October 19. Story of the Day: All Gone

This is from The songs and music of Friedrich Froebel's Mother play (Mutter und kose lieder), edited by Susan Blow. This poem is by Emily Huntington Miller.

It is an example of a series of body parts used as the basis for a story/song.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

ALL GONE

All gone! the supper's gone!
Wliite bread and milk so sweet,
For baby dear to eat.

All gone! the supper's gone!
Where did baby's supper go?
Tongue, you had a share, I know.
Little mouth, with open lips.
Through your rosy gate it slips.
Little throat, you know full well
Where it went, if you would tell.

Little hands, grow strong;
Little legs, grow long;
Little cheeks, grow red:
You have all been fed.

(illustration from the book)

September 1. Story of the Day: The Fingers

This is a fun rhyme from The songs and music of Friedrich Froebel's Mother play (Mutter und kose lieder), edited by Susan Blow. The words of the English version are by Laura E. Richards.

This little rhyme is an example of series-of-body-parts.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

NAMING THE FINGERS

This is little Tommy Thumb,
Round and smooth as any plum.

This is busy Peter Pointer ;
Surely he's a double- jointer.

This is mighty Toby Tall ;
He's the biggest one of all.

This is dainty Reuben Ring;
He's too fine for anything.

And this little wee one, maybe,
Is the pretty Finger-baby.

All the five we've counted now.
Busy fingers in a row.
Every finger knows the way
How to work and how to play;
Yet together work they best.
Each one helping all the rest.

(illustration from the book)

Froebel. The Farmyard Gate

From The songs and music of Friedrich Froebel's Mother play (Mutter und kose lieder), edited by Susan Blow. This poem is by Mrs. Pollen, adapted by Emily Huntington Miller.

THE FARMYARD GATE

Oh, what a clatter!
Now what's the matter?
The sheep they hurry.
The chickens scurry.
The calf is bawling,
The farmer calling,
"Johnny, run, and shut the gate!"

The cock is crowing,
The cows are lowing,
The ducks are quarking.
The dogs are barking.
The ass is braying,
The horse is neighing.
"Johnny, run, and shut the gate!"

The birds are singing.
The bell is ringing.
The pigs are squeaking,
The barn door creaking.
The brook is babbling,
The geese are gabbling.
"Johnny, run, and shut the gate!"

(illustration from the book)

June 5. Story of the Day: The Bowl of Milk

This English rhyme is a translation of a German rhyme from Friedrich Froebel's Mother Play, arranged by Susan Blow. You can see the German "Mutter und Kose Leider" at Hathi Trust, and the English edition reproduces the lovely illustrations from the German, as you can see from the German text included in the first illustration.

Friedrich Froebel was a pioneering 19th-century German educator. You might not have heard of him before, but you certainly know the word "kindergarten," which is a word he invented. Find out more at Wikipedia.

In terms of classification, I suppose this would have to be a "House That Jack Built" type of story in terms of the form, if not the content: ATU 2035. The House that Jack Built.

Want more? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE RHYME OF THE BOWL OP MILK

(Hathi)

Oh, here is the milk, so sweet and white.
All ready for dear little baby!

This is the mother, who with delight
Poured into the bowl the milk so white.
All ready for dear little baby!

This is the milkmaid, who worked with a will
Her pail with the cow's good milk to fill,
To take to the mother, who with delight
Poured into the bowl the milk so white.
All ready for dear little baby!

This is the cow that gave milk each day
To Molly the milkmaid, who worked with a will
Her pail with the cow's good milk to fill.
To take to the mother, who with delight
Poured into the bowl the milk so white,
All ready for dear little baby!

(Hathi)

This is the dry and sweet-smelling hay
That was fed to the cow that gave milk each day
To Molly, the milkmaid, who worked with a will
Her pail with the cow's good milk to fill.
To take to the mother, who with delight
Poured into the bowl the milk so white.
All ready for dear little baby!

This is the grass — (in the field it grew,
Helped by the sunshine, and rain, and dew) —
The grass that was dried into sweet-smelling hay
And fed to the cow that gave milk each day
To Molly, the milkmaid, who worked with a will
Her pail with the cow's good milk to fill.
To take to the mother, who with delight
Poured into the bowl the milk so white.
All ready for dear little baby!

This is the mower, who worked at the farm.
Swinging the scythe with his strong right arm,
Mowing the fields of grass that grew
Helped by the sunshine, and rain, and dew —
The grass that was dried into sweet-smelling hay.
And fed to the cow that gave milk each day
To Molly, the milkmaid, who worked with a will
Her pail with the cow's good milk to fill.
To take to the mother, who with delight
Poured into the bowl the milk so white.
All ready for dear little baby!

(Hathi)

NOTES

Translated by Emilie Poulsson.


CHAIN: milk - mother - milkmaid - cow - hay - grass - mower