It was an old, old, old, old lady,
And a boy that was half-past three;
And the way that they played together
Was beautiful to see.
She couldn't go running or jumping,
And the boy, no more could he;
For he was a thin litte fellow,
With a thin little twisted knee.
They sat in the yellow sunlight,
Out under the maple tree;
And the game that they played I'll tell you,
Just as it was told to me.
It was Hide-and-Go-Seek they were playing,
Though you've never have known it to be--
With an old, old, old, old lady,
And a boy with a twisted knee.
The boy would bend his face down
On his one little sound right knee,
And he'd guess where she was hiding,
In guesses One, Two, Three!
"You are in the china-closet!"
He would cry, and laugh with glee--
It wasn't the china closet,
But he still had Two and Three.
"You are up in papa's big bedroom,
In the chest with the queer old key!"
And she said: "You are warm and warmer;
But you're not quite right," said she.
"It can't be the little cupboard
Where mamma's things used to be--
So it must be the clothes-press, Gran'ma!"
And he found her with his Three.
Then she covered her face with her fingers,
That were wrinkled and white and wee,
And she guessed where the boy was hiding,
With a One and a Two and a Three.
And they never had stirred from their places,
Right under the maple tree--
This old, old, old, old lady
And the boy with the lame little knee--
This dear, dear, dear old lady,
And the boy who was half-past three.
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nostalgia
From guest Nora (contact)
Thank you for this poem. My mother used to recite it to me when I was little-over 40 years ago- and I never thought I would find it again. I am now going to read it to my daughter. -
One, Two, Three
From guest J. List (contact)
Thank you! Mother frequently recited this verse, among many others, to us when we were growing up, but very few people have even heard of it. Thank you for making it available. -
One, Two, Three!
From guest MJ Samer (contact)
My Mother (88) could only remember the opening line of this poem and I said I thought I could find the poem online for her and here it is! Thank you. I printed it out and will mail it to her (she doesn't have e-mail.)MJ Samer
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