| These small boys started off for school But loitered by the way, Until at last 'twas quite too late To go to school that day. Ah naughty, naughty, truant boys! But listen what befell! Close by a wicked ogress lived, Down in a lonesome dell. |
| Now see her coming down the hill! Now see the children run! Her arms are long, her hands are strong, She catches every one. In vain the children kick and scream, The ogress takes them home And locks the door; then off she goes To bid the neighbors come. |
| But clever Peter sees above The chimney, black and wide; "Quick, wipe your eyes and come," he cries; "I've found a place to hide." And none too soon, for scarce the last Is out of sight before They hear the wicked ogress Come stumping in the door. |
| Then from the chimney Peter bawls, "We're hiding, stupid face!" "Oh, oh!" the ogress says, "I know; You're up the chimney place." So up the chimney now she looks; "I'll fetch you out," she cries; But puff! the clever Peter blows The soot down in her eyes. |
| All filled with black out through the door She hurries, howling still, Just when the other ogresses Are coming up the hill. They stop, they stare, they quake with fear, They stand appalled to see This dreadful, hopping, howling thing As black as black can be. |
| And now pell-mell away they run; But down the chimney place The boys climb ere the ogress Can clean her sooty face; And when they're safely home again They keep the master's rule, And never, never play again At truant from the school. | Transcriber's Note: The word 'nightcap' is spelled with and without a hyphen in the text. Both spellings appear to have been in common use and have not been altered.
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