From Cautionary Tales for Children

The Chief Defect of Henry King
Was chewing little bits of String.
At last he swallowed some which tied
Itself in ugly Knots inside.

Physicians of the Utmost Fame
Were called at once; but when they came
They answered, as they took their Fees,
"There is no cure for this disease.

"Henry will very soon be dead."
His Parents stood about his Bed
Lamenting his Untimely Death,
When Henry, with his latest Breath,

Cried - "Oh, my Friends, be warned by me,
That Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch and Tea
Are all the Human Frame requires..."
With that the Wretched Child expires.

Matilda told such dreadful lies,
It made one gasp and stretch one's eyes;
Her aunt, who, from her earliest youth,
Had kept a strict regard for truth,
Attempted to believe Matilda:
The effort very nearly killed her, 
And would have done so, had not she 
Discovered this Infirmity.
For once, towards the Close of Day,
Matilda, growing tired of play,
And finding she was left alone,
Went tiptoe to the telephone
And summoned the Immediate Aid
Of London's noble Fire-Brigade.
Within an hour the Gallant Band 
Were pouring in on every hand,
From Putney, Hackney Downs and Bow,
With courage high and hearts a-glow
They galloped, roaring though the town,
'Matilda's house is burning down!'
Inspired by British Cheers and Loud 
Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,
They ran their ladders through a score
Of windows on the ball-room Floor;
And took peculiar pains to souse
The pictures up and down the house,
Until Matilda's Aunt succeeded
In showing them they were not needed
And even then she had to pay
To get the Men to go away!
It happened that a few weeks later
Her Aunt went off to the Theatre
To see that interesting Play
'The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.'
She had refused to take her Niece 
To hear this Entertaining Piece: 
A Deprivation Just and Wise 
To Punish her for Telling Lies.
That night a fire did break out --
You should have heard Matilda Shout!
You should have heard her scream and bawl,
And throw the window up and call
To People passing in the Street -- 
(The rapidly increasing Heat 
Encouraging her to obtain 
Their confidence) -- but it was all in vain!
For every time she shouted "Fire!"
They only answered "Little liar!"
And therefore when her Aunt returned,
Matilda, and the house, were burned.

When George's Grandmamma was told
That George had been as good as gold,
She promised in the afternoon 
To buy him an Immense BALLOON. 
And so she did; but when it came, 
It got into the candle flame, 
And being of a dangerous sort 
Exploded with a loud report! 
The lights went out! The windows broke! 
The room was filled with reeking smoke.
And in the darkness shrieks and yells 
Were mingled with electric bells, 
And falling masonry and groans, 
And crunching, as of broken bones, 
And dreadful shrieks, when, worst of all, 
The house itself began to fall! 
It tottered, shuddering to and fro, 
Then crashed into the street below- 
Which happened to be Savile Row. 
When help arrived, among the dead 
Were Cousin Mary, Little Fred, 
The Footmen (both of them), the Groom, 
The man that cleaned the Billiard-Room, 
The Chaplain, and the Still-Room Maid. 
And I am dreadfully afraid 
That Monsieur Champignon, the Chef, 
Will now be permanently deaf- 
And both his aides are much the same; 
While George, who was in part to blame, 
Received, you will regret to hear, 
A nasty lump behind the ear. 
The moral is that little boys 
Should not be given dangerous toys.