Classic Poem

‘Be stirring, girls! we ought to have a run:
Look, did you ever see so fine a day?
Fling spindles right away,
And rocks and reels and wools:
Now don't be fools,—
To-day your spinning's done.
Up with you, up with you!’ So, one by one,
They caught hands, catch who can,
Then singing, singing, to the river they ran,
They ran, they ran
To the river, the river;
And the merry-go-round
Carries them at a bound
To the mill o'er the river.
‘Miller, miller, miller,
Weigh me this lady
And this other. Now, steady!’
‘You weigh a hundred, you,
And this one weighs two.’
‘Why, dear, you do get stout!’
‘You think so, dear, no doubt:
Are you in a decline?’
‘Keep your temper, and I'll keep mine.’
‘Come, girls,’ (‘Oh, thank you, miller!’)
‘We'll go home when you will.’
So, as we crossed the hill,
A clown came in great grief
Crying, ‘Stop thief! stop thief!
Oh, what a wretch I am!’
‘Well, fellow, here's a clatter!
Well, what's the matter?’
‘O Lord, O Lord, the wolf has got my lamb!’
Now at that word of woe,
The beauties came and clung about me so
That if wolf had but shown himself, maybe
I too had caught a lamb that fled to me.