Mother Hubbard's Dog

"I'm Old Mother Hubbard's Dog, you know,
That's why I'm dressed in style."

MOTHER HUBBARD'S DOG

SAID Tilly and Tim, "We'll speak to him now,
And hear what he has to say."
To the well-dressed dog they made a bow,
And said, in their pleasantest way:
" Doggy, pray how do you do ?
Grant us an interview;
We' re going the rounds
Of these wide-spreading grounds,
And we want to begin with you."

The dog arose, and, bowing low,
Said with a cordial smile,
"I'm Old Mother Hubbard's dog, you know,
That's why I 'm dressed in style."
"Oho!" said Tilly and Tim,
Greatly admiring him,
" Pray tell how you came
To live with the dame, -
Was it a frivolous whim?"

"Well," said the dog, "'twas thus, you see;
When I was a tiny pup,
Somehow it always seemed to me
I 'd be famous when I grew up.
In the dog-days I was born,
When the dog-star shone in the morn;
And what do you s'pose?
A little dog-rose
Did always my collar adorn.

"I lived in a dog-wood, dark and drear,
Where nothing to eat I spied
But a dog-berry now and then, or I fear
I frequently might have died.
When one fine day, by chance,
I saw Mother Hubbard advance.
To her then I ran,
And quickly began
To turn somersaults and dance.

"'Oho,' said the dear old dame, said she,

 'A dog like you, I think,
I 'd like to adopt to live with me.'
Said I as quick as a wink: 

'Oh, Mother Hubbard, pray do
Take me to live with you;
You'll certainly find
I 'm gentle and kind,
Faithful and honest and true.'

" 'To that,' said the old dame, 'I agree.'
She adopted me then and there,
And for many years she gave to me
The best and kindest care.
She bought me fruit and bread,
She bought me this jacket red;
She was satisfied,
And filled with pride
If I danced or stood on my head.

" She was always giving me beautiful things,
And buying me this and that;
She loaded me with dog-watches and rings,
And bought me a feathered hat.
She bought me fine stockings and
shoes,
And neckties of various hues;
She bought me a wig
If I danced her a jig,
Which of course I would never refuse.

" But, alas and alack, it happened one day,
In spite of her thoughtful care,
That somebody stole all her food away
And left her cupboard bare ;
And rather than face the dame
Saddened with grief and shame,
The ocean I crossed,
Not a moment I lost,
But to Mother Goose I came.

"Cordially Mother Goose welcomed me,
And said, 'How do you do ?
I 'm sure in my spacious menagerie
I can find room for you'
So I stayed here, you see,
And I 'm happy as I can be;
For I'll be bound
That here I have found
The very best place for me.

" Of course I 've made in this good home
Many and excellent friends;
No more abroad I care to roam,
And so, - my story ends."
" But tell us," said Tilly and Tim,
As they narrowly looked at him,
" Why weren't you lost
When the ocean you crossed?
Are you a sea-dog? Can you swim? "

" Well," said the dog, " I came in a craft
That has never been seen by men.
It wasn't a steamer, a barge, or a raft."
Said Tilly and Tim,  "What, then?"
Said the dog, " I'll confide to you, -
A canoe brought me here to the Zoo."
"Birchbark? " they cried.
" No," he replied,
"I came in a dog-bark canoe"