This is a poem that my grandpa learned in school, back when he was in kindergarten. We were visiting one time and he quoted a part of it that made us laugh, and we asked him where he'd heard it. He told us that he'd had to memorize it as a little boy. My brother only recently tracked it down. Unfortunately, neither of us has been able to find the title or the author, so I will just have to the best I can without that information for you. It's such a dear little poem. It made me smile. The Fairy, the Mole, and the Rabbit
There once was a rabbit with silver fur:
Her little gray neighbours looked up to her,
Till she thought with pride in the moon-lit wood,
“The reason I’m white is because I’m good.”
“Oh what shall I do?” cried a tiny mole;
“A fairy has tumbled into a hole:
It’s full of water and crawling things,
And she can’t get out, for she’s hurt her wings.
“I did my best to catch hold of her hair,
But my arms are so short, and she’s still in there,
Oh! darling white rabbit, your arms are long,
You say you are good, and I know you are strong.”
“Don’t tell me about it,” the rabbit said -
She shut up her eyes, and her ears grew red; -
“There’s lots of mud and it’s sure to stick,
Because my hair is so long and thick.”
“Oh dear! oh dear!” sobbed the poor little mole,
“Who will help the fairy out of the hole?”
A common gray rabbit popped up from the gorse,
“I’m not very strong, but I’ll try, of course.”
His little tail bobbed as he waded in,
The muddy water came up to his chin,
But he caught the fairy tight by the hand
And sent her off safe into Fairy-land.
But she kissed him first on his muddy nose,
She kissed his face, and his little wet toes,
And when the day dawned, in the early light
That little gray rabbit was shining white.
- Author Unknown
There once was a rabbit with silver fur:
Her little gray neighbours looked up to her,
Till she thought with pride in the moon-lit wood,
“The reason I’m white is because I’m good.”
“Oh what shall I do?” cried a tiny mole;
“A fairy has tumbled into a hole:
It’s full of water and crawling things,
And she can’t get out, for she’s hurt her wings.
“I did my best to catch hold of her hair,
But my arms are so short, and she’s still in there,
Oh! darling white rabbit, your arms are long,
You say you are good, and I know you are strong.”
“Don’t tell me about it,” the rabbit said -
She shut up her eyes, and her ears grew red; -
“There’s lots of mud and it’s sure to stick,
Because my hair is so long and thick.”
“Oh dear! oh dear!” sobbed the poor little mole,
“Who will help the fairy out of the hole?”
A common gray rabbit popped up from the gorse,
“I’m not very strong, but I’ll try, of course.”
His little tail bobbed as he waded in,
The muddy water came up to his chin,
But he caught the fairy tight by the hand
And sent her off safe into Fairy-land.
But she kissed him first on his muddy nose,
She kissed his face, and his little wet toes,
And when the day dawned, in the early light
That little gray rabbit was shining white.
- Author Unknown
My mother had to memorize this in first grade, that was in 1927, and she could recite it till the day she died. It is a sweet poem and I wish that little kids today could hear and maybe even memorize it!
ReplyDeleteSomehow I cannot imagine a six year old today with the patience to do so.
I found this poem written in an old note book of my father's, he was born in 1907 and I think he had to learn it at school. there is also another verse, between the 4th & 5th.
ReplyDeleteMy mother memorized this in early Public School . Her's varied a little in the words but it is really the same one . She recited this to all 5 of us as we grew up . As adults , we would even request her to recite this to us . My mother was a kind person and wanted us all to grow up to be kind . We loved her .
DeleteI remember learning this poem in grade school in the mid 1950’s. Some of the verses stuck in my mind and I was recalling them last night. My wife is a avid reader and researched until she found this poem. I think it varies slightly from the one I learned but it is still a lovely poem. I just wish the author was known, she/he should be recognized for such a sweet work.
ReplyDeleteThankyou , iv been looking for this poem for many years, my Mother would recite it to my twin brother and I before she kissed us good night, and now i
ReplyDeleteRead it again I remember those inocent days and weep.
I learned this poem at age 6 in Ireland in 1969 and recited it at 'feisanna' which were annual recitation competitions. I thought of it recently and went looking online to see if I could identify the author. Alas I did not, but lovely to find other people's memoirs of the poem.
ReplyDelete