Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
Poems of Home: III. Fun for Little FolkThe Story of Cruel Frederick
Heinrich Hoffmann (18091894)H
A horrid wicked boy was he;
He caught the flies, poor little things,
And then tore off their tiny wings.
And threw the kitten down the stairs;
And Oh! far worse than all beside,
He whipped his Mary, till she cried.
Came out to drink one sultry day;
He wagged his tail, and wet his lip,
When cruel Fred snatched up a whip,
And whipped poor Tray till he was sore,
And kicked and whipped him more and more:
And growled and bit him till he bled;
Then you should only have been by,
To see how Fred did scream and cry!
His leg was very sore and red!
The Doctor came and shook his head,
And made a very great-to-do,
And gave him nasty physic too.
He has no time to say “Bow-wow!”
He seats himself in Frederick’s chair,
And laughs to see the nice things there:
The soup he swallows sup by sup,
And eats the pies and puddings up.