Poems for Kids/Poems for the Very Young

On the Way to School  
 Charles Ghigna (1946 )

I'll tell you why I'm tardy and I hope my excuse will do.
I stopped to view upon a leaf a spider and some dew.
She spun a web before my eyes with a soft and silver hue,
And when she looked, I looked at her and whispered, "Peekaboo!" I think I may have startled her and so I waved good-bye,
But when I turned around to go, I met a butterfly!
I almost caught him in my hand to bring to class for you,
But when I tried to peek inside, away my treasure flew. And that is how I'm tardy, but I had to tell you why.
It's all the fault of a spider's web and a sneaky butterfly!


Hide and Seek

When I am alone, and quite alone,
I play a game, and it's all my own.

I hide myself
behind myself,
And then I try
To find myself.

I hide in the closet,
Where no one can see;
Then I start looking 
Around for me.

I hide myself
And look for myself,
There once was a shadow
I took for myself.

I hide in a corner;
I hide in the bed;
And when I come near me
I pull in my head!
-A. B. Shiffrin




Humpty Dumpty by: Mother Goose

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. 
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. 
All the king's horses and all the king's men 
Couldn't put Humpty back together again.


Mary's Lamb by: Sarah Josepha Hale

Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go;
He followed her to school one day
That was against the rule,
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school. And so the Teacher turned him out,
But still he lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear;
And then he ran to her, and laid
His head upon her arm,
As if he said--'I'm not afraid
You'll keep me from all harm.' What makes the lamb love Mary so?'
The eager children cry--
'O, Mary loves the lamb, you know,'
The Teacher did reply;
And you each gentle animal
In confidence may bind,
And make them follow at your call,
If you are always kind


Little Miss Muffet by: Mother Goose

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.



 La Poule aux oeufs d'or 

Meanness loose everything wanting to win everything.
I want to show it, 

One whom the hen, like says the fable, 
Laid everyday a golden egg. 
He though she has a treasure in her body. 
He killed her, opened her and found the same
As those of which the eggs did not bring back anything to him,
 having deprived himself of his most beautiful treasure.

Good lesson for the poor person:
During this last time, how many have we seen
From evening till morning became poor
For wanting to become wealthy too soon? 

translation from French to English
L’avarice perd tout en voulant tout gagner. 
Je ne veux, pour le témoigner, 

Que celui dont la Poule, à ce que dit la Fable, 
Pondait tous les jours un œufs d’or. Il crut que dans son corps elle avait un trésor. 
Il la tua, l’ouvrit, et la trouva semblable 
A celles dont les œufs ne lui rapportaient rien, 
S’étant lui-même ôté le plus beau de son bien. 
Belle leçon pour les gens chiches : 
Pendant ces derniers temps, combien en a-t-on vus 
Qui du soir au matin sont pauvres devenus 
Pour vouloir être riches trop tôt   
Jean de la Fontaine