The Way To School

Five minutes chasing butterflies Way over, off the road; Five minutes watching Willie Price Do tricks with his pet toad; Five minutes helping Gibbsie get His pig back in the pen-- I wonder if it’s school-time yet? I guess I’m late again.

I think I lost a little time Because I walked so slow Where Johnny Watkins lost a dime A day or two ago. It’s underneath the leaves somewhere, And Johnny feels so blue That I just stopped a minute there Because he asked me to.

And then it rained a little bit, And Dominick McPhee Had his straw hat and had to sit Under a good thick tree, Or else he’d get it spoiled and get The top all swelled. You see, A straw hat is not safe to wet-- His kind, especially.

And after we had saved his hat From getting spoiled for him, A big woodpecker came and sat Upon a rotten limb; And Johnny said when they’re about, Somebody told the boys, You see a lot of worms come out To see what makes the noise.

So then we boys all stayed about A couple minutes more, In hopes to see the worms come out Which he was rapping for; But after he went b-r-r-r! and b-r-r-r! A while, he flew away, And Johnny said he guessed there were No worms at home that day.

So then we hurried up, and ran As fast as we could run, To get there just as school began. And just when it’s begun I had to run back to the tree To get my slate and rule; And yet the teacher cannot see Why boys are late for school.