A Day of Hard Work

KITTY.--Well, now you’ve been running about so, pray can’t you sit
still?
I want to have some talk with you, and I certainly will:
I’ve got all this unpicking to do, for while I talk I must work;
You boys can run about idling--I sit stitching like a Turk,
Come, now tell me, can’t you, something about the farm-yard?
How many eggs has the turkey laid--and is that muddy place dry and
hard?
Come, tell me in a minute, I haven’t patience to wait;
And till you begin, sir, there’s a thimble-pie for you on the top of
your pate.

HARRY.--Oh Kitty! you’ve knocked me so, I’ll tell my mother, that I
will!
If you do so, miss, nobody will like you, so you’d better be still.

KITTY.--Well, then, tell me something! why should I be still and
nobody talking?

HARRY.--Oh! I’m tired with this running about, and this riding, and
this walking;
I wish there was no such thing as running or walking at all;
And I wish every horse were in the fields, or else tied up in its
stall!
What’s your work, Kitty? sitting still in the house at ease;
You’ve nothing to do but to sit down, and get up again, just as you
please;
And yet you talk of your work, as if ’twas the hardest that e’er was
done,
Why compare it with mine, child, and I’m sure it’s nothing but
fun!

KITTY.--Child! I’m no more child than you; I’m but younger by a
year,
I desire you to speak respectfully to me, now, sir,--do you hear?

HARRY.--Yes, yes, I hear! But I really am so tired, as I was just
now saying;
I wish you’d get your work done, and let’s begin playing!
You can’t believe, I’m sure, all the work I’ve done this day--
I’ve weeded two carrot beds, and the onions-- and carried all the
weeds away;
And I’ve been down to Thomas Jackson’s to tell him to get the horse
shod;
And in coming back there was a great, big, rusty nail, upon which I
trod,
And it lamed me so, I don’t believe I shall walk for a week,
At least as I ought to do, for my ancle has quite a creak!

KITTY.--Oh dear, let me look at it! Why, I’m sure it is quite
shocking--
See, there’s a hole as large as my thimble in the ancle of your
stocking!

HARRY.--Oh no, ’tis the other foot--that I tore with a bramble;
And that reminds me, Jack Smith and I had such a terrible scramble!
We were catching the pony that I might ride down to the mill,
To bid him bring the flour home, for I declare he has it still;
And we shan’t have a bit of white bread in the house, nor a pudding,
nor a pie,
If he don’t bring it home--every one says he’s shamefully idle, and
so do I.
Well, but I haven’t told you after all, what a deal of work I’ve
done;
And I’m sure if you knew what weeding was, you would not call it
fun;
It makes one’s back ache so, stooping to weed all day,
I shall be famously glad when it’s done!

KITTY.--But are you quite ready for play?
I’ve but a little bit to do--I shall have done in half a quarter of
an hour;
And as you’ve nothing to do, just run and see if that lavender’s in
flower--
There’s a good Harry, do; I’ll do seven times as much for you;
You know I sewed, yesterday, that old clasp in your shoe.

HARRY.--I’d go, if I thought you’d have done by the time I come
back:

KITTY.--To be sure I shall!--I wish you would not waste so much
time with your clack!

HARRY.--Well, just let me pull up my shoe, and put by this peacock’s
feather,

KITTY.--Nay, you may as well stay now; I’ve just done, and we’ll
both go together;
For I want to show you something like a magpie’s nest up in a tree,
Only I don’t think it is a magpie’s nest, and I can’t think what it
can be;
And it is just by the lavender bush, and ’twill save us going there
twice:--
There, now I’ve done my work! and I shall be ready in a trice!

HARRY.--Well, then let us begone; we shall have two whole hours for
play;
I didn’t think we should have had so much time, and I’ been working
all day!