A Lesson Song
Oranges and apples,
And baby’s ball, are round;
And my pretty picture-book,
That is square, I’ve found;
And an egg is oval,
And the corners all,
When you take them by themselves,
Triangles they call.
I am perpendicular
When I stand up straight,
I am horizontal
When in bed I wait;
And from sitting quite erect,
If I chance to swerve,
Then my rounded shoulders make
What is called a curve.
See! a sheet of paper
I roll together neat,
Straight and smooth, and then I have
A cylinder complete;
But if thus I widen out
Either end alone,
Look! it makes a different thing,
—
That is called a cone.
Points there are, a many,
On my pencil one,
Two on mother’s scissors,
Five a star has on;
And our doggie has one
Right upon his nose,
And my dancing-master says,
“Children, point your toes!”
Oh! the world of wonders
Is so very full,
How can little children learn
Half enough in school?
I must look about me
Everywhere I go,
Keep my eyes awake and wise,
There’s such a lot to know.