My Shadow

HAVE a little shadow that goes in and out with
me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I
can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes togrow- Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
THE LOST DOLL
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an indiarubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.
He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,
Andcanonlymake afool of me in everysort ofway.
He stays so close beside me, he's a coward, you
can see ;
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow
sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepyhead,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep
inbed.