Runaway Donkey and Other Rhymes for Children

<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>THE RUNAWAY DONKEY</h2> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">A sturdy little donkey,<br/></span> <span class="i2">All dressed in sober gray,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Once took it in his long-eared head<br/></span> <span class="i2">That he would run away.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">So, when a little open<br/></span> <span class="i2">He saw the stable door,<br/></span> <span class="i0">He ran as if he never would<br/></span> <span class="i2">Come back there any more.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/001.jpg" alt="The runaway donkey" style="width: 50%" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Away that donkey galloped<br/></span> <span class="i2">And ran and ran and ran<br/></span> <span class="i0">And ran and ran and ran and ran<br/></span> <span class="i2">And <span class="smcap">RAN</span> and RAN and <b>RAN</b>!<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/002.jpg" alt="And RAN and RAN and RAN" style="width: 50%" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Behind him ran the children,<br/></span> <span class="i2">The groom and coachman, too;<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/003.jpg" alt="Behind him ran the children" style="width: 50%" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">The farmer and the farmer's man,<br/></span> <span class="i2">To see what they could do.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/004.jpg" alt="The farmer and the farmer's man" style="width: 50%" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="figright1" style="width:75%"> <ANTIMG src="images/005a.jpg" alt="" style="width: 100%" /></div> <div class="figright2" style="width:20%"> <ANTIMG src="images/005b.jpg" alt="Come here, you foolish beast!" style="width: 100%" /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Some carried whips to whip him;<br/></span> <span class="i2">Some, oats to coax him near;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Some called, "Come here, you foolish beast!"<br/></span> <span class="i2">And some, "Come, Barney, dear."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But not a whit cared Barney<br/></span> <span class="i2">For cross or coaxing word;<br/></span> <span class="i0">And clatter, clatter, clatter still,<br/></span> <span class="i2">His little hoofs were heard.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">And all across the meadow,<br/></span> <span class="i2">And up and o'er the hill,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And through the woods and down the dale<br/></span> <span class="i2">He galloped with a will.<br/></span> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</SPAN></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">And into every hay field<br/></span> <span class="i2">And through the swamp and mire<br/></span> <span class="i0">Still Barney ran and ran and ran<br/></span> <span class="i2">As if he'd never tire!<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/006.jpg" alt="Did Barney stand" style="width: 50%" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="figright2" style="width:32%"> <ANTIMG src="images/007a.jpg" alt="" style="width: 100%" /></div> <div class="figright2" style="width:75%"> <ANTIMG src="images/007b.jpg" alt="Down dropped the iron latch" style="width: 100%" /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">His chasers all stopped running;<br/></span> <span class="i2">Then meek as any lamb<br/></span> <span class="i0">Did Barney stand, as if to say,<br/></span> <span class="i2">"Come catch me! Here I am."<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But when one of them started,<br/></span> <span class="i2">Then Barney started too;<br/></span> <span class="i0">As if the chase had just begun,<br/></span> <span class="i2">Away he swiftly flew.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But there's an end to all things,<br/></span> <span class="i2">And so, the stupid elf,<br/></span> <span class="i0">When no one else could capture him<br/></span> <span class="i2">This donkey caught himself.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">For, running in the barnyard,<br/></span> <span class="i2">He did not calculate<br/></span> <span class="i0">What consequences would befall,<br/></span> <span class="i2">And hit the swinging gate.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">It quickly swung together;<br/></span> <span class="i2">Down dropped the iron latch.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Oh, Barney Gray, to think that you<br/></span> <span class="i2">The runaway should catch!<br/></span></div> </div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">The children danced with pleasure,<br/></span> <span class="i2">The groom roared with delight,<br/></span> <span class="i0">The others smiled their broadest smiles<br/></span> <span class="i2">Or laughed with all their might.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But Barney, naughty Barney,<br/></span> <span class="i2">Had mischief in him still;<br/></span> <span class="i0">For when the laughing coachman tried<br/></span> <span class="i1">To lead him up the hill,<br/></span></div> </div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="figright1" style="width:75%"> <ANTIMG src="images/008a.jpg" alt="" style="width: 100%" /></div> <div class="figright2" style="width:18%"> <ANTIMG src="images/008b.jpg" alt="The children danced with pleasure" style="width: 100%" /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">His donkeyship determined<br/></span> <span class="i2">That he would yet have fun,<br/></span> <span class="i0">So braced himself and stood stock still<br/></span> <span class="i2">As if he weighed a ton!<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But mighty was the coachman<br/></span> <span class="i2">And pulled with such a will<br/></span> <span class="i0">That Barney soon was being dragged<br/></span> <span class="i2">Full roughly up the hill.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"Well, well!" at last thought Barney,<br/></span> <span class="i2">"The coachman is so strong,<br/></span> <span class="i0">I might as well be good just now,"<br/></span> <span class="i2">And so he walked along.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">And when he reached the stable<br/></span> <span class="i2">And stood within his stall<br/></span> <span class="i0">You'd scarce believe so meek a beast<br/></span> <span class="i2"><i>Could</i> run away at all!<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/009.jpg" alt="The coachman is so strong," style="width: 50%" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But all the meditations<br/></span> <span class="i2">Of this meek Barney Gray<br/></span> <span class="i0">Are only of some future time<br/></span> <span class="i2">When he may run away.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/010.jpg" alt="And stood within his stall" style="width: 50%" /></div> <hr class="chap" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />