Pebbles and Shells (Hawkes collection)/All About Girls

by Clarence Hawkes

ALL ABOUT GIRLS

A girl is something with a braid,
That wears an apron and is 'fraid;
And women, they are grown up girls,
With longer hair and lots more curls.

I have a sister 'n' her name's Nan,
And she can't ever be a man,
Or run about upon the hay
And have a jolly time at play.

All she can do is have a doll
And take it out with her to call,
Or pick some flowers and make bouquets,
Which are the dullest kind of plays.

Girls have to stay inside the house
And keep as quiet as a mouse,
But boys can go outside and yell,
And when they're tired, come in a spell.

Girls have to wash the dishes too,
And sweep the room when that is through,
While boys go off to slide and skate
And don't get home till it is late.

But girls are good for little things,
Like mending balls, or tying strings,
And sometimes Nan will help a feller
When he has lost his ball down cellar.

There's one thing girls don't have to do,
That's get in wood, like me or you,
And if they did I know they'd cry
And then not pile the wood up high.

But Nan, she's better than the others,
For she is good to both her brothers,
And I am sure she'd like to be
A boy like Tommy or like me.