Friday, October 31, 2008

Halloween Stories Your Mother Shouldn't Tell You

But she did. I give credit to the unknown author and apologize for any mistakes.

Little orphan Annie came to our house to stay,
To wash the cups and saucers and brush the crumbs away,
And shoo the chickens off the porch and dust the hearth and sweep
And make the fire and bake the bread to earn her board and keep.

And all us other children, when the supper things were done
Used to sit around the fire and have the mostest fun
Listening to the witch tales that Annie told about
And the goblins will get you, if you don’t watch out.

There was a little boy who wouldn’t say his prayers
And when he went to bed at night, a waaaay upstairs,
His momma heard him holler, his daddy heard him bawl
But when they turned the covers down, he wasn’t there at all.

They seeked him in the rafter room, the cubby hole and press
Even up the chimney flue and everywhere I guess
But all they ever found was his pants around about
And the goblins will get you if you don’t watch out

There was a little girl who always mocked and grinned
Who made fun of everyone, even blood and kin
One day there was company and old folks were there
She mocked them and she shocked them and she said she didn’t care

But when she turned around to run away and hide
There were two big black things standing by her side
They snatched her through the ceiling fore she knew what was about
And the goblins will get you, if you don’t watch out

Little orphan Annie says when the day is through
And the lamp wick flutters and the wind goes wooooooo
And the crickets are quiet and the moon is gray
And the lighting bugs are all squinched away

You better mind your parents and your teachers fond and dear
And cherish those that love you and dry the little orphan’s tear
And help the poor and needy as they cluster round about
Or the goblins will get you, if you don’t watch out.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is so cute! Hope you have a Happy Halloween.

Nunya said...

i can tell you're having fun celebrating your favorite holiday. i can't believe you remembered this whole thing.... i'm assuming - cuz i never heard it before.

happy halloween ww of the west.

xxx,
ww of the east

Dog_geek said...

Eeeps! I'll behave, I promise! Happy Halloween to you!

flydragon said...

Thanks Mildred,
Same to you

NVAM,
We probably pestered her so many times to tell us again and again that I remembered it almost word for word.
And you think you're Glenda??

DG,
I'm sure we behaved for a day or two after hearing that one. Happy weenie day to you too.

RURAL said...

Happy Halloween, for some reason I have never heard that poem, maybe thankfully. It would have scared the living daylights out of me as a child.
Jen

flydragon said...

NVAM,
No you're not Glenda. You're the one under the house.

Jen,
I think maybe that's what she had in mind. :) It did the trick, all right.

Roses and Lilacs said...

I never heard it either. I love it.
The thinks people used to tell their kids;) It's a wonder they all didn't grow up neurotic.
Marnie

flydragon said...

Marnie,
I know:) Kids always loved to hear scary stories, the difference is scary stories used to be spooky and exciting. Now "scary" seems to mean gross and gory. Not fun at all.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe mom use to tell us that scary poem. We weren't that old. It's a good thing all of slept in the same bed. Maybe I'll tell the grandkids the little ditty tonight then send them home to have nightmares. ( only kidding) Middle sis

flydragon said...

Betty,
And she used a scary voice when she was telling it. Good thing we didn't have to go waaaaaay upstairs to go to bed. Ha

Anonymous said...

If NVAM is under the house, it must be a big house, cause I think she has company!!!!!

Fla Brat

Far Side of Fifty said...

I would never have gone to bed..and sleep.. well forget that.
Great poem:)

flydragon said...

fla brat,
Only ww of the east was under the house, I melted.

farside,
It must have made quite an impression on me since I've remembered it all these years. Still like it though :)

Susie said...

I'm glad my mom never told me that story. I bet you had a big time tonight flydragon!!

flydragon said...

Susie,
I think my sisters and I are the only ones that know that little poem. Aren't you glad I passed it along? No trick or treaters come around here, so what am I going to do with all that candy? Oh I know, eat it myself:)

Anonymous said...

Can't believe no one else has heard this poem/story. And I never understood how you could remember the whole thing! I looked it up one time because I thought maybe you'd made it up:-) just kidding. Found out that James Whitcomb Riley was the author, so am really surprised that no one has 'repeated' it except you AND MOM!!!! Didn't other moms scare their kids? Can't believe you didn't repeat it to your kids! You always tried to scare us--your sisters!!!!
SisterNan

flydragon said...

Nan,
I don't know why I remembered the whole thing either, except that it must have made quite an impression on me at the time. I don't remember trying to scare you but I do remember scaring Willy quite a bit. Ha, now that was fun!!
I probably didn't tell it to my own kids because I would've been the one to have to get up in the middle of the night when they had nightmares.

MAH in PDX said...

I remember this poem was published in a book of poetry that my mother had; I read it when I was around 8. She told me that it had been read to her when she was a child. That would have been in the 1930s.

Don't know who wrote it.

flydragon said...

Hi MAH,
Thanks for stopping by. You're the only person aside from me and my sisters that have commented that they rememberd this little poem.