The Little Black Hen Said "I don't care For a How-do-you-do Or a Big-brown-bear, But I'll lay you a beautiful Eastery egg, If you'll show me the nettle-place On your leg." I showed her the place Where I had my sting. She touched it gently With one black wing. "Nettles don't hurt If you count to ten. And now for the egg," Said the Little Black Hen. When I wake up On Easter Day, I shall see my egg She's promised to lay. If I were Emperors, If I were Kings, It couldn't be fuller Of wonderful things. Berryman and Baxter, Prettiboy and Penn, And old Farmer Middleton Are five big men. All of them are wanting An egg for their tea, But the Little Black Hen is much too busy, The Little Black Hen is _much_ too busy, The Little Black Hen is MUCH too busy.... _She's laying my egg for me!_ THE FRIEND There are lots and lots of people who are always asking things, Like Dates and Pounds-and-ounces and the names of funny Kings, And the answer's either Sixpence or A Hundred Inches Long, And I know they'll think me silly if I get the answer wrong. So Pooh and I go whispering, and Pooh looks very bright, And says, "Well, _I_ say sixpence, but I don't suppose I'm right," And then it doesn't matter what the answer ought to be, 'Cos if he's right, I'm Right, and if he's wrong, it isn't Me. THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL It's funny how often they say to me, "Jane? "Have you been a _good_ girl?" "Have you been a _good_ girl?" And when they have said it, they say it again, "Have you been a _good_ girl?" "Have you been a _good_ girl?" I go to a party, I go out to tea, I go to an aunt for a week at the sea, I come back from school or from playing a game; Wherever I come from, it's always the same: "Well? Have you been a _good_ girl, Jane?" It's always the end of the loveliest day: "Have you been a _good_ girl?" "Have you been a _good_ girl?" I went to the Zoo, and they waited to say: "Have you been a _good_ girl?" "Have you been a _good_ girl?" Well, what did they think that I went there to do? And why should I want to be bad at the Zoo? _And should I be likely to say if I had?_ So that's why it's funny of Mummy and Dad, This asking and asking, in case I was bad, "Well? Have you been a _good_ girl, Jane?" A THOUGHT If I were John and John were Me, Then he'd be six and I'd be three. If John were Me and I were John, I shouldn't have these trousers on.