Children's poetry, English; London (England) -- Juvenile poetry
The red-coated guard who's watching here
Is called a Beefeater--fancy that!
And Prue discovers, as she draws near,
A child by his side who is round and fat.
"Father and Mother, pray come here,"
In tones so pleasant, laughs lively Prue:
"You've shown _me_ things that are odd and queer,
A Beefeater's baby I'll show _you_!"
The Tower
Prue has wandered high and wandered low
Through Norman chapel and dungeon cell;
The grand Crown Jewels that sparkle so,
And the Traitor's Gate, she has seen as well.
She has looked from the walls on the River, too,
And spent in the Armouries nearly an hour:
Ah! holiday folks like our Miss Prue
Enjoy themselves when they come to the Tower!
But the Tower was a prison, in days of old,
And few who got into it ever came out,
Though now we can visit the grim stronghold
Any day of the week, without fear or doubt.
The Omnibus
Every day along the streets of mighty London Town
Nine hundred omnibuses rumble up and down.
When you're tired of walking, call "Hi! Conductor, stop!"
And he'll give you such a jolly ride, for twopence, on the top.
Sometimes by the 'bus's side small boys will run a mile,
Turning round just like the wheels, and hungry all the while:--
"We've not had any breakfast,--won't you toss us down a brown?"--
That's what they call a penny in the streets of London Town.
The Penny-Ice Man
In summer when the sun is high,
And children's lips are parched and dry,
An ice is just the thing to try.
So this young man who comes, 'tis plain,
From Saffron Hill or Leather Lane,
A store of pence will quickly gain.
"A lemon ice for me," says Fred;
Cries Sue, "No, have a cream instead."
"A raspberry!" shouts Newsboy Ned.
"What fun! Although we're now in June,
It feels"--says Ned--"this afternoon,
Like eating winter with a spoon!"
COVENT GARDEN
This is Covent Garden,
What a lively scene!
Here are flowers so pretty,
There are leaves so green.
These are busy buyers,
Busy sellers those,
Selling, buying, selling,
Everything that grows.
Fruits and lovely blossoms
Hither come each day,
Fresh from _other_ gardens
Many miles away.
Cabbages potatoes,
Pears and apples too,
Grapes, and pines, and peaches,
All are here on view.
So the air is scented
With the pleasant fruits,
With the bright-hued nosegays,
And the springing roots.
For the little street-boys,
Walking up and down,
It's almost like the country
Brought to London Town.
The Penny-Toy Man
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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