And sometimes for an hour or so I watched my leaden soldiers go With different uniforms and drills, Among the bed-clothes, through the hills; And sometimes sent my ships in fleets All up and down among the sheets; Or brought my trees and houses out, And planted cities all about. I was the giant great and still That sits upon the pillow-hill And sees before him, dale and plain, The pleasant land of counterpane. A GOOD PLAY We built a ship upon the stairs All made of the back-bedroom chairs, And filled it full of sofa pillows To go a-sailing on the billows. We took a saw and several nails, And water in the nursery pails; And Tom said, "Let us also take An apple and a slice of cake";-- Which was enough for Tom and me To go a-sailing on, till tea. We sailed along for days and days, And had the very best of plays; But Tom fell out and hurt his knee, So there was no one left but me. [Illustration] LOOKING FORWARD When I am grown to man's estate I shall be very proud and great, And tell the other girls and boys Not to meddle with my toys. [Illustration] SINGING Of speckled eggs the birdie sings And nests among the trees; The sailor sings of ropes and things In ships upon the seas. The children sing in far Japan, The children sing in Spain; The organ with the organ man Is singing in the rain. [Illustration] [Illustration] RAIN The rain is raining all around, It falls on field and tree, It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea. THE LAND OF NOD From breakfast on through all the day At home among my friends I stay, But every night I go abroad Afar into the Land of Nod. All by myself I have to go, With none to tell me what to do-- All alone beside the streams And up the mountain sides of dreams. The strangest things are there for me, Both things to eat and things to see, And many frightening sights abroad Till morning in the land of Nod. Try as I like to find the way, I never can get back by day, Nor can remember plain and clear The curious music that I hear. SYSTEM Every night my prayers I say, And get my dinner every day; And every day that I've been good, I get an orange after food. The child that is not clean and neat, With lots of toys and things to eat, He is a naughty child, I'm sure-- Or else his dear papa is poor. [Illustration] [Illustration] MY SHADOW I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.