A Session With Uncle Sidney - I - One Of His Animal Stories Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAABACADEBFG HAICJKLMNOBAPQCABRNS TGAUVVWXSQY APZAABA2BB2AC2AD2E2H AAAF2FG2H2I2J2UK2A BUL2M2AAN2O2IABP2Q2P 2AHABR2S2AT2U2V2NW2B X2Y2BE2BBABE2Z2A A3B3GVAC3ZBAD3| Now Tudens you sit on this knee and 'scuse | A |
| It having no side saddle on and Jeems | A |
| You sit on this and don't you wobble so | A |
| And chug my old shins with your coppertoes | A |
| And all the rest of you range round someway | B |
| Ride on the rockers and hang to the arms | A |
| Of our old time splint bottom carryall | C |
| Do anything but squabble for a place | A |
| Or push or shove or scrouge or breathe out loud | D |
| Or chew wet or knead taffy in my beard | E |
| Do anything almost act anyway | B |
| Only keep still so I can hear myself | F |
| Trying to tell you just one story more | G |
| - | |
| One winter afternoon my father with | H |
| A whistle to our dog a shout to us | A |
| His two boys six and eight years old we were | I |
| Started off to the woods a half a mile | C |
| From home where he was chopping wood We raced | J |
| We slipped and slid reaching at last the north | K |
| Side of Tharp's corn field There we struck what seemed | L |
| To be a coon track so we all agreed | M |
| And father who was not a hunter to | N |
| Our glad surprise proposed we follow it | O |
| The snow was quite five inches deep and we | B |
| Keen on the trail were soon far in the woods | A |
| Our old dog Ring ran nosing the fresh track | P |
| With whimpering delight far on ahead | Q |
| After following the trail more than a mile | C |
| To northward through the thickest winter woods | A |
| We boys had ever seen all suddenly | B |
| He seemed to strike another trail and then | R |
| Our joyful attention was drawn to | N |
| Old Ring leaping to this side then to that | S |
| Of a big hollow old oak tree which had | T |
| Been blown down by a storm some years before | G |
| There all at once out leapt a lean old fox | A |
| From the black hollow of a big bent limb | U |
| Hey how he scudded but with our old Ring | V |
| Sharp after him and father after Ring | V |
| We after father near as we could hold | W |
| And father noticed that the fox kept just | X |
| About four feet ahead of Ring just that | S |
| No farther and no nearer Then he said | Q |
| There are young foxes in that tree back there | Y |
| - | |
| - | |
| And the mother fox is drawing 'Ring' and us | A |
| Away from their nest there Oh le' 's go back | P |
| Do le' 's go back we little vandals cried | Z |
| Le' 's go back quick and find the little things | A |
| Please father Yes and take 'em home for pets | A |
| 'Cause 'Ring' he'll kill the old fox anyway | B |
| So father turned at last and back we went | A2 |
| And father chopped a hole in the old tree | B |
| About ten feet below the limb from which | B2 |
| The old fox ran and Bless their little lives | A |
| There in the hollow of the old tree trunk | C2 |
| There on a bed of warm dry leaves and moss | A |
| There snug as any bug in any rug | D2 |
| We found one two three four and yes sir five | E2 |
| Wee weenty teenty baby foxes with | H |
| Their eyes just barely opened Cute my oh | A |
| The cutest the most cunning little things | A |
| Two boys ever saw in all their lives | A |
| Raw weather for the little fellows now | F2 |
| Said father as though talking to himself | F |
| Raw weather and no home now And off came | G2 |
| His warm old waumus and in that he wrapped | H2 |
| The helpless little animals and held | I2 |
| Them soft and warm against him as he could | J2 |
| And home we happy children followed him | U |
| Old Ring did not reach home till nearly dusk | K2 |
| The mother fox had led him a long chase | A |
| - | |
| Yes and a fool's chase too he seemed to say | B |
| And looked ashamed to hear us praising him | U |
| But mother well we could not understand | L2 |
| Her acting as she did and we so pleased | M2 |
| I can see yet the look of pained surprise | A |
| And deep compassion of her troubled face | A |
| When father very gently laid his coat | N2 |
| With the young foxes in it on the hearth | O2 |
| Beside her as she brightened up the fire | I |
| She urged for the old fox's sake and theirs | A |
| That they be taken back to the old tree | B |
| But father for our wistful sakes no doubt | P2 |
| Said we would keep them and would try our best | Q2 |
| To raise them And at once he set about | P2 |
| Building a snug home for the little things | A |
| Out of an old big bushel basket with | H |
| Its fractured handle and its stoven ribs | A |
| So lining and padding this all cosily | B |
| He snuggled in its little tenants and | R2 |
| Called in John Wesley Thomas our hired man | S2 |
| And gave him in full charge with much advice | A |
| Regarding the just care and sustenance of | T2 |
| Young foxes John he said you feed 'em milk | U2 |
| Warm milk John Wesley Yes and keep 'em by | V2 |
| The stove and keep your stove a roarin' too | N |
| Both night and day And keep 'em covered up | W2 |
| Not smothered John but snug and comfortable | B |
| - | |
| - | |
| And now John Wesley Thomas first and last | X2 |
| You feed 'em milk fresh milk and always warm | Y2 |
| Say five or six or seven times a day | B |
| Of course we'll grade that by the way they thrive | E2 |
| But for all sanguine hope and care as well | B |
| The little fellows did not thrive at all | B |
| Indeed with all our care and vigilance | A |
| By the third day of their captivity | B |
| The last survivor of the fated five | E2 |
| Squeaked like some battered little rubber toy | Z2 |
| Just clean worn out And that's just what it was | A |
| - | |
| And nights the cry of the mother fox for her young | A3 |
| Was heard with awe for long weeks afterward | B3 |
| And we boys every night would go to the door | G |
| And peering out in the darkness listening | V |
| Could hear the poor fox in the black bleak woods | A |
| Still calling for her little ones in vain | C3 |
| As all mutely we returned to the warm fireside | Z |
| Mother would say How would you like for me | B |
| To be out there this dark night in the cold woods | A |
| Calling for my children | D3 |
James Whitcomb Riley
(1)
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About A Session With Uncle Sidney - I - One Of His Animal Stories
A Session With Uncle Sidney - I - One Of His Animal Stories is a poem by James Whitcomb Riley. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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