The Naughty Gnome

A little gnome in Fairyland
Once found a pot of glue,
And he of course began to think
What mischief he could do!

He smeared the toadstools, one and all,
Whereon the fairies sat,
And oh, how cross they were to find
A naughty trick like that!

He dropped some glue upon the grass,
To catch the fairies’ feet,
When there came by the Fairy King
And Queen with all their suite.

The King walked straight upon the glue
And found he couldn’t stir!
Then came the frightened gnome, and cried,
“Oh, please have mercy, Sir!

I didn’t mean to catch your feet
Within my sticky glue,
But please forgive me and I’ll find
Some better thing to do!”

“I’ll pardon you,” the King replied,
“But harken what I say,
Go, use your glue on chestnut buds,
To keep the frost away.”

So in the chestnuts every spring
The gnome works all day long,
And if you touch a bud, you’ll find
His glue is very strong!