"LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE"

 ((First posted on October, 2011))



When we were small our Mom occasionally would recite this poem and would tickle us when she reached the "Gobble-uns 'll git you ef you don't watch out!" part. Then when I was in the third grade at the Frank V.Thompson school in Dorchester I read the poem in our English text book. Years later I used to post it every Halloween on an email list for a fantasy role playing group. So it's a sort of Halloween tradition for me.


Anyway, it's the best Halloween poem I know. Enjoy.

And `ware th' Gobble-uns!

Little Orphant Annie

by James Whitcomb Riley.

LITTLE Orphant Annie ’s come to our house to stay,   
An’ wash the cups and saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,   
An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,   
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;   
An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,         
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun   
A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ’at Annie tells about,   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’at gits you   
        Ef you   
            Don’t           
              Watch   
                Out!   

Onc’t they was a little boy would n’t say his pray’rs—   
An’ when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,   
His mammy heerd him holler, an’ his daddy heerd him bawl,           
An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he was n’t there at all!   
An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole, an’ press,   
An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’wheres, I guess;   
But all they ever found was thist his pants an’ roundabout!   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’ll git you           
        Ef you   
            Don’t   
              Watch   
                Out!   

An’ one time a little girl ’ud allus laugh an’ grin,         
An’ make fun of ever’ one, an’ all her blood-an’-kin;   
An’ onc’t when they was “company,” an’ ole folks was there,   
She mocked ’em an’ shocked ’em, an’ said she did n’t care!   
An’ thist as she kicked her heels, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,   
They was two great big Black Things a-standin’ by her side,          
An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ’fore she knowed what she ’s about!   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’ll git you   
        Ef you   
            Don’t   
                Watch          
                    Out!   

An’ little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,   
An’ the lampwick sputters, an’ the wind goes woo-oo!   
An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,   
An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is allsquenched away,—        
You better mind yer parents, and yer teachers fond and dear,   
An’ churish them ’at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,   
An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ’at clusters all about,   
Er the Gobble-uns ’ll git you   
        Ef you           
            Don’t   
              Watch   
                Out!

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 28TH

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:

28 Oct 1681 7x great grandmother Sarah Stevens was born at Andover, Ma.

28 Oct 1653 7x great grandmother Sarah Learned was born at Chelmsford, Ma.

MARRIAGES:

28 Oct 1819 3x great grandparents John Ellingwood & Rachel Barrows were married at Woodstock, Me.

28Oct 1600 10x great grandparents John Maverick & Mary Gye were married at Islington, Devonshire, England

DEATHS:

28 Oct 1735 9x great grandmother Mary (Loker) Prescott died at Groton, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 24TH.

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:

24 Oct 1744 5x great grandmother Edith Upton was born at North Reading, Ma.

24 Oct 1697 6x great grandfather Richard Kelley was born at Newbury, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

24 Oct 1768 5x great grandparents John Bancroft & Mary Walton were married at Lynn, Ma.

24 Oct 1643 9x great grandparents James Converse & Anne Long were married at Woburn, Ma.

24 Oct 1689 7x great grandparents John Carver & Mary Barnes were married at Plymouth, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

24 Oct 1694 8x great grandmther Elizabeth (Stream) Packard died at Bridgewater, Ma.

24 Oct 1728 8x great grandmother Priscilla (Kimball) Ames died at Groton, Ma.

24 Oct 1657 9x great grandfather Thomas Moulton died at Charlestown, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 23rd

 On This Day:
BIRTH
23 Oct 1728 5x great grandfather Jonathan Barker Jr. was born at Andover, Ma.

MARRIAGE
23 Oct 1676 8x great grandparents Stephen Greenleaf  & Elizabeth Gerrish were married at Newbury, Ma.

DEATH
23 Oct 1667 9x great grandfather Thomas WIlder died at Lancaster, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 20th

 

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

20 Oct 1640 8x great grandfather John Hayward was born at Concord, Ma.

20 Oct 1663 7x great grandfather Joseph Dow was born at Hampton, NH

20 Oct 1717 6x great grandfather Amos Upton was born at Salem, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE;:

20 Oct 1650 9x great grandparents Daniel Poor & Mary Farnum were married at Boston, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

20 Oct 1688 9x great grandmother Mary (Gawkroger)Prescott died at Lancaster, Ma.

20 Oct 1748 7x great grandfather John Hawkes died at Lynn, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 19th

 

On This Date:

BIRTH:

19 Oct 1748 5x great grandmother Meriah Peirce was born at Harvard, Ma.

CIVIL:

19 Oct 1630 10x great grandfather Samuel Skelton took the Oath of Freemen at Salem, Ma.

MARRIAGE:

19 Oct 1924 grandparents Edward F White Sr and Agnes McFarland were married at Boston, Ma.

DEATH:

19 Oct 1677 8x great grandfather Edward Bangs died at Eastham, M

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 16th

On This Date:

 

BIRTHS:

16 Oct 1676 6x great grandmother Patience Simmons was born at Duxbury, Ma.

16 Oct 1672 7x great grandfather Thomas Safford was born at Ipswich, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

16 Oct 1898 great grandparents Frank W Barker & Charlotte L Barker were married at Gorham, NH (They were 1st cousins)

 

DEATH:

16 Oct 1705 8x great grandmother Susannah (Edson) Keith died at West Bridgewater, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 15th

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:
15 Oct 1663 7x great grandfather  Joseph Wright was born at Chelmsford, Ma.
15 Oct 1753 4x great grandmother Hannah Crowell was born at Yarmouth, Ma.

