Child's Garden of Verses (Version 3)

<h2><SPAN name="THE_UNSEEN_PLAYMATE" id="THE_UNSEEN_PLAYMATE"></SPAN>THE UNSEEN PLAYMATE</h2> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i12">When children are playing alone on the green,<br/></span> <span class="i12">In comes the playmate that never was seen.<br/></span> <span class="i12">When children are happy and lonely and good,<br/></span> <span class="i12">The Friend of the Children comes out of the wood.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i12">Nobody heard him and nobody saw,<br/></span> <span class="i12">His is a picture you never could draw,<br/></span> <span class="i12">But he's sure to be present, abroad or at home,<br/></span> <span class="i12">When children are happy and playing alone.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i12">He lies in the laurels, he runs on the grass,<br/></span> <span class="i12">He sings when you tinkle the musical glass;<br/></span> <span class="i12">Whene'er you are happy and cannot tell why,<br/></span> <span class="i12">The Friend of the Children is sure to be by!<br/></span> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</SPAN></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i12">He loves to be little, he hates to be big,<br/></span> <span class="i12">'Tis he that inhabits the caves that you dig;<br/></span> <span class="i12">'Tis he when you play with your soldiers of tin<br/></span> <span class="i12">That sides with the Frenchman and never can win.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i12">'Tis he, when at night you go off to your bed,<br/></span> <span class="i12">Bids you go to your sleep and not trouble your head;<br/></span> <span class="i12">For wherever they're lying, in cupboard or shelf,<br/></span> <span class="i12">'Tis he will take care of your playthings himself.<br/></span></div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_005.jpg" width-obs="150" height-obs="242" alt="Illustration" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_057.jpg" width-obs="600" height-obs="122" alt="Illustration" /></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />