Little Bob he fetched a board,
And then began to saw,
And Mary Jane said she'd afford
Him help to do much more,
While he used his—saw! saw! saw!

Young Dick he held his mallet high,
And struck the wedge quite bold,
Until it made the wood quick fly
Like feathers with no hold,
Blown by the wind quite—cold! cold! cold!

And John and James sawed up and down,
John sawed up; James sawed low;
The birds they flew all o'er the town
To tell the folks these things were so,
As if they did—know! know! know!

They made some boxes, tops, and hoops,
They fashioned bowls and chairs,
They sold a thousand million scoops,
And seven hundred stairs;
And this Bob—declares! declares! declares!

Eleven hundred sticks they cut,
And all of them good size;
With a five mile long water-butt,
"In which to float," Tom cries,
And "Time," they said—"flies! flies! flies!"

Oh! work and play are very good,
Work number one, you know;
Play number two has ever stood
The best in this world's show
And it should be—so! so! so!

Hence these young children played at work,
And thus learnt to work well,
And now their duties they ne'er shirk,
Which is all I've to tell,
And you to—spell! spell! spell!

Or, maybe, read and then to write,
Until you know it through;
Which will to you give great delight,
And mem'ry strengthen too,
As you ought to—do! do! do!

And, who knows, one day you may give
Some stories to the young,
To make your name through ages live
And loud your praises sung.
Keep your life well—strung! strung! strung!