Three little fishermen, down by the bay,

Went on a voyage one sunshiny day;

Dick had the bait in a pink china dish,

Ted had a basket, to bring home the fish,

And Tommy, the captain, went marching along

With a gold-headed rod on his shoulder so strong.

Three little fishermen, out on the bay,

Laughing and shouting, went sailing away,

Sailing away with the wind and the tide,

And the little waves danced as they ran by the side;

But the worms wriggled out of the pink china dish,

And the gold-headed rod only frightened the fish.

Three little fishermen, out on the bay,

Weeping and wailing, went drifting away,

Till a grimy old oysterman brought them to land,

And set them down safe in a row on the sand;

But the gold-headed rod, and the pink china dish,

And the big willow basket were left for the fish.

—EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.