DEATH:
15 Oct 1728 &x great grandfather John Crowe died at Yarmouth , Ma

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 14th

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGE:

14 Oct 1663 10x great grandparents Jonathan Johnson & Mary Newton were married at Marlborough, Ma.

DEATH:

14Oct 1710 9x great grandmother Elizabeth (Holt) Farnham/Farnum, died in Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 13th

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGE:

13 Oct 1750 5x great grandparents Jonathan Barker & Abigail Mitchell were married at Haverhill. Ma.

13 Oct 1616 9x great grandparents Michael Metcalf & Sarah Elwyn were married at Waynham, England

 

DEATHS:

13 Oct 1743 8x great grandfather Stephen Greenleaf died at Newbury, Ma

13 Oct 1746 &x great grandfather Robert Woodbury died at Beverly, Ma.

13 Oct 1771 6x great grandfather Samuel Haskell died at Harvard, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 12th

 

On This Date

 

DEATHS:

12 Oct 1682 10x great grandfather Robert Adams died at Newbury, Ma.

12 Oct 1708 8x great grandmother Elizabeth (Jackson) West died at Beverly, Ma.

12 Oct 1639 11x great grandmother Isabella (Drake) Smith died at Watertown, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 11th

On This Day:

BIRTH
11 Oct 1670 8x great grandfather John Ames Sr. was born  at Andover, Ma.

MARRIAGE:
11 Oct 1680 8x great grandparents Ephraim Stevens & Sarah Abbott were married at Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 9th

 

On This Date: 

 

MARRIAGES:

9Oct 1639 9x great grandparents Richard Willis & Amy Glass were married at Bridgewater, Ma.

9 Oct 1685 8x great grandparents Ralph Farnham & Mary Sterling were married at Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 8th

 

The photo is of the Elusive John Cutter West.

On This Date:

BIRTH:

8 Oct 1802 3x great grandfather John Cutter West was born at (supposedly) Plymouth, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

8 Oct 1739 6x great grandparents Jonathan Abbott & Martha Lovejoy were married at Andover, Ma.

8 Oct 1665 8x great grandparents Daniel Cheney & Sarah Bailey were married at Newburyport, Ma.

 

DEATH:

8 Oct 1715 8x great grandfather Thomas Tarbell died at Lexington, Ma.

 

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 7th

Big list today

BAPTISM:

7 Oct 1621 8x great grandfather Nathaniel Stow was baptized at Biddenden, Kent, England

BIRTHS:

7 Oct 1898 grandmother Agnes McFarland was born in Boston, Ma.

7 Oct 1676 7x great grandfather Daniel Pierce was born at Woburn, Ma.

MARRIAGES:

7 Oct 1712 7x great grandparents Stephen Greenleaf & Mary Mackres were married at Newburyport, Ma.

7 Oct 1698 7x great grandparents Thomas Safford & Eleanor Cheney were married at Ipswich, Ma.

DEATHS:

7 Oct 1666 9x great grandfather Thomas Pierce died at Charlestown, Ma.

7 Oct 1688 9x great grandmother Elizabeth (Kendall) Eaton died at Reading, Ma.

7 Oct 1662 10 great grandfather Stephen Gates died at Lancaster, Ma.

 

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 4th

 On This Date:

BIRTH:

4 Oct 1696 6x great grandmother Mary Carver was born at Plymouth, Ma.

DEATH:

4 Oct 1664 8x great grandmother Mary (Faunce) Harlow died at Plymouth, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 3RD

 

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

3 Oct 1742 5x great grandfather Amos Upton Jr. was born at Reading,Ma

3 Dec 1643 7x great grandmother Patience Barstow was born in Dedham, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

3 Oct 1759 5x great grandparents Reuben Packard & Anne Perkins were married at North Bridgewater (now Brockton), Ma.

3 Oct 1803 4x great grandparents Stephen Moore & Miliie Davis were married at Waterford, Me.

3 Oct 1614 9x great grandparents Robert Long & Sarah Taylor were married at St. Albans, Herfordshire, England.

 

DEATH:

3 Oct 1689 9x great grandfather Edward Phelps died at Andover, Ma.