Produced by David Garcia and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN [Illustration] JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY [Illustration] THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY _Illustrated by_ J.W. VAWTER NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1902 Copyright, 1902, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ------------------------- _Published October, 1902_ THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN [Illustration: "NOT IN CLASSIC LORE, BUT RICH IN THE CHILD-SAGAS OF THE KITCHEN."] GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED TO JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS * * * * * _You who to the rounded prime_ _Of a life of toil and stress_, _Still have kept the morning-time_ _Of glad youth in heart and spirit_, _So your laugh, as children hear it_, _Seems their own, no less_,-- _Take this book of childish rhyme_-- _The Book of Joyous Children_. _Their first happiness on earth_ _Here is echoed--their first glee_: _Rich, in sooth, the volume's worth_-- _Not in classic lore, but rich in_ _The child-sagas of the kitchen_;-- _Therefore, take from me_ _To your heart of childish mirth_ _The Book of Joyous Children_. * * * * * [Illustration] CONTENTS PROEM THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN AN IMPROMPTU FAIRY-TALE DREAM-MARCH ELMER BROWN NO BOY KNOWS WHEN WE FIRST PLAYED "SHOW" A DIVERTED TRAGEDY THE RAMBO-TREE FIND THE FAVORITE THE BOY PATRIOT EXTREMES INTELLECTUAL LIMITATIONS A MASQUE OF THE SEASONS THOMAS THE PRETENDER LITTLE DICK AND THE CLOCK FOOL-YOUNGENSZ THE KATYDIDS BILLY AND HIS DRUM THE NOBLE OLD ELM THE PENALTY OF GENIUS EVENSONG THE TWINS THE LITTLE LADY "COMPANY MANNERS" IN FERVENT PRAISE OF PICNICS THE GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED PEOPLE THE BEST TIMES "HIK-TEE-DIK!" A CHRISTMAS MEMORY "OLD BOB WHITE" A SESSION WITH UNCLE SIDNEY: I ONE OF HIS ANIMAL STORIES II UNCLE BRIGHTENS UP III SINGS A "WINKY-TOODEN" SONG IV AND MAKES NURSERY RHYMES 1 THE DINERS IN THE KITCHEN 2 THE IMPERIOUS ANGLER 3 THE GATHERING OF THE CLANS 4 "IT" 5 THE DARING PRINCE A DUBIOUS "OLD KRISS" A SONG OF SINGING THE JAYBIRD A BEAR FAMILY SOME SONGS AFTER MASTER-SINGERS: I SONG II TO THE CHILD JULIA III THE DOLLY'S MOTHER IV WIND OF THE SEA V SUBTLETY VI BORN TO THE PURPLE OLD MAN WHISKERY-WHEE-KUM-WHEEZE LITTLE-GIRL-TWO-LITTLE-GIRLS A GUSTATORY ACHIEVEMENT CLIMATIC SORCERY A PARENT REPRIMANDED THE TREASURE OF THE WISE MAN [Illustration] * * * * * FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS