walking so he won't be heard,
Hiding 'neath the ferns preferred,
Watching for a dicky-bird,
Oh, Tibby!
Stretching on the kitchen mat,
Long and lovely, sleek and fat,
Quite a yard of pussy-cat,
My Tibby!
Take what pretty things you see—
Take the cake I've made for tea—
Take my doll, but leave to me
My Tibby! ”

“ So 'ware the naughty Pixie-folk that peek upon the moor.
They sit upon the handle when Nanette is at the churn,
And, lo, when she has worked for hours the butter will not 'turn';
And once when she was in the field they came along to stare,
They pulled her apron-strings undone, and left her standing there.
They steal the new-born lambs, they do, and lure the foals away,
They play their tricks in mowing-fields, and trample new-mown hay;
They worry girls on market-day, as cheeky as can be,
And once they mixed a pound of rice in Aunt Eliza's tea. ”

“ Said Horse, "Here's a pickle, I sat on Eliza,
Her face is all scratched and her eye is pushed in."
Said Lamb, "Here's a muddle, my tail's in the tea-pot,
I can't get it out, and it pricks like a pin." ”

“ This is the time when Pixie-folk are peeking on the moor;
They're very naughty Pixie-folk, and up to awful tricks,
So shut the door, my darling, for the clock is striking six.
They steal the milk from Cushy-cow, they suck the bantam's eggs,
They harry all the mother sheep, and run them off their legs ”

“ The fairies live in Hyde Park, and in the month of March
A little girl comes riding underneath the Marble Arch;
She goes by way of Hyde Park, the fairies say she can—
A busy little Wendy girl, to stay with Peter Pan.
Moss
Very wee and low,
Creeping, as you know,
Up and then across,
Is the little moss.
Fairy fronds of green,
Spreading out are seen,
Very soft and neat,
Fit for fairy feet.
If you see it there,
Will you please take care?
Always step across
When you see the moss. ”

“ He said, "Your wish came more than true—-you saw the fairy Queen!"
III HOME
Granny
When Granny comes to stop with us she always loves to play;
She talks to every single doll and knows just what to say.
You haven't got to tell her why and lots of things explain,
She's been a little girl like me and wants to be again!
She knows Eliza's got a cough and only has one lung,
She knows Matilda's very bad and says, "Put out your tongue."
She always has a penny for the sweetshop in the lane,
She's been a little girl like me and wants to be again! ”

“ I write a lovely letter when Miss Phyllis is about,
And if by chance I make mistakes Miss Phyllis rubs them out.
And if I slip and tumble down I'm certain to be missed,
For Mother wants me badly when she does the washing-list,
And Father makes me keep the score when he begins to play—
I'm just a little pencil, but I have a busy day.
I really never am allowed to grow up as I ought,
I'm getting shorter every day (it's awful to be short) ,
And when the knife begins on me I ache in every joint,
I put it in that way because you're sure to see the point. ”

“ The Pixies on the Moor
Jerry
The Toys in the Cupboard
The Pencil's Story
New Year
Brother Francis
The Little Red Lamp (missing from source book)
The Little White Gate
A gate is made for shutting, and that is always right,
But only when it's black, and brown, NEVER when it's white,
Never when it's white, dears, and very tiny too;
It always must be open for the fairies to slip through!
They choose a little white gate became it's clean and neat,
They sit upon the topmost bar and swing their fairy feet ”