Poor Little Annie (a modernization of Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley)

 Poor Little Annie (a modernization of Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley(

By Bridget Ilene Delaney

Poor little Annie has come to our house to stay,

To wash the cups and saucers and brush the crumbs away

And shoo the chickens off the porch and dust the hearth and sweep

And make the fire and bake the bread to earn her board and keep.

All the other children, when the supper things are done

Sit around the kitchen table and have lots of fun

Listening to the witch  tales that Annie tells about

And the goblins will get you -

IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT!

Once there was a little boy who wouldn't say his prayers

So when he went to bed at night, a long  way up the stairs

His Mommy heard him holler and his Daddy heard him bawl

And when they turned the covers over, he wasn't there at all!

They sought him in the rafters, the cubby hole, and his mess,

And sought him up the chimney flue, and everywhere, I guess.

But they never found the boy, just a bit of grout

And the goblins will get you -

IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT!

And one time a little girl would only laugh and grin

And make fun of everyone, family, friends, and kin.

And once when there was company and older folks were there,

She mocked them and she shocked them and she said she didn't care!

Then, as she kicked her heels and turned to run and hide

There were two great big Black Things standing by her side.

They pulled her through the ceiling before she could scream and shout

And the goblins will get you -

IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT!

Poor little Annie says when the blaze is blue

And the lamp light flickers and the wind howls woo

And the crickets are all quiet and the moon is gray

And the lightning bugs hide themselves away

You better mind you parents and your teachers, and  hide away your fears

And cherish those that love you, and dry up orphans' tears

And help the poor and needy and those that go without

And the goblins will get you -

IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT!

Here's the original (yes, it is in the public domain, yes, the poem inspired the idea for the Little Orphan Annie comic on which the music and movie adaptations are based).

Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,
An’ wash the cups an’ saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,
An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;
An’ all us other childern, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun
A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ‘at Annie tells about,
An’ the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you
             Ef you
                Don’t
                   Watch
                      Out!

Onc’t they was a little boy wouldn’t say his prayers,—
So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an’ his Daddy heerd him bawl,
An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he wasn’t there at all!
An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole, an’ press,
An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout--
An’ the Gobble-uns’ll git you
             Ef you
                Don’t
                   Watch
                      Out!

An’ one time a little girl ‘ud allus laugh an’ grin,
An’ make fun of ever’one, an’ all her blood an’ kin;
An’ onc’t, when they was “company,” an’ ole folks was there,
She mocked ‘em an’ shocked ‘em, an’ said she didn’t care!
An’ thist as she kicked her heels, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,
They was two great big Black Things a-standin’ by her side,
An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ‘fore she knowed what she’s about!
An’ the Gobble-uns’ll git you
             Ef you
                Don’t
                   Watch
                      Out!

An’ little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue,
An’ the lamp-wick sputters, an’ the wind goes woo-oo!
An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,
An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
You better mind yer parents, an’ yer teachers fond an’ dear,
An’ churish them ‘at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,
An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ‘at clusters all about,
Er the Gobble-uns’ll git you
             Ef you
                Don’t
                   Watch
                      Out!