Hello all!
I decided I’d post something fun. Here is another poem my mother would read to us when we were small, and we loved it! I can still hear her voice as she raised and lowered her voice to fit the parts. It was funny,but scary. And of course, I would read it to my children, with much enthusiasm. It’s the only way. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. So Enjoy and share this one. But remember…be good!
This is by James Whitcomb Riley:
To all the little children: — The happy ones; and sad ones;The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones; The good ones — Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.
Little Orphant Annie
by
James Whitcomb Riley
by
James Whitcomb Riley
Little Orphan Annie’s come to my house to stay.
To wash the cups and saucers up and brush the crumbs away.
To wash the cups and saucers up and brush the crumbs away.
To shoo the chickens from the porch and dust the hearth and sweep,
and make the fire and bake the bread to earn her board and keep.
While all us other children, when the supper things is done,
we sit around the kitchen fire and has the mostest fun,
a listening to the witch tales that Annie tells about
and the goblins will get ya if ya don’t watch out!
Once there was a little boy who wouldn’t say his prayers,
and when he went to bed at night away up stairs,
his mammy heard him holler and his daddy heard him bawl,
and when they turned the covers down, he wasn’t there at all!
They searched him in the attic room and cubby hole and press
and even up the chimney flu and every wheres, I guess,
but all they ever found of him was just his pants and round-abouts
and the goblins will get ya if ya don’t watch out!!Once there was a little girl who always laughed and grinned
and made fun of everyone, of all her blood and kin,
and once when there was company and old folks was there,
she mocked them and she shocked them and said, she didn’t care.
And just as she turned on her heels to go and run and hide,
there was two great big black things a standing by her side.
They snatched her through the ceiling fore she knew what shes about,
and the goblins will get ya if ya don’t watch out!!
When the night is dark and scary, and the moon is full
and creatures are a flying and the wind goes Whoooooooooo,
you better mind your parents and your teachers fond and dear,
and cherish them that loves ya, and dry the orphans tears
and help the poor and needy ones that cluster all about,
or the goblins will get ya if ya don’t watch out!!!
My mom use to tell my siblings and I at bedtime we all loved it so nice to see it again the oldest in my family is 75 thank you ❤️
You are welcome!
I remember our older cousins quoting parts of this to me and my siblings when we stayed at their house; mainly because we didn’t have a public formal bedtime prayer ritual. It scared the socks off me! I was only about 6 years old. Funny thing, we have all grown up to be people of prayer; wonder if this had anything to do with it?
HaHa…I’m sure it did have something to do with it. Thank you for commenting!
I would definitely agree about the people of prayer! I know I learned so much what was right and wrong by what stories and poems my mother read to us at bedtime. Wish there was more of that today! Thank you for commenting.
I have searched and searched for this. My great grandma used to recite this to us from memory. I regret not recording her. She had the sweetest, kindest voice, it was hard to be scared.
I would hesitate to read this to my youngest (5 and 7) grandkids. I believe it would scare them too much. I do remember the predominate line about goblins but nothing else. Maybe it’s because I’m 83.
I completely understand. It scared me too, but loved hearing it!
I still have the book from when I was a kid (I;m 81 now). I loved this book and the peem. Thanks for posting.
You’re welcome! I was happy to share it!
I grew up in an entire house of siblings. There were 12 of us kids. My little old grandmother recited this for us every fall. It scared the Willies out of me and I looked forward to it every year at Halloween time. Now I’m reading it to my grandchildren and enjoying it even more! I am 74 years old.
That’s amazing!
I loved that as a child. My dad had it memorized and would recite it will feeling. It spooked me. When I was really young I thought he was telling me about his own childhood.
It does scare you, that’s for sure.
My name is Annie and my mom would tell me this bedtime story around Halloween every year but I’d beg her to tell me year round! Scared me but I still loved it. To this day I tell all my friends about it. Can’t wait to tell my children. The way my mom would say and the goblins will get YOOOOU! If you don’t…watch…out! The best part.
Yes! I guess from reading the comments here, a lot of moms did the same thing!
I don’t know why, but this poem suddenly popped into my head for the first time in 50+ years. When I was child, I had a storybook that included this poem. I remember reading it over and over and then being terrified at night that the goblins would come for me. Thanks for posting this – nostalgic for me.
This poem my grandmother used to recite to us when I was very small. This morning it just came into my head. I remembered it word for word. so I looked it up and found your site. Thank you. PS I’m 80.
I cant believe how so many people have found me because of this poem. So interesting and I’m so happy. It’s funny how something so small like a poem like this is remembered by so many. I’m 62! Thank you for commenting!
We had the book with scary drawings. In the mid ‘50s my older sister used to read this to me and I’d be really scared 😀
It’s so funny how so many people remember this poem. Thanks for commenting!