Lines and Squares

For some reason I got to reminicing about my childhood today and I remembered all of the times that my Papa and Grandaddy read A.A. Milne's poems to me and my brother. It was years and years ago, but I can still remember those times like they were yesterday. Most of them were from When We Were Very Young. My favorites were Lines and Squares, Buckingham Palace, Happiness, The Four Friends, Disobedience, Rice Pudding, The King's Breakfast, The Dormouse and the Doctor, and Vespers.

Lines and Squares

by A.A. Milne

Whenever I walk in a London street

I'm every so careful to watch my feet;

And I keep in the squares,

And the masses of bears,

Who wait at the corners all ready to eat

The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,

Go back to their lairs

And I say to them, "Bears,

Just look how I'm walking in all of the squares!"

And the little bears growl to each other, "He's mine,

As soon as he's silly and steps on a line."

And some of the bigger bears try to pretend

That they came round the corner to look for a friend;

And they try to pretend that nobody cares

Whether you walk on the lines or squares.

But only the sillies believe their talk;

It's ever so portant how you walk.

And it's ever so jolly to call out, "Bears,

Just watch me walking in all the squares!"