INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION
To all the little children: — The happy ones; and sad ones;
The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;
The good ones — Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.
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!
Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn’t say his prayers,–
An’ 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 wuzn’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 wuz 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’ wunst, when they was “company,” an’ ole folks wuz 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 wuz 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 parunts, an’ yer teachurs 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!
My grandmother resited this to me as a child. since I’m closed to sixty, and she’s gone, I had always wished I could find it. A friend suggested I check the internet. Wow, was I surprised! Diane
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my grandmother reciting this and other JWR poems to me. She’s been gone for a number of years now, but whenever I read this poem I can’t help but think of her and smile.
I am nearing 85. When our three children were 5 to 10, Little Annie Rooney was an oft repeated request at our bedtime reading period. The ritual was for them to hang,quietly,on every syllable until I would growl, “an’ the goblins will git you if you don’t watch out!” and up qould go a syncronized scream.
Having been born in James Whitcomb Riley’s hometown, we always had his poems read and recited to us in school. Every year in October on his birthday, the school children from all of the elementray schools would hold a parade of flowers and place them on his statue which is located at the front of Hancock County Courthouse. If you wish to get a copy of his book of poems, write to the Riley Home in Greenfield, IN. 46140,
I have loved this poem for so long, ever since I was a liitle girl in first grade. Our teacher, Miss Nunley, would read a story to us every day. After she read Little Orphan Annie that was the story we begged for every day there after. She read it so much that surely she must have read the words off of the pages themself. Years later I found a book with the poem in it at a yard sale and purchased it right up. I promptly read it to my children and any child that would listen over and over again. I haven’t seen the book in ages and have often wondered where it got off to. Truth be known, I think the goblins snatched it away so I wouldn’t be able to warn other little boys and girls about what might lie ahead if they miss behaved. Thank you Miss Nunley and thank You Mr. Riley for such a memory as this.
I have a Daughter55,son 52, and another daughter 49. When they were very young I used to read this poem, and others to them every evening before bed time. “annie” was their favorite, Buds’ Fairy tale 2nd, and the Bear Story 3rd. To this day, they can all still recite, from Memory, “little Orphant Annie. James Whitcolmb Riley was a very respected and loved Poet from Indiana.
My teacher in the third grade, Miss Salm, was close to reaching retirement in 1956, when she first read this poem to our class. It was obviously a favorite of hers, and because of her enthusiasm and joy in reading it to us, we all came to love this poem. So much so that we hand printed the verses and put them up above the chalk board so that we could read the poem to ourselves through out the year. I am so glad to have a copy of this once again.
I was so glad to find this poem! I had to memorize it in the 5th grade and have often recited parts of it and wished I could remember the rest. Now, that I’ve located the poem, I can read it to my grandchildren.
I love this poem. My mom also used to read this poem to us too.
james whitcoomb riley is the best poet that i have ever read i especially love the little orphan annie poems.
I have two sets of great memories of Little Orphant Annie. My first memory is of my older cousin reciting this poem to me when I was very little. What a wonderful scary feeling! The other memory is when I read the poem to my little son years later. I will never forget his big eyes as the poem progressed. Tomorrow I will read it to my 3rd graders. I can hardly wait.
I memorized this poem when I was eight years old. I loved it. Now I am teaching third graders and looked for it so I could share it with them. And here it is! I can hardly wait to read it to them tomorrow.
I just loved this poem as a kid back in the 1940’s. It scared the livin’ daylights out of me! At night, when the house was quiet and the lights were low, my uncle would read it to me in the kitchen, with the attic door only a few steps away.
I remember my mom reading this poem to my sister and I when were so little! She had the book, sadly I think It’s disappeared. I will always remember how she animated the part “AND THE GOBBLINS A GITCHA IF YA DON’T WATCH OUT!” Certainly scared us into washing the dishes and minding our manners. I’m reading this to my 8th grade class – amazing that not one of them knows this poem! I can’t wait to say the gobblin part!!
This poem was published in a book by itself with the most wonderful illustrations. Thirty years ago when our daughter Melanie was 3 years old we would go to the public library in our small town. She would always tell the librarian that she wanted to check out the “globin” book. It didn’t take her long to memorize the poem. I would get it at Halloween and read it to my second graders. The book finally just wore out and disappeared from the stacks at the library. I have tried to locate the book to purchase for myself but have not been able to find it anywhere. If anyone knows where I might get a copy, I would appreciate hearing from you. I was so glad to find it in print on this web site so at least I can share it with my class.
I remember sitting with my mother as she read this poem to my brother and I – I couldn’t have been more than 4 or 5 and my brother a year older – and wondering if there were “things” in the attic that would snatch me in the night. Now that both my mother and brother are gone, finding this poem brings back many memories. In today’s media saturated and politically correct world, most likely 5 year olds don’t hear anything like this . . .
My grandfather used to tell us this story when we were wee little. He would set in his rocker with his pipe bloowing smoke rings then very thoughfully begin. Not a sound was heard from any of us. Wonderful memory
My 93 year old father was reciting as much of this poem as he could remember and he said, “I sure wish I had the entire poem.” I am thrilled that I was able to find it and print it for him. It made his day. Thank you.
My father used to quote this wonderful poem to us when we were children. I have often wondered if he was required to learn it in school or if he had learned it from his mother. As he has passed on, I will never know. But this poem brought back wonderful memories.
We had to memorize this poem in grade school in 5th grade,I am now 48 and still know and remember this poem ,loved it then ,love it now,a true october classic!!!!