Re: what does this mean???????

I ran across something that may help. It certainly looks like something I can use when talking or teaching my grandchildren.

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA426&lpg=PA426&dq=shes%20sucha%20little%20m...



Excerpted:

Stories from the Land of
Never Never III


Eleanor M. Jollie

(To be read to the children)

"Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard,

To get her poor dog a bone.

But when she came there

The cupboard was bare,

And so the poor dog had none."

IT was after dinner, at Mistress Mary's party, that Mother Hubbard told her story. She was such a jolly old lady that everybody loved her, and as for stories, why, she knew as many as five hundred and was always thinking of new ones.

She and Mother Goose were great friends, and could often be seen knitting away, for they loved to help the old woman who lived in a shoe knit stockings for her children. I was just going to say mittens, but as it was never cold in that land way over beyond the purple hills, no one needed mittens.

You see, if it had not been for Mother Goose and Mrs. Hubbard the shoe children would have been bare-footed most of the time, for it took all of their mother's time to cook for them and to keep them in order.

It was a fortunate thing that those shoe children lived in the beautiful land of Never Never, where everyone is so kind and helps everybody else.

But I must tell you how Old Mother Hubbard looked. I always like to know how people I am reading about look, don't you ?

She was a chubby little woman, with a kind, merry face that seemed to be all wrinkles and dimples when she laughed, and she laughed often, that is why the children loved her so. She had twinkling black eyes, and hair as white as snow, and she always wore a white cap with a wide frill all around it.

Her dress was very gay, with red flowers all over it, and it was looped up over a red quilted petticoat which was short enough to show the great silver buckles on her shoes.

She had a black bodice, and a little ruffly white apron, and always carried a cane.

if you should ever meet such an old lady, look and see if she has a great smart-looking dog following her. If she does have, make up your mind it is Mother Hubbard, and ask her to tell you a story. I am quite sure she will.

"Yes," she said, when the children asked her to tell a story. "Which of my five hundred shall it be?" and she began to think, and smile, and nod, while all of the people at Mistress Mary's garden party fairly held their breaths as they thought of the lovely, lovely stories going through Mother Hubbard's mind.

"I know," she said at last. "I'll tell you about my dog Fluff-Fluff. Why, where can he be?" and she put a little silver whistle, which hung by her side, to her lips and blew upon it.

While she was waiting for Fluff-Fluff, he was laughing at the cow who could jump over the moon, and, by the way, that was the time the dish ran away with the spoon; for in the land of Never Never the tables cleared themselves, dishes just walking away from the tables. Well, while Mother Hubbard was waiting for Fluff-Fluff she said, "Do you want to know why I use a whistle instead of whistling with my lips or calling him? Well, when I was a little girl I heard that

"Whistling girls and crowing hens
Always come to some bad ends":


and so I never whistle with my lips, but use this instead."

Just then Fluff-Fluff came running up wagging his tail and barking in the most beautiful voice you ever heard.

Now you would expect a dog named Fluff-Fluff to be as white as snow and as round and soft as a puff ball, wouldn't you? But this is where the queer part comes in, for he was as black as a coal, and as smooth and shiny as a piece of glass or satin.

He wore a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l collar of gold all set with rubies, and he had as many blankets as there are days in the year; each one embroidered with his monogram, F. F. H., which stands for Fluff-Fluff Hubbard.

"Once upon a time," began Mother^Hubbard, who was seated upon a huge toad-stool, 3" there was_a dog. He lived in Earthland, and was owned_by some very wicked, cruel boys, who cut his ears, tied tin cans to his tail, and^didn't give him half enough to eat." Here a tear dropped from Fluff-Fluff's eyes just to think of it.

"Oh, the poor dog had a terrible time. Near the poor dog lived a little white dog with hair like silk, who had the loveliest time from morning untiljiight, who had nothing to do but play and eat chicken bones. The poor dog used to watch the little white dog and wish and wish that he too had a nice home.

"Well, time went on, and one night the Man in the Moon — he sees everything, you know — told the Cow all about it, and the Cow told me. It made me feel badly, I tell you, so one day I started out for Earthland to find the dog. I trotted here, and there, and everywhere, and at last I found him in an old box, which the boys had nailed up and called a dog house. He was a poor forlorn dog, you may be sure. I knew in a minute he was a smart dog, so I just untied him, left enough money in the box to pay for him, and away we walked. It was a happy day for both of us, wasn't it, FluffFluff?" and Fluff-Fluff nodded and smiled, showing his beautiful white teeth, two of which were filled with gold.

"I'll tell you why I called him Fluff-Fluff," said Mother Hubbard to Jack Sprat, who wished to know. "You remember the little whke dog who had such a good time? Of course you do. Well, his name was Fluff, and so my Fluff-Fluff wished to be called that too. It doesn't matter a bit to Fluff-Fluff and me whether he's black or white, as we like the name and that's all there is to it." Which I think is a very sensible way of looking at it, don't you?

" Fluff-Fluff and I came home over the purple hills, and on the way he told me everything bad that had ever happened to him. It makes us both feel so badly that we don't like to talk about it, but those times are over now and he is the gayest, and happiest, and most respected dog in Never Never."

At this the party clapped, for they all loved Fluff-Fluff very much and knew it was true.

"When we reached home puss was waiting for us, and she made friends with Fluff-Fluff at once. That little saying about 'fighting like cats and dogs' belongs to the cats and dogs of Earthland and not to us.

"I went to the cupboard to get him a chicken bone, but the cupboard was bare. Poor Fluff-Fluff was so disappointed, but he made the best of it, even playing a joke on me to show me how cheerful he could be in time of trouble.

"I was obliged to leave him to go to the butcher's — you know where you buy meat, Jack, for you and Mrs. Sprat — and then I went to the baker's to buy some bread.

"A terrible thing happened while I was away, for, when I returned, Fluff-Fluff was dead. Not really dead," she added quickly, for everybody was looking for his handkerchief, "but only make-believe dead. Yes, there is where the joke came in; for when I started out to buy him a coffin he commenced to laugh.

"Yes, Fluff-Fluff is full of jokes. We have such good times. I don't know how I ever lived without him. He is a great help. He can spin as well as I can, and makes all the cloth for his blankets. He looks very cute sitting in his little chair spinning. You know, and you, too," and she nodded to Mother Goose and the old woman whose pig wouldn't go over the stile. These three old ladies were great friends, and were never tired of telling how smart their three pets, the gander, the pig, and the dog, were.

"It seems that when Fluff-Fluff lived in Earthland," Mother Hubbard went on, "he saw some boys standing on their heads, and he practiced until he wore all of the hair off of the top of his head. I had to buy him a wig, but he learned how. Now his hair has grown again.

"As for dancing — but he'll show you, if King Cole will have his fiddlers play a jig." How the people at the party laughed to see Fluff-Fluff dance!

"He and puss are great friends. At one time when she was sick Fluff-Fluff used to feed her.

"Spinning and dancing are not his only accomplishments; he can read the newspaper, play a flute, and ride a goat."

There is the story of Mother Hubbard's dog, and it is so wonderful that Mother Goose has written a poem about it, ;ind you can find it in her book to this day.

The stars were peeping out, one by one, by the time Mother Hubbard had finished her story, and, as Baby Bunting, and Sleepy Head, and the Shoe children were ready for bed, the party broke up.

"It has been a splendid party. We had a lovely time," they all said, as they said "Good-by" to Mary and her maids, who stood at the gate and dropped each one a curtsey as he passed through.

" Is there a cross word that tries to be said?

Don't let it, ray dear, don't let it!
Just speak two pleasant ones, quick, instead,
And that will make you forget it."