The Goblins (James Asher Parks)
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- (Posted 2023-11-27) CPDL #77595:
- Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-11-27). Score information: Letter, 16 pages, 712 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: The Goblins
Composer: James Asher Parks
Lyricist: James Whitcomb Riley
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1908 J. A. Parks Co.
Description: This poem was inspired by a twelve-year-old Civil War orphan and first appeared in 1885 in the Indianapolis Journal. It became very popular and was published many times in numerous places. It was later the inspiration for Little Orphan Annie and the Raggedy Ann doll.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Little Orphant Annie
Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,
An’ wash the cups an’ saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,
An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;
An’ all us other children, when the supper-things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun
A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ’at Annie tells about,
An’ the Gobble-uns ’at gits you
Ef you
Don’t
Watch
Out!
Wunst they wuz a little boy ’at wouldn’t say his prayers,—
An’ when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an’ his Daddy heerd him bawl,
An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he wuzn’t there at all!
An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole, an’ press,
An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’-wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an’ roundabout:--
An’ the Gobble-uns ‘ll git you
Ef you
Don’t
Watch
Out!
An’ one time a little girl ’ud allus laugh an’ grin,
An’ jes’ make fun of ever’ one, an’ all her blood-an’-kin;
An’ wunst, when they wuz “company,” an’ ole folks, too, wuz there,
She mocked ’em an’ she shocked ‘em too, an’ said she didn’t care!
An’ when she kicked her heels about, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things there, a-standin’ by her side;
An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ‘fore she knowed what she’s about!
An’ the Gobble-uns ‘ll git you
Ef you
Don’t
Watch
Out!
Little Orphant Annie says, ’at when the blaze is blue,
An’ when the lamp-wick sputters, an’ the wind goes woo-oo!
An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,
An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is all squenched away,—
You had better mind yer parunts, an’ yer teachurs fond an’ dear,
An’ churish them ‘at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,
An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ‘at clusters all about,
Er the Gobble-uns ‘ll git you
Ef you
Don’t
Watch
Out!
James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)
This poem was inspired by a twelve-year-old Civil War orphan and first appeared in 1885 in the Indianapolis Journal. It became very popular and was published many times in numerous places. It was later the inspiration for Little Orphan Annie and the Raggedy Ann doll.