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St. Nicholas/Volume 32/Number 3/Money-jug

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4105826St. Nicholas, Volume 32, Number 3 — The Money-jugMary Mapes DodgeKatharine Pyle

The Money-jug.

(A Rhyme of the Doll-House.)


By Katharine Pyle.


The earthen money-jug sat on the shelf,Fat with pennies, and round and red;“You shall marry the little china dollWhen you are full,” the old rag-mother said.“Only a few more pennies,” said he,“Will fill me as full as I can be.”
The poor little china doll belowSat in the doll-house, very sad,For she did not want to marry the jug,In spite of the pennies and dimes he had;And she would not look at the nursery shelf,Where he sat in his pride and puffed himself.
“Two more days and it 's Christmas Day;I shall be quite full by then, I know,”Said the money-jug; but sadder stillWas the little doll in the house below.
The rag-mother nodded her wicked old head. “Then to-morrow the wedding shall be,” she said.
And now there ’s a noise in the hall outside,And two little children come in the door;With eager steps they hurry byWhere the doll-house stands on the nursery floor.They take the money-jug down from the shelf;“Now I ll be full,” said he to himself.




Said the little boy to the little girl,“We will get our Christmas money out.”Crack,smash! they broke the money-jug,And all the pennies rolled about.The rag-mother nodded her wicked old head;“And that is the end of him,” she said.