Living

Little Dick and the Clock

by James Whitcomb Riley 1849–1916

From The Book of Joyous Children (1902)

Living

When Dicky was sick
In the night, and the clock,
As he listened, said "Tick-
Atty--tick-atty--tock!"
He said that it said,
Every time it said "Tick,"
It said "Sick," instead,
And he heard it say "Sick!"
And when it said "Tick-
Atty--tick-atty--tock,"
He said it said "Sick-
Atty--sick-atty--sock!"
And he tried to see then,
But the light was too dim,
Yet he heard it again--
And't was talking to him!

And then it said "Sick-
Atty--sick-atty--sick
You poor little Dick-
Atty--Dick-atty--dock!
Have you got the hick-
Atties? Hi! send for Doc
To hurry up quick
Atty--quick-atty--quock,
And heat a hot brick-
Atty--brick-atty--brock,

And rikle-ty wrap it
And clickle-ty clap it
Against his cold feet-
Al-ty--weep-aty--eepaty--
There he goes, slapit-
Ty--slippaty--sleepaty!"

MLA

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Little Dick and the Clock.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/322/.

Chicago

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Little Dick and the Clock.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/322/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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