Sunday, September 6, 2009

A Favorite Fairy Poem


The Second Hand Shop

Down in the grasses
Where the grasshoppers hop
And the katydids quarrel
And the flutter-moths flop --

Down in the grasses
Where the beetle goes "plop"
An old withered fairy
Keeps a second-hand shop.

She sells lost thimbles
For Fairy milk pails
And burnt-out matches
For fence posts and rails.

She sells stray marbles
To bowl on the green,
And bright scattered beads
For the crown of the queen.

Oh, Don't feel badly
Over things that you lose
Like spin tops or whistles
Or dolls buckled shoes;

They may be things that
Fairy folk can use:

For down in the grasses
Where the grasshoppers hop
A withered old fairy
Keeps a second-hand shop.

This poem titled Treat Shop, was written by Rowena Bennett and printed in a 1954 childrens reader. The publisher was Charles Merrill books. Inside the cover is a sticker (placed by the school I assume) that says "Please wash your hands before you read me and keep me clean".

6 comments:

Martha said...

What a wonderful poem

Marilyn Miller said...

Love the poem.

Comfrey Cottages said...

precious! thanks for sharing! :)

Unknown said...

Memorized this poem as a child, still remember it to this day - still love it too.

Unknown said...

Love this poem. I've always believed in Fairies and all of the magical things of nature.

Unknown said...

This was the first poem I learned to recite as well, believe I was in the forth grade. Amazing I can still recite it! Love it too.