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"

Tim and Tilly

"Good-morning," said she, "children dear;"
"Good-day," said they, politely. 

TIM AND TILLY

TWO little children, once there were,
Whose names were Tim and Tilly.
His skin was brown and rosy; her
Fair face was like a lily.
And they were just as good as gold,
And always did as they were told.
Their pretty ways
Deserve much praise,
Dear little Tim and Tilly.

One summer morning, hand in hand
Along the roadside walking,
Tilly and Tim went singing, and
Occasionally talking,
When, being tired, they thought it best
Upon a stone to sit and rest.
To them there came
An aged Dame
Along the roadside walking.

"Good-morning," said she, "children dear;"
"Good-day," said they, politely.
Her dress was just a trifle queer,
Though not at all unsightly.
She wore a quilted petticoat,
A cap with buckles at the throat,
A peaked hat,
With brim quite flat,
But not at all unsightly.

"Perhaps, my dears, you don't know me;"
"No, ma'am," they answered, smiling.
"Why, I am Mother Goose," said she
(Her manner was beguiling).
"I'm on a journey to my Zoo,
I'm sure that it would interest you,
And if you 'd care
To visit there - "
"Yes, ma'am!" they answered, smiling.

"Jump on my broomstick, then," she cried,
"Dear little Tim and Tilly,
'Twill be a long and rapid ride,
I hope you won't be chilly."
They took their places nothing loth,
She wrapped her cloak about them both;
With wild delight
They held on tight
And were not even chilly.

After they'd gone a mile or three,
They reached their destination;
And Mother Goose said pleasantly,
"Welcome to my plantation."
Then every kind of sound was heard,
The purr of cat and song of bird,
The bark of dog
And croak of frog,
Around the whole plantation.

Joyfully Tim and Tilly spied
Animals of all ages;
Some walking with a stately stride,
And some shut up in cages.
In kennels, stables, stalls, and pens,
In coops and holes and caves and dens,
In ponds and brooks,
In nests and nooks,
Were creatures of all ages.

Now Tilly, as I must admit,
Was just a trifle fearful;
But Tim said, "I don't mind a bit,
They 're all so kind and cheerful."
And this was true. You never saw
Animals that inspired less awe;
Even the Bears
Sat in their lairs
With aspect kind and cheerful.

"Dear Mother Goose," then Tilly said,
" May we not interview them?
That dog, and lamb, and robin red,
I feel as if I knew them!"
Said Mother Goose, "No doubt you do;
I rather think they know you, too.
Just try and see
How glad they '11 be
To have you interview them."

So Tim and Tilly, hand in hand,
Into the Zoo went bravely;
They met a dog who nodded, and
Regarded them quite gravely.
A handsome dog, and so well-bred,
With big brown eyes and noble head.
Upon a mat
He calmly sat,
Regarding them quite gravely.

"I think, dear," Tilly said to Tim,
" We'll interview this fellow;
Somehow I like the looks of him
With his gay coat of yellow."
"All right," said Tim, " let's have a chat
With Mr. Dog upon his mat ;
We'll draw him out
And I've no doubt,
He'll prove a merry fellow."

Interview with Mother Hubbard's Dog