Hilaire Belloc

“ You should have heard her Scream and Bawl,
And throw the window up and call
To People passing in the Street—
(The rapidly increasing Heat
Encouraging her to obtain
Their confidence) —but all in vain! ”

“ To pass your Leisure Time
In Cleanly Merriment, and turn
From Mud and Oose and Slime
And every form of Nastiness—
But, on the other Hand,
Children in ordinary Dress
May always play with Sand. ”

“ Should flourish in a Child of Six! ”

“ Physicians of the Utmost Fame
Were called at once; but when they came
They answered,
⁠as they took their Fees,
"There is no Cure for this Disease. ”

“ And always keep a-hold of Nurse
For fear of finding something worse. ”

“ MORAL The moral is that little Boys
Should not be given dangerous Toys.
[Pg 75]
Charles Augustus Fortescue, Who always Did what was Right, and so accumulated an Immense Fortune.
The nicest child I ever knew
Was Charles Augustus Fortescue. ”

“ What would he have remarked to hear
His Young Descendant shriek with fear,
Because he happened to be near
A Harmless Motor-Car!
But do not fret about it! Come!
We'll off to Town
⁠And purchase some! ”

“ Confided to Her Husband, "Drat!
The Miserable, Peevish Brat!
Why don't they drown the Little Beast?"
Suggestions which, to say the least,
Are not what we expect to hear
From Daughters of an English Peer. ”

“ Who goes and slams the door for Fun.
The children who were brought to hear
The awful Tale from far and near
Were much impressed,
[Pg 68]
and inly swore
They never more would slam the Door.
—As often they had done before.
[Pg 69]
George, Who played with a Dangerous Toy, and suffered a Catastrophe of considerable Dimensions. ”

“ For playing with a Loaded Gun.
[Pg 44]
Hildebrand, Who was frightened by a Passing Motor, and was brought to Reason.
“Oh, Murder! What was that, Papa!”
“My child,
[Pg 45] It was a Motor-Car,
A Most Ingenious Toy! ”

“ And Guy de Vere is far too young,
And ... wasn’t D’Alton’s Father hung?
And as for Alexander Byng!— ...
I think I know the kind of thing,
A Churchman, cleanly, nobly born,
Come
[Pg 38] let us say Godolphin Horne? ”

“ But there it was the dreadful Fate
Befel him, which I now relate.
You know—at least you ought to know,
For I have often told you so—
That Children never are allowed
To leave their Nurses in a Crowd ”

“ For fear of finding something worse. ”

“ The Aged Patriot groaned and died:
[Pg 62] And gracious! how Lord Lundy cried!
[Pg 63]
Rebecca, Who slammed Doors for Fun and Perished Miserably.
A Trick that everyone abhors
In Little Girls is slamming Doors. ”

“ CAUTIONARY TALES FOR
CHILDREN Designed for the Admonition of Children between the ages
of eight and fourteen years
Verses by
H. BELLOC
———
Pictures by
B. T. B.
DUCKWORTH
3 HENRIETTA STREET, LONDON, W.C. ”