Ii

Then the Toddling Baby Boy, With shining morning face, Creeping like a snail.

Queer, drifting fancies, vague and dim, 'Neath his gold curls are hid. The kitchen steps appear to him Those of a pyramid.

With mighty purpose in his mind, He clambers up. And then, With purpose quite as well defined, He scrambles down again.

Then, of all busy ones of earth,-- Toilers beneath the sun, Working away for all they're worth, He is the busiest one!

Down in the sand he has to dig A hole, exceeding deep; And by its side, all smooth and big, He piles a lovely heap.

With both hands then he scatters it Round the verandah floor; And when he's scattered every bit, He scoops it up once more.

He has to watch the rainy drops Drip, dripping from the wall; Then, quick as anything, he stops To go and roll his ball.

Across the lawn he seems to see A funny little stick; So he must needs go hastily And give the thing a kick.

The laughing sunshine sifts right through His mop of tangled curls; Turning it to a golden hue, And kinking it in twirls.

Then the Toddling Baby Boy-- With shining morning face, Creeping like a snail.]

And then he hums with all his might A funny little song; Some of the notes are almost right, And some are sort of wrong.

Then he must watch a lady-bird That crawls across the floor; Then listen! for he thinks he heard An awful lion roar!

He has to stop and 'member things; "Once out at Gran'ma's house They was a birdy wiv red wings! And kitty caught a mouse!

"And then in Sunday-school one day, The children all stood 'round, And sang a song 'bout why--delay,-- It had a lovely sound."

Whatever can, or can't be known, He much desires to know; For suddenly his wonder-bone Has just begun to grow.

"I wonder what that birdy's at Over to Gran'ma's house. I wonder why a kitty cat Is 'llowed to catch a mouse.

"I wonder why the doggie whines, I wonder why he does; I wonder why the dandylines All turns to fuzzy-fuzz.

"I wonder why my shadow-boy Hops fast along as me; I wonder why my newest toy So broken seems to be.

"I wonder why they disappear That sharp and shiny tool; I wonder why my muvver dear Won't let me go to school.

"I wonder why a deaded fly Won't ever come alive; I wonder why I'm only free, An Dorofy is five!"

Each hour with wonder new is fraught; Until he thinks so fast, He wonders what it was he thought When he was thinking last.

Wondering, singing, 'membering,-- He learns anew each day, The world is but a bounding ball For him to kick in play.