Picnic
Ella, fell a
Maple tree.
Hilda, build a
Fire for me.
Teresa, squeeze a
Lemon, so.
Amanda, hand a
Plate to Flo.
Nora, pour a
Cup of tea.
Fancy, Nancy,
What a spree!
– Hugh Lofting (1886-1947)
Sung by John Diamond
Date of Song’s Composition: October 28, 2003
Commentary: Hugh Lofting was an Anglo-American writer, trained as a civil engineer, who is best known for the children’s classic Doctor Dolittle. This poem comes from a delightful 1924 collection of his poetry for children titled Porridge Poetry.