Igo And Ago

We're The Twins from Aunt Marinn's,
            Igo and Ago.
When Dad comes, the show begins! -
            Iram, coram, dago.

Dad he says he named us two
            Igo and Ago
For a poem he always knew,
            Iram, coram, dago.

Then he was a braw Scotchman -
            Igo and Ago. -
Now he's Scotch-Amer-i-can.
            Iram, coram, dago.

"Hey!" he cries, and pats his knee,
            "Igo and Ago,
My twin bairnies, ride wi' me -
            Iram, coram, dago!"



"Here," he laughs, "ye've each a leg,
            Igo and Ago,
Gleg as Tam O'Shanter's 'Meg'!
            Iram, coram, dago!"

Then we mount, with shrieks of mirth -
            Igo and Ago, -
The two gladdest twins on earth!
            Iram, coram, dago.

Wade and Silas-Walker cry, -
            "Igo and Ago -
Annie's kissin' 'em 'good-bye'!" -
            Iram, coram, dago.

Aunty waves us fond farewells. -
            "Igo and Ago,"
Granny pipes, "tak care yersels!"
            Iram, coram, dago.

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. He was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and the "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and children's poetry respectively. Over his career, Riley authored approximately 1,000 poems, including "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man". His influence extended into the 20th century, and his works continued to be celebrated for their nostalgic and rural themes.

James Whitcomb Riley

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English

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The Twins.

    One 's the pictur' of his Pa,
    And the other of her Ma -
    Jes the bossest pair o' babies 'at a mortal ever saw!
    And we love 'em as the bees
    Loves the blossoms of the trees,
    A-ridin' and a-rompin' in the breeze!

    One's got her Mammy's eyes -
    Soft and blue as Apurl-skies -
    With the same sort of a smile, like - Yes,
                and mouth about her size, -
    Dimples, too, in cheek and chin,
    'At my lips jes wallers in,
    A-goin' to work, er gittin' home agin.

    And the other - Well, they say
    That he's got his Daddy's way
    O' bein' ruther soberfied, er ruther extry gay, -
    That he either cries his best,
    Er he laughs his howlin'est -
    Like all he lacked was butt...

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Granny

Granny's come to our house,
And ho! My lawzy-daisy!
All the childern round the place
Is ist a-runnin' crazy!
Fetched a cake fer little Jake,
And fetched a pie fer Nanny,
And fetched a pear fer all the pack
That runs to kiss their Granny!

Lucy Ellen's in her lap,
And Wade and Silas Walker
Both's a ridin' on her foot,
And 'Pollos on the rocker;
And Marthy's twins, from Aunt Marinn's
And little Orphant Annie,
All's a-eatin' gingerbread
And giggle-un at Granny!

Tells us all the fairy tales
Ever thought er wundered -
And 'bundance o' other stories -
Bet she knows a hunderd!

Bob's the one fer "Whittington,"
And "Golden Locks" fer Fanny!
Hear 'em laugh and clap their hands,
Listenin' at Granny!

"Jack the...

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A Ballad With A Serious Conclusion

Crowd about me, little children -
    Come and cluster 'round my knee
While I tell a little story
    That happened once with me.

My father he had gone away
    A-sailing on the foam,
Leaving me - the merest infant -
    And my mother dear at home;

For my father was a sailor,
    And he sailed the ocean o'er
For full five years ere yet again
    He reached his native shore.

And I had grown up rugged
    And healthy day by day,
Though I was but a puny babe
    When father went away.

Poor mother she would kiss me
    And look at me and sigh
So strangely, oft I wondered
    And would ask the reason why.

And she would answer sadly,
    Between her sobs and tears, -
"You look so like your father,
    ...

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The Gowk

    I see the Gowk an' the Gowk sees me
    Beside a berry-bush by the aipple-tree.
            Old Scots Rhyme.

'Tib, my auntie's a deil to wark,
    Has me risin' 'afore the sun;
Aince her heid is abune her sark
    Then the clash o' her tongue's begun!
Warslin', steerin' wi' hens an' swine,
Naucht kens she o' a freend o' mine -
But the Gowk that bides i' the woods o' Dun
        He kens him fine!

Past the yaird an' ahint the stye,
    O the aipples grow bonnilie!
Tib, my auntie, she canna' spy
    Wha comes creepin' to kep wi' me.
Aye! she'd sort him, for, dod, she's fell!
Whisht nou, Jimmie, an' hide yersel'
An' the wice-like bird i' the aipple-tree
        He winna' tell!

Aprile-month, or the aipples flower,
  ...

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Little-Girl-Two-Little-Girls

I'm twins, I guess, 'cause my Ma say
    I'm two little girls. An' one o' me
    Is Good little girl; an' th'other 'n' she
    Is Bad little girl as she can be!
An' Ma say so, 'most ever' day.

An' she's the funniest Ma! 'Cause when
    My Doll won't mind, an' I ist cry,
    W'y, nen my Ma she sob an' sigh,
    An' say, "Dear Good little girl, good-bye! -
Bad little girl's comed here again!"

Last time 'at Ma act' thataway,
    I cried all to myse'f awhile
    Out on the steps, an' nen I smile,
    An' git my Doll all fix' in style,
An' go in where Ma's at, an' say:
    "Morning to you, Mommy dear!
    Where's that Bad little girl wuz here?
    Bad little girl's goned clean away,
    <...

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The Old Bachelor's Story.

It was an humble cottage,
Snug in a rustic lane,
Geraniums and fuschias peep'd
From every window-pane;

The dark-leaved ivy dressed its walls,
Houseleek adorned the thatch;
The door was standing open wide, -
They had no need of latch.

And close besides the corner
There stood an old stone well,
Which caught a mimic waterfall,
That warbled as it fell.

The cat, crouched on the well-worn steps,
Was blinking in the sun;
The birds sang out a welcome
To the morning just begun.

An air of peace and happiness
Pervaded all the scene;
The tall trees formed a back ground
Of rich and varied green;

And all was steeped in quietness,
Save nature's music wild,
When all at once, methought I heard
The sobbing of a ch...

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