Page 20 - eMuse Vol.9 No.10_Neat

“Mine is a trumpet!”
“Mine lolly-sticks!”
Thistledown, Thistledown,
Four, Five, Six!
Leslie H. Allen, Billy-Bubbles (1920)

The Locust
I had a little locust no bigger than my thumb,
I put him in a match-box, and there I made him drum.
I opened up the match-box, to see if he was there —
“Buzz!” went the locust, and flew into the air.
Leslie H. Allen, Billy-Bubbles (2nd Edition 1924)
Penrith
As I was going to Penrith
I met two chinamen with
A great big gun
And a hot cross bun
To catch a speckled hen with.
Leslie H. Allen, Billy-Bubbles (2nd Edition 1924)
Some More Variations Clippety, clopperty, clippety, clop
Gallop away till you come to a stop,
Off again cantering quietly along —
On Nursery Rhymes Hoofs beating to the words of your song.

E. T. Luke, Australian Nature Studies and Nursery Rhymes (1921)

Little Danny Dunn,
Was a Mallee farmer’s son,
From “Twinkle Twinkle Southern Cross” And loved to chase the lambs about for fun, fun, fun.
compiled by Robert Holden. Above illustration from the cover. A mother sheep one day,
Big Billy Bim-Bam Butted Danny right away,
And from the grassy paddock made him run, run, run.
Big Billy Bim-Bam E. T. Luke, Australian Nature Studies and Nursery Rhymes (1921)
Go to school!
Don’t play all day The Southern Cross
By the fishes’ pool.
Months and months See the star cross in the sky,
Big Billy, Big Billy, dunce, dunce, dunce! Shining every night so high
In the south, o’er gum-trees tall,
Pert Polly Ping-Pong Sign that Angels guard us all.
Go to school! E. T. Luke, Australian Nature Studies and Nursery Rhymes (1921)
Don’t wander day long
Gathering wool. Peter’s Plum
Days pass, weeks pass, Peter, Peter, here’s a plum;
You haven’t been once,
Pert Polly, Pert Polly, dunce, dunce, dunce! Hold it with your tiny thumb.
Eat it slow as slow can be
Leslie H. Allen, Billy-Bubbles Till the stone is all you see
Twixt your finger and your thumb —
Thistledown “Peter, Peter, where’s your plum.”

Thistledown, Thistledown, E. T. Luke, Australian Nature Studies and Nursery Rhymes (1921)
One, Two, Three!
What shall I wish for? Editor’s Footnote:
What shall it be? These simple little poems are a great start point for getting kids
interested in poetry. Why not teach them to be said out loud?
“I’ll have a dolly!”
“A drum for me!” Better still! Learn a few yourself to recite when tucking the kids into
Thistledown, Thistledown, bed at night.
One, Two, Three!
Thistledown, Thistledown,
Four, Five, Six! a|b
All shut your eyes tight
While each one picks!
20 eMuse October 2020