It was such a lovely sunshine-day,
 The house and the yard couldn't hold me;
I roved to the woods, on my back I lay,
 In cradle of fancy rolled me;
But there were ants, and gnats that bite,
The horse-fly was keen, the wasp showed fight.

 "Dear me, don't you want to be out in this fine
weather?" --said mother, who sat on the steps and sang.

It was such a lovely sunshine-day,
 The house and the yard couldn't hold me;
A meadow I found, on my back I lay,
 And sang what my spirit told me;
Then snakes came crawling, a fathom long,
To bask in the sun,--I fled with my song.

 "In such blessed weather we can go barefoot,"--said mother,
as she pulled off her stockings.

It was such a lovely sunshine-day,
 The house and the yard couldn't hold me;
I loosened a boat, on my back I lay,
 While blithely the current bowled me;
But hot grew the sun, and peeled my nose;
Enough was enough, and to land I chose.

 "Now these are just the days to make hay in,"-- said mother,
as she stuck the rake in it.

It was such a lovely sunshine-day,
 The house and the yard couldn't hold me;
I climbed up a tree, oh, what bliss to play,
 As cooling the breeze consoled me;
But worms soon fell on my neck, by chance,
And jumping, I cried: "'T is the Devil's own dance!"

 "Yes, if the cows aren't sleek and shiny to-day, they'll
never be so,"--said mother, gazing up the hillside.

It was such a lovely sunshine-day,
 The house and the yard couldn't hold me;
I dashed to the waterfall's endless play,
 There only could peace enfold me.
The shining sun saw me drown and die,--
If you made this ditty, 't was surely not I.

 "Three more such sunshine-days, and everything will
be in,"--said mother, and went to make my bed.