A Milne - Now We Are Six

A.A. Milne

Now We Are Six

Decorations By Ernest H. Shepard

to ANNE DARLINGTON

now she is seven and because she is so

SPESHAL

Introduction

Solitude

I have a house where I go
When theres too many people,
I have a house where I go
Where no one can be;
I have a house where I go,
Where nobody ever says No
Where no one says anythingso
There is no one but me.

King Johns Christmas

King John was not a good man
He had his little ways.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown.

King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he.
He stayed in every afternoon
But no one came to tea.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Were never from his near and dear,
But only from himself.
King John was not a good man,
Yet had his hopes and fears.
Theyd given him no present now
For years and years and years.
But every year at Christmas,
While minstrels stood about,
Collecting tribute from the young
For all the songs they might have sung,
He stole away upstairs and hung
A hopeful stocking out.

King John was not a good man,
He lived his life aloof;
Alone he thought a message out
While climbing up the roof.
He wrote it down and propped it
Against the chimney stack:
TO ALL AND SUNDRYNEAR AND FAR
F. CHRISTMAS IN PARTICULAR.
And signed it not Johannes R.
But very humbly, JACK.
I want some crackers,
And I want some candy;
I think a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I dont mind oranges,
I do like nuts!
And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife
That really cuts.
And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!

King John was not a good man
He wrote this message out,
And gat him to his room again,
Descending by the spout.
And all that night he lay there,
A prey to hopes and fears.
I think thats him a-coming now.
(Anxiety bedewed his brow.)
Hell bring one present, anyhow
The first Ive had for years.
Forget about the crackers,
And forget about the candy;
Im sure a box of chocolates
Would never come in handy;
I dont like oranges,
I dont want nuts,
And I HAVE got a pocket-knife
That almost cuts.
But, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!

King John was not a good man
Next morning when the sun
Rose up to tell a waiting world
That Christmas had begun,
And people seized their stockings,
And opened them with glee,
And crackers, toys and games appeared,
And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,
King John said grimly: As I feared,
Nothing again for me!
I did want crackers,
And I did want candy;
I know a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I do love oranges,
I did want nuts.
I havent got a pocket-knife
Not one that cuts.
And, oh! if Father Christmas had loved me at all,
He would have brought a big, red, india-rubber ball!
King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all
When through the window big and red
There hurtled by his royal head,
And bounced and fell upon the bed,
An india-rubber ball!
AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL
FOR BRINGING HIM
A BIG, RED,
INDIA-RUBBER
BALL!

Busy

I think I am a Muffin Man. I havent got a bell,
I havent got the muffin things that muffin people sell.

Perhaps I am a Postman. No, I think I am a Tram.
Im feeling rather funny and I dont know what I am

BUT
Round about
And round about
And round about I go
All around the table,
The table in the nursery