The Village of Hide and SeekWilson, Bingham Thoburn
Science
The Village of Hide and Seek
Wilson, Bingham Thoburn
Children's stories
"'That fine building, my darlings, is the Temple of Music. When the
clock in its tower strikes twelve all the dolls will come out of the
Temple, and, gathering on the green about the band stand, they will all
begin to sing.'
"Arthur and Maud glanced away toward the clock that stood just beneath
the golden dome in the tower of the Temple of Music. It was five minutes
to the hour; yet the dolls were forsaking their playthings all over the
village and rapidly hastening to the Temple. In a moment more the
streets of the village were deserted.
"There lay their thousands of fine toys with no one to molest them.
There stood their play-houses with wide-open windows and doors and no
one to touch the fine furniture within; while beyond lay the broad,
green, but now idle playground.
"The hands of the clock in the tower closed slowly, one upon the other,
as if in loving embrace.
"One, two, three, came the sound of the chime in the belfry, and thus it
continued until the last stroke of twelve, when, from the wide-open
doors of the Temple of Music, the dolls filed out into the public square
and formed themselves in circling rows around the band stand.
"In glittering raiment of silver and gold lace, the Doll-Baby Brass-Band
of fully five hundred pieces appeared on the scene and took its place in
the band stand.
"A marshall, or music master, climbed to his place on a pedestal.
"There was a loud tap of his gold baton and the instruments went up to
the lips of the happy-faced players. Then came a firm wave of command;
and one grand, wild burst of sweet melody fell upon the ears of the
delighted children, so overcome by the sight and sound they had to lean
upon the side of the golden throne, as all the dolls in the village thus
began to sing:
"'Oh come to the Village of Hide and Seek,
For Little Boy Blue, and Little Bo-Peep,
With Hi-Diddle-Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle,
Are coming to visit us soon.
Old Mother Goose will be sweeping the sky,
And poor Simple Simon will bring us a pie;
While Little Jack Horner will milk on the corner
The Cow that Jumped over the Moon.
_Chorus._
"'We are glad that you came, so please tell us your name
And join us a while in our favorite game.
You should dwell in the Village of Hide and Seek,
For it's Saturday here every Day in the week,—
It is Saturday, Saturday all of the week.
"'Now Jack from his Bean Stalk will jump to the ground.
The Black Birds will leave the King's pie with a bound.
While Old Mother Hubbard will open her cupboard
And search it again for a bone.
The Dish will come back with the Spoon that it stole,
And Dickery Dock bring the mouse from its hole,
While we will go hunting for Bye Baby Bunting,
And bring her poor Daddy back home.
_Chorus._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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