Bikey the Skicycle and Other Tales of JimmieboyBangs, John Kendrick
General
Bikey the Skicycle and Other Tales of Jimmieboy
Bangs, John Kendrick
Boys -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories, American; Fantasy literature; Short stories, American
"I'd be very glad to tell you a million of them," returned the voice,
"but I don't believe there's electricity enough for me to do it under
twenty-five minutes, and as we only have five left, I'm going to recite
my lines on 'A Sulphur Match.'
"The flame you make, O Sulphur Match!
When your big head I chance to scratch,
"Appears so small most people deem
You lilliputian, as you seem.
"And yet the force that in you lies
Can light with brilliance all the skies.
"There's strength enough in you to send
Great cities burning to their end;
"So that we have a hint in you
Of what the smallest thing can do.
"Don't you like that?" queried the voice, anxiously. "I do hope you do,
because I am especially proud of that. The word lilliputian is a
tremendous word for a poet of my size, and to think that I was able,
alone and unassisted, to lift it bodily out of the vocabulary into the
poem makes me feel very, very proud of myself, and agree with my mother
that I am the greatest poet that ever lived."
"Well, if you want me to, I'll like it," said Jimmieboy, who was in an
accommodating mood. "I'll take your word for it that it is a tremendous
poem, but if you think of repeating it over again to me, don't do it.
Let me have another comic poem."
"All right," said Pixyweevil--for it was he that spoke through the book.
"You are very kind to like my poem just to please me. Tell me anything
in the world you want a poem about, and I'll let you have the poem."
"Really?" cried Jimmieboy, delighted to meet with so talented a person
as Pixyweevil. "Well--let me see--I'd like a poem about my garden rake."
"Certainly. Here it is:
"I had a little garden rake
With seven handsome teeth,
It followed me o'er fern and brake,
O'er meadow-land and heath.
"And though at it I'd often scowl,
And treat it far from right,
My garden rake would never growl,
Nor use its teeth to bite."
"Elegant!" ejaculated Jimmieboy. "Say it again."
"Oh no! we haven't time for that. Besides, I've forgotten it. What else
shall I recite about?" queried Pixyweevil.
"I don't know; I can't make up my mind," said Jimmieboy.
"Oh dear me! that's awful easy," returned Pixyweevil. "I can do that
with my eyes shut. Here she goes:
"Shall I become a lawyer great,
A captain of a yacht,
A man who deals in real estate,
A doctor, or a what?
Ah me! Oh ho!
I do not know.
I can't make up my mind.
"I have a penny. Shall I buy
An apple or a tart?
A bit of toffee or a pie,
A cat-boat or a cart?
Ah me! Oh ho!
I do not know.
I can't make up my mind."
"Splendid!" cried Jimmieboy.
"That's harder--much harder," said Pixyweevil, "but I'll try. How is
this:
"I bought one day, in Winnipeg,
A truly wondrous heavy egg;
And when my homeward course was run
I showed it to my little son.
'Dear me!' said he,
When he did see,
'I think that hen did
Splen-did-ly!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account