It’s mighty hard to have to tell About the umbrella she liked so well!
’T was standing right in the front hail, And no one seemed to need it then. It did n't look like rain a bit, So I just thought I ‘d borrow it To make a tent for circus men.
We jammed the handle in the ground, And propped it up with Michael's hoe; Then Tommy tied his flag on that, While I ran off to get the cat To be the el’phant in our show.
That pussy was the meanest thing! Just when we ’d got her in all right, She clawed the side of our silk tent, And tore a whopping, great big rent, Then scooted through it, out of sight!
Jack said it could be mended—sure; But, oh, such luck!—the wind blew ‘round, And caught it up, with rip and tear, And sent it flying through the air, Then thumped it, whirling, on the ground!
We all ran after it like mad, Tom and me, and Jack and Ella, When the old thing stopped, and, crash! Every one of us went smash Right on top of that umbrella!
I wish I knew where that man lives That comes along the street sometimes With old umbrellas on his back, To get a good one from his pack, I ‘d give him my three silver dimes.
It ’s tough on me and the boys and Ella, We were all so careful of that umbrella!
