A Child's Garden of Verses

By Robert Louis Stevenson

This is a book of poems.
A kind nurse cared for the boy who wrote them.
He wrote this book to say thank you.

Bed in Summer

In winter, I wake up at night.
I get dressed by candle light.

In summer, it is not the same.
I go to bed while it is still light.

I go to bed early.
Birds still hop in the tree.
Grown-ups still walk outside.

Don't you think that is hard?
The sky is blue and clear.
I want to play more.
But I have to go to bed.

A Thought

It is nice to think.
The world has food and drink.
Children everywhere say thank-you words
before they eat.

At the Sea-Side

I went down to the sea.
Someone gave me a wooden spade.
I dug holes in the sand.

My holes were empty, like a cup.
Then the sea came into each hole.
It filled them all the way up.

Young Night-Thought

Every night, when my mom turns off the light,
I see people marching by.
They look so real to me.

I see armies and kings.
They carry many things.
They march in a grand way.

It is a better show
than any circus I know.
All kinds of animals and people march by.

At first they move slow.
Then they move faster.
I follow along,
until we reach the town called Sleep.

Whole Duty of Children

A child should always tell the truth.
A child should answer when asked something.
A child should have good manners at the table.
At least, as much as they can.

Rain

Rain falls all around.
It falls on the field and the tree.
It falls on umbrellas.
It falls on ships at sea.

Pirate Story

Three of us play by the swing.
We ride in a basket boat.
Wind blows in the spring air.
The grass waves like sea waves.

Where should we sail today?
Should we go to Africa?
Or somewhere far away?

Look! Cows run at us like a pirate ship!
Quick, let's get away!
The garden gate is our safe harbor.
The garden is our shore.

Foreign Lands

I climbed up the cherry tree.
I held on with both hands.
I looked out at faraway lands.

I saw the garden next door.
I saw flowers I never saw before.
I saw a river shine like glass.
I saw the sky reflected there.
I saw dusty roads
with people walking to town.

If I could climb higher,
I could see even more.
I could see where the river meets the sea.
I could see where the roads
lead to a magic land.
There, children eat dinner at five.
There, toys come alive.

Windy Nights

When the moon and stars go away,
when the wind blows hard,
a man rides by all night.
Why does he ride so fast?

When trees cry in the wind,
when ships toss on the sea,
he gallops by, loud and low.
Then he gallops back again.

Travel

I want to go far away,
where golden apples grow.
Where parrot islands sit in blue water.
Where a man alone builds a boat.

Where cities sit in the sun,
with towers called minarets.
Where people sell goods in a market called a bazaar.

Where a great wall goes around China.
On one side, a desert blows.
On the other side, busy cities hum.

Where hot forests grow,
full of apes and coconuts.
Where hunters live in huts.

Where crocodiles blink in a river called the Nile.
Where pink birds called flamingos
hunt for fish.

Where tigers hide in the jungle,
listening for hunters near.

Where an empty city sits in the sand.
No children play there now.
No lights shine at night.

I will go there when I am a man.
I will ride with camels.
I will light a fire in an old room.
I will look at pictures on the walls.
I will find old toys
that Egyptian children once played with.

Singing

Birds sing about their eggs.
Sailors sing about ships and ropes.

Children sing in far Japan.
Children sing in Spain.
Music plays in the rain.

Looking Forward

When I grow up,
I will be proud and tall.
I will tell other kids,
"Don't touch my toys!"

A Good Play

We built a ship from chairs.
We used pillows for waves.
We used a saw and nails.
We used water in pails.

Tom said, "Let's bring apples and cake."
That was enough food
for our whole sea trip.

We sailed for days and days.
It was the best game ever.
But Tom fell and hurt his knee.
Then I sailed alone.

Where Go the Boats?

The river is dark brown.
The sand is gold.
The river flows on and on.
Trees stand on each side.

Green leaves float by.
Foam looks like little castles.
My toy boats sail away.
Where will they go?

The river flows past the mill.
It flows down the valley.
It flows down the hill.

Far away, a hundred miles or more,
other children will find my boats
on the shore.

Auntie's Skirts

When Auntie walks around,
her dress makes a funny sound.
It swishes behind her on the floor.
It follows her through the door.

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick in bed,
I had two pillows for my head.
All my toys stayed with me
to keep me happy all day.

Sometimes I watched my toy soldiers march
through the blankets and hills.

Sometimes I sailed my toy ships
across the sheets.

I brought out my toy trees and houses.
I built toy towns all around.

I was a giant, big and still,
sitting on a hill of pillows.
I looked out at my quiet, blanket land.

The Land of Nod

All day, I stay home with my friends.
But every night, I go somewhere else.
I go to the Land of Nod.

I go there all alone.
No one tells me what to do.
I walk by dream rivers.
I climb dream mountains.

Strange things happen there.
I see strange food and strange sights.
Some things are a little scary.
Then morning comes,
and I wake up from the Land of Nod.