A Child's Garden of Verses is a classic collection of poems for children by Robert Louis Stevenson. The poems observe childhood from a child's point of view—bedtime, play, travel, shadows, and imagination—in simple, musical verse. It is worth listening to for its gentle rhythms and warm, enduring picture of early life.
For teachers and schools: paste the code into your site or blog.
Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
Copyright, 1905, By CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Charles Scribner's Sons DD-3.64[H] Reset March 1955 TO ALISON CUNNINGHAM FROM HER BOY For the long nights you lay awake And watched for my unworthy sake: For your most comfortable hand That led me through the uneven land: For all the story-books you read: For all the pains you comforted: For all you pitied, all you bore, In sad and happy days of yore:— My second Mother, my first Wife, The angel of my infant life— From the sick child, now well and old, Take, nurse, the little book you hold! And grant it, Heaven, that all who read May find as dear a nurse at need, And every child who lists my rhyme, In the bright, fireside, nursery clime,
May hear it in as kind a voice As made my childish days rejoice! R. L. S. THE ORIGINAL TITLE PAGE FOR A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES BY JESSIE WILLCOX SMITH A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES ROBERT LOVIS STEVENSON WITH ILLVSTRATIONS BY JESSIE WILLCOX SMITH CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK MCMV CONTENTS TO ALISON CUNNINGHAM vii BED IN SUMMER 3
A THOUGHT 4 AT THE SEA-SIDE 5 YOUNG NIGHT-THOUGHT 6 WHOLE DUTY OF CHILDREN 7 RAIN 7 PIRATE STORY 8 FOREIGN LANDS 9 WINDY NIGHTS 10 TRAVEL 11 SINGING 13 LOOKING FORWARD 14 A GOOD PLAY 15 WHERE GO THE BOATS? 16 AUNTIE'S SKIRTS 17 THE LAND OF COUNTERPANE 18 THE LAND OF NOD 19 MY SHADOW 20 SYSTEM 22 A GOOD BOY 23 ESCAPE AT BEDTIME 24 MARCHING SONG 25 THE COW 26 HAPPY THOUGHT 27 THE WIND 28 KEEPSAKE MILL 29 GOOD AND BAD CHILDREN 31 FOREIGN CHILDREN 33 THE SUN TRAVELS 35 THE LAMPLIGHTER 36 MY BED IS A BOAT 37 THE MOON 39 THE SWING 40 TIME TO RISE 41
Readnara
