There was a naughty boy, And a naughty boy was he;He ran away to Scotland, The people there to see.
Then he found That the ground Was as hard, That a yard Was as long, That a song Was as merry, That a cherry Was as red, That a door Was as wooden, As in England.
So he stood in his shoes, And he wondered,
He wondered,
He stood in his shoes,
And he wondered.
-JOHN KEATS.
Author.-John Keats (1795-1821)was an English poet who died in early manhood. His parents were poor. He was meant to be a doctor, but he gave up his work to become a poet. He died of consumption at Rome and was buried there, near Shelley. All his poems are rich and musical.
General Notes.-The poem shows how alike