Project Gutenberg's The Book of Joyous Children, by James Whitcomb Riley

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Title: The Book of Joyous Children

Author: James Whitcomb Riley

Illustrator: J. W. Vawter

Release Date: May 16, 2005 [EBook #15834]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN

[Illustration]

JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

[Illustration]

THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN

JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

_Illustrated by_

J.W. VAWTER

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1902

Copyright, 1902, by
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
-------------------------
_Published October, 1902_

THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN

[Illustration: "NOT IN CLASSIC LORE, BUT RICH IN THE CHILD-SAGAS OF THE
KITCHEN."]

GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY
INSCRIBED
TO
JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS

* * * * *

_You who to the rounded prime_
_Of a life of toil and stress_,
_Still have kept the morning-time_
_Of glad youth in heart and spirit_,
_So your laugh, as children hear it_,
_Seems their own, no less_,--
_Take this book of childish rhyme_--
_The Book of Joyous Children_.

_Their first happiness on earth_
_Here is echoed--their first glee_:
_Rich, in sooth, the volume's worth_--
_Not in classic lore, but rich in_
_The child-sagas of the kitchen_;--
_Therefore, take from me_
_To your heart of childish mirth_
_The Book of Joyous Children_.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

CONTENTS

PROEM
THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN
AN IMPROMPTU FAIRY-TALE
DREAM-MARCH
ELMER BROWN
NO BOY KNOWS
WHEN WE FIRST PLAYED "SHOW"
A DIVERTED TRAGEDY
THE RAMBO-TREE
FIND THE FAVORITE
THE BOY PATRIOT
EXTREMES
INTELLECTUAL LIMITATIONS
A MASQUE OF THE SEASONS
THOMAS THE PRETENDER
LITTLE DICK AND THE CLOCK
FOOL-YOUNGENSZ
THE KATYDIDS
BILLY AND HIS DRUM
THE NOBLE OLD ELM
THE PENALTY OF GEN