207 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
207 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
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tags:
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- authorship/other
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- exclude-from-word-count
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- type/media/poetry
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author: Dr. Seuss
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date: 1937
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up: "[[poetry]]"
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---
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# And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
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When I leave home to walk to school, \
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Dad always says to me, \
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"Marco, keep your eyelids up \
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And see what you can see."
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But when I tell him where I've been \
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And what what I think I've seen, \
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He looks at me and sternly says, \
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"Your eyesight's much too keen.
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"Stop telling such outlandish tales. \
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Stop turning minnows into whales."
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Now, what can I say \
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When I get home today?
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\
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All the long way to school \
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And all the way back, \
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I've looked and I've looked \
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And I've kept careful track, \
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But all that I've noticed, \
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Except my own feet, \
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Was a horse and a wagon \
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On Mulberry Street.
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\
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That's nothing to tell of, \
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That won't do, of course . . . \
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Just a broken-down wagon \
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That's drawn by a horse.
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That _can't_ be my story. That's only a _start_. \
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I'll say that a ZEBRA was pulling that cart! \
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And that is a story that no one can beat, \
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When I say that I saw it on Mulberry Street.
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\
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Yes, the zebra is fine, \
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But I think it's a shame, \
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Such a marvelous beast \
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With a cart that's so tame. \
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The story would really be better to hear \
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If the driver I saw were a charioteer. \
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A gold and blue chariot's _something_ to meet, \
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Rumbling like thunder down Mulberry Street!
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\
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No, it won't do at all... \
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A zebra's too small.
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A reindeer is better; \
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He's fast and he's fleet,
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And he'd look mighty smart \
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On old Mulberry Street.
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\
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Hold on a minute! \
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There's something wrong!
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A reindeer hates the way it feels \
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To pull a thing that runs on wheels.
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He'd be much happier, instead, \
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If he could pull a fancy sled.
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\
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Hmmmm . . . \
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A reindeer and sleigh . . .
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Say---_anyone_ could think of that, \
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Jack or Fred ог Joe or Nat--- \
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Say, even Jane could think of _that_.
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But it isn't too late to make one little change \
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A sleigh and an ELEPHANT! _There's_ something strange!
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I'll pick one with plenty of power and size, \
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A blue one with plenty of fun in his eyes. \
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And then, just to give him a little more tone, \
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Have a Rajah, with rubies, perched high on a throne.
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Say! That makes a story that _no one_ can beat, \
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When I say that I saw it on Mulberry Street.
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\
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But now I don't know... \
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It still doesn't seem right.
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An elephant pulling a thing that's so light \
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Would whip it around in the air like a kite.
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But he'd look simply grand \
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With a great big brass band!
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\
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A band that's so good should have someone to hear it, \
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But it's going so fast that it's hard to keep near it. \
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ГІЇ put on a trailer! I know they won't mind \
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If a man sits and listens while hitched on behind.
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But now is it fair? Is it fair what I've done? \
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I'll bet those wagons weigh more than a ton. \
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That's really too heavy a load for one beast; \
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I'll give him some helpers. He needs two, at least.
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\
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But now what worries me is this . . \
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Mulberry Street runs into Bliss.
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Unless there's something I can fix up, \
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There'll be an awful traffic mix-up!
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\
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It takes Police to do the trick, \
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То guide them through where traffic's thick--- \
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It takes Police to do the trick.
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They'll never crash now. They'll race at top speed \
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With Sergeant Mulvaney, himself, in the lead.
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\
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The Mayor is there \
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And the Aldermen too, \
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All waving big banners \
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Of red, white and blue.
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The Mayor is there \
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And he thinks it is grand, \
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And he raises his hat \
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As they dash by the stand.
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And that is a story that NO ONE can beat \
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When I say that I saw it on Mulberry Street!
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\
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With a roar of its motor an airplane appears \
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And dumps out confetti while everyone cheers
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And that makes a story that's really not bad! \
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But it still could be better. Suppose that I add . . . . . . .
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\
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A Chinaman \
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Who eats with sticks. . . .
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A big Magician \
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Doing tricks . . .
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A ten-foot beard \
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That needs a comb. . . .
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No time for more, \
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I'm almost home.
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\
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I swung 'round the corner \
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And dashed through the gate, \
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I ran up the steps \
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And I felt simply GREAT!
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FOR I HAD A STORY THAT **NO ONE** COULD BEAT! \
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AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET!
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But Dad said quite calmly, \
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"Just draw up your stool \
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And tell me the sights \
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On the way home from school."
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There was so much to tell, I JUST COULDN'T BEGIN! \
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Dad looked at me sharply and pulled at his chin. \
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He frowned at me sternly from there in his seat, \
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"Was there nothing to look at . . . no people to greet? \
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Did _nothing_ excite you or make your heart beat?"
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\
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"Nothing," I said, growing red as a beet, \
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"But a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street."
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