Hurt No Living Thing

By Christina Rossetti

Hurt no living thing:

Ladybird, nor butterfly,

Nor moth with dusty wing,

Nor cricket chirping cheerily,

Nor grasshopper so light of leap,

Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,

Nor harmless worms that creep.

King Arthur

When good King Arthur ruled the land,

He was a goodly king:

He stole three pecks of barley meal,

To make a bag-pudding.

A bag-pudding the king did make,

And stuffed it well with plums;

And in it put great lumps of fat,

As big as my two thumbs.

The king and queen did eat thereof,

And noblemen beside;

And what they could not eat that night,

The queen next morning fried.

Anonymous

Soudley Ponds

Wow! Wasn’t yesterday fun!

It’s about time we had a bit of sun, isn’t it?

I went back to my sock drawer for a couple of weeks, the weather was so miserable.

Yesterday, I was out in the Forest. It was beautiful.

Down by the ponds the Damselflies and Dragonflies were out and about.

We are so lucky to be so close to the Forest.

I'm off to Soudley Ponds again today – see you there!

Ciao!

Bowsie

The Vision

by Vivienne Corby

One day, just at sunset, we came to a hill,

The three of us, me, little Judith, and Bill,

And we saw such a wonderful sight, we three,

That it seemed like a marvellous dream to me.

For there on the grass, in the shade of the trees,

Were hundreds of fairies who danced in the breeze;

And how their wings shone in the fast sinking sun!

We wanted to kiss them, yes, every one.

And then Billy sneezed, and they all flew away.

But still we are hoping to this very day

That we’ll see them again, on top of the hill,

The three of us, me, little Judith, and Bill.

The Ride-by-Nights

by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956)

Up on their brooms the Witches stream,

Crooked and black in the crescent’s gleam;

One foot high, and one foot low,

Bearded, cloaked, and cowled, they go.

‘Neath Charlie’s Wain they twitter and tweet,

And away they swarm ‘neath the Dragon’s feet.

With a whoop and a flutter they swing and sway,

And surge pell-mell down the Milky-Way.

Betwixt the legs of the glittering Chair

They hover and squeak in the empty air.

Then round they swoop past the glimmering Lion

To where Sirius barks behind huge Orion;

Up, then, and over to wheel amain,

Under the silver, and home again.

Oxfordshire Children’s May Song

Country Rhyme

Spring is coming, spring is coming

Birdies, build your nest;

Weave together straw and feather,

Doing each your best.

Spring is coming, spring is coming

Flowers are coming too:

Pansies, lilies, daffodillies,

Now are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming

All around is fair;

Shimmer and quiver on the river,

Joy is everywhere.

We wish you a happy May.

Old Shellover

by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956)

“Come!” said Old Shellover.

“What?” says Creep.

“The horny old Gardener’s fast asleep;

The fat cock Thrush

To his nest has gone,

And the dew shines bright

In the rising Moon;

Old Sallie Worm from her hole doth peep;

Come!” said Old Shellover

“Ay!” said Creep.