Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.

Poems of Home: II. For Children

The Three Little Kittens

Eliza Lee Follen (1787–1860)

THREE little kittens lost their mittens;

And they began to cry,

O mother dear,

We very much fear

That we have lost our mittens.

Lost your mittens!

You naughty kittens!

Then you shall have no pie.

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

No, you shall have no pie.

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

The three little kittens found their mittens,

And they began to cry,

O mother dear,

See here, see here;

See, we have found our mittens.

Put on your mittens,

You silly kittens,

And you may have some pie.

Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,

O let us have the pie.

Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r.

The three little kittens put on their mittens,

And soon ate up the pie;

O mother dear,

We greatly fear

That we have soiled our mittens.

Soiled your mittens!

You naughty kittens!

Then they began to sigh,

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,

Then they began to sigh,

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

The three little kittens washed their mittens,

And hung them out to dry;

O mother dear,

Do not you hear,

That we have washed our mittens?

Washed your mittens!

O, you ’re good kittens.

But I smell a rat close by;

Hush! hush! mee-ow, mee-ow.

We smell a rat close by,

Mee-ow-mee-ow, mee-ow.