Stand on your slippery feet as soon as may
    be, and use ’em,
  That you do, as you slyly creep from your
    chamber o’ crystal
  Out o’ doors, barefoot, and squint up to
    heaven, mischievously smilin’. 
  Oh, but you’re pretty, my darlin’, y’r eyes
    have a beautiful sparkle! 
  Isn’t it nice, out o’ doors? you didn’t guess
    ’t was so pleasant? 
  Listen, the leaves is rustlin’, and listen, the
    birdies a-singin’! 
  “Yes,” says you, “but I’m goin’ furder, and
    can’t stay to hear ’m: 
  Pleasant, truly, ’s my way, and more so the
    furder I travel.”

  Only see how spry my little one is at her
    jumpin’! 
  “Ketch me!” she shouts, in her fun,—­“if
    you want me, foller and ketch me!”
  Every minute she turns and jumps in another
    direction.

  There, you’ll fall from the bank!  You see,
       she’s done it:  I said so. 
  Didn’t I say it?  And now she wobbles
       furder and furder,
  Creepin’ along on all-fours, then off on her
       legs she’s a-toddlin’,—­
  Slips in the bushes,—­“Hunt me!”—­and
       there, on a sudden, she peeks out. 
  Wait, I’m a-comin’!  Back o’ the trees I
       hear her a-callin’: 
  “Guess where I am!”—­she’s whims of her
       own, a plenty, and keeps ’em. 
  But, as you go, you’re growin’ han’somer,
       bigger, and stronger. 
  Where the breath o’ y’r breathin’ falls, the
       meadows is greener,
  Fresher o’ color, right and left, and the
       weeds and the grasses
  Sprout up as juicy as can be, and posies o’
       loveliest colors
  Blossom as brightly as wink, and bees come
       and suck ’em. 
  Water-wagtails come tiltin’,—­and, look!
       there’s the geese o’ the village! 
  All are a-comin’ to see you, and all want to
       give you a welcome;
  Yes, and you’re kind o’ heart, and you
       prattle to all of ’em kindly;
  “Come, you well-behaved creeturs, eat and
       drink what I bring you,—­
  I must be off and away:  God bless you,
       well-behaved creeturs!"[A]

[Footnote A:  As the reader of German may be curious to see a specimen of the original, we give this last passage, which contains, in a brief compass, many distinctive features of the Alemannic dialect:—­

  “Nei so lucg me doch, wie cha mi Meiddeli springe! 
  ‘Chunnsch mi ueber,’ seits und lacht, ’und witt
       mi, se hol mi!’
  All’ wil en andere Weg, und alliwil anderi
       Spruengli! 
  Fall mer nit sel Reiuli ab!—­Do hemmer’s, i sags io—­
  Hani’s denn nit gseit?  Doch gauckelet’s witers
       und witers,
  Groblet uf alle Vieren, und stellt si wieder uf
       d’ Beinli,
  Schlieft in d’ Huerst—­iez such mer’s eisl—­doert
       gueggelet’s use,
  Wart, i chumm!  Druf rueefts mer wieder