First the teacher called the roll,
Clos’t to the beginnin’,
“Addeliney Bowersox!”
Set the school a-grinnin’.
Wintertime, and stingin’-cold
When the session took up–
Cold as _we_ all looked at _her_,
Though _she_ couldn’t look up!
Total stranger to us, too–
Country-folks ain’t allus
Nigh so shameful unpolite
As some people call us!–
But the honest facts is, _then_,
Addeliney Bower-
Sox’s feelin’s was so hurt
She cried half an hour!
My dest was acrost from her ‘n:
Set and watched her tryin’
To p’tend she didn’t keer,
And a kind o’ dryin’
Up her tears with smiles—tel I
Thought, “Well, ‘_Addeliney
Bowersox_’ is plain, but _she’s_
Purty as a piney!”
It’s be’n many of a year
Sence that most oncommon
Cur’ous name o’ _Bowersox_
Struck me so abomin-
Nubble and outlandish-like!–
I changed it to Adde-
Liney _Daubenspeck_–and _that_
Nearly killed her Daddy!
(James Whitcomb Riley)
More Poetry from James Whitcomb Riley:
James Whitcomb Riley Poems based on Topics: Mind, Education, Thought & Thinking, Teachers, People, Honesty & Integrity- The Old-Home Folks (James Whitcomb Riley Poems)
- What Chris'mas Fetched The Wigginses (James Whitcomb Riley Poems)
- Squire Hawkins's Story (James Whitcomb Riley Poems)
- Bud's Fairy-Tale (James Whitcomb Riley Poems)
- A Session With Uncle Sidney (James Whitcomb Riley Poems)
- Blind (James Whitcomb Riley Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Mind Poems, Thought & Thinking Poems, Education Poems, People Poems, Honesty & Integrity Poems, Teachers PoemsBased on Keywords: acrost, keer, adde, beginnin, piney, wintertime, sox, a-grinnin, stingin, dest, dryin