The Peter Pan ALPHABET By Oliver Herford. THE PETER PAN ALPHABET BOOKS BY OLIVER HERFORD WITH PICTURES BY THE AUTHOR PUBLISHED BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS ==================================== THE BASHFUL EARTHQUAKE $1. 25A CHILD'S PRIMER OF NATURAL HISTORY 1. 25OVERHEARD IN A GARDEN 1. 25MORE ANIMALS _net, _ 1. 00THE RUBAIYAT OF A PERSIAN KITTEN _net, _ 1. 00THE FAIRY GODMOTHER-IN-LAW _net, _ 1. 00A LITTLE BOOK OF BORES _net, _ 1. 00THE PETER PAN ALPHABET _net, _ 1. 00 THE PETER PAN ALPHABET _By_ OLIVER HERFORD [Illustration] _New York_ CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1907 COPYRIGHT 1907 BY OLIVER HERFORD PUBLISHED JANUARY 1907 [Illustration: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z] A ROUND ROBIN TO J. M. BARRIE From His Humble and Devoted Servants THE ALPHABET The Lord forgive if we transgressThus to familiarly address One of our betters. But Jamie, do you no recallThe slate whereon you learned to scrawl Your Humble Letters? Well we remember how you drewOur shapely features all askew, Unflattering really. You made A lame and B too fatAnd C too curly--what of that! We loved you dearly. From that first day we owned your spell, And just because you used us well We served you blindly. Why, even when you put us throughA fearsome Scottish Reel, we knew You meant it kindly. Jamie, 'tis said Grand Tales there beStill biding in the A B C-- If this be true, Quick Jamie! Cast your golden net. Maybe we have the grandest yet In store for you. [Illustration: A] _A is for Adams_ So A is for Adams, Oh! fortunate ALuck certainly seems to be coming your way. In the Days of my Infancy, A I recallStood for Ant or for Apple or anything small. Now A stands for Adams, Maude Adams, Hurray!I always _said_ A would be Famous some day. [Illustration: B] _B stands for the Boys_ B's for the Boys, all as Busy as BeesThey are building a Little House under the TreesWith funny red walls and mossy green roofWhere Wendy may live from danger aloof. [Illustration: C] _C is the Crocodile_ C is the Crocodile Creepy who ateThe right hand of Hook and covets its mateHe makes a loud ticking wherever he goesFor he swallowed a Clock (To kill time I suppose). [Illustration: D] _D is for DoodleDoo_ D is the Dire and Dread DoodleDooWith which Peter Daunted the Pirate crew, And demolished a foolish old Proverb for goodBy crowing before he was out of the wood. [Illustration: E] _E is the Exit_ E is the Exit the three children madeWith Peter and Tinker for guides, Who's afraid?They sailed through the window as calm as could beLike three little Cherubim out for a Spree. [Illustration: F] _F is the Fight_ F is the Fight, Peter Fought unafraidAnd F is his Falchion (Poetic for Blade)And F's the Fine Feeling all Fearless Boys FeelWhen they give a Fierce Pirate a taste of Cold Steel. [Illustration: G] _G is Old Glory_ G is Old Glory--that Peter upreared, When Hook in the Crocodile's smile disappeared, And the Decks were still wet with the terrible stainsOf _Invisible Gore_ from the Pirate's veins. [Illustration: H] _H stands for Hook_ I'm sorry for H, tho' I don't call Hook meanFor wanting to Blow Up his own Magazine. I've known a Good Author blow up, in a Huff, A Magazine just for not printing his Stuff. [Illustration: I] _I's for the Indian Girl_ Peter Pan was too coy for the Indian Miss;She sighed for his scalp--all she got was a kiss. [Illustration: J] _J is for John_ J is for John (No, he hasn't a Pain;He is Red-Handed Jack of the Pirate Main). [Illustration: K] _K stands for a Kiss_ K stands for a Kiss? Oh, stern featured K!Who would have suspected--_You'd_ leanings that way!Peter called _his_ a Thimble--(_I_ think it sounds tameTo call Kisses Thimbles--but what's in a Name!) [Illustration: L] _L is the Lion_ L is the Lion who lashed his Fierce Tail, And did Peter Tremble? did Peter turn Pale?Not Much! 'Twas the Lion who moved to adjourn, He couldn't turn Tail, Peter left none to Turn. [Illustration: M] _M is for Michael_ M is for Michael--ssssh!--whisper it low!In Pirate Circles he's called Blackbeard Joe! [Illustration: N] _N is for Napoleon and Nana_ N is Napoleon--Mystic--ProfoundAnd N is for Nana the Noble Nurse Hound--Two wonderful natures--each great in his way, One's dead and the other is "Having his Day. " [Illustration: O] _O's for Odds-fish!!_ O's for Odds-fish--the Pirate's Oath. To print such a word, Gentle Reader, I'm loth. And should _You_ be guilty of language so low, I should have to stop calling you "Gentle, " you know. [Illustration: P] _P is for Peter_ P is for Peter, and so are we all, May he ever keep young and his Shadow stay Small. Yet I think 'tis a pity the White House is Bann'd. As President, Peter would simply be Grand! [Illustration: Q] _Q is the Quiver_ Q is the Quiver from which Tootles drewThe Arrow that nearly pierced poor Wendy through. 'Twas Peter's _Kiss Button_ that stopped it--Ah me!If Kisses _were_ Buttons--how _safe_ they would be! [Illustration: R] _R's for the Redskins_ R's for the Redskins, who Guarded the Cave. What a Treat to see "Injuns" sit up and Behave! [Illustration: S] _S is the Shadow_ S is the Shadow--tho' not of much use, You'd surely be Sorry if _Yours_ Should get loose. So See to your Shadow--be sure it's on tight, When Peter lost _his_ he was in a sad plight. [Illustration: T] _T is for Tinker Bell_ Poor Tinker Bell's dying, Quick! say you BelieveIn Fairies, that Tinker New Life may receive. [Illustration: U] _U is the Underground Home_ U's the underground home mid the roots of the trees, Where when not slaying Pirates, the boys take their ease. While Wendy sits mending their shirtwaists and hose, And the Redskins above Keep watch against foes. [Illustration: V] _V is the Verse_ V's the Vile Verse that the Pirate Bawled--It was not his language so much that appalled, Nor the Tune--nor his Voice which was Raucus and Deep'Twas _the way that he sang it_ That made your flesh creep. [Illustration: W] _W's Wolves_ W's wolves--'Tis said they will flyIf you look through your legs at them straight in the eye. That's how the Boys did it, but if I were you, I'd experiment first on a wolf in the Zoo. [Illustration: X] _X is the X Ray_ X is the X Ray by whose light alone, This last fleeting picture of Hook may be shown. [Illustration: Y] _Y is for Youth_ Y is for _Youth_ to which Peter clung, But where is the land where he learned to Stay Young?Ask Peter, he'll tell you, Geography scorning, "Second Turn to the Right and keep straight on till Morning. " [Illustration: Z] _Z is the Zebra_ Z is the Zebra the Boys _didn't_ meet, But without which no Alphabet's really complete. [Illustration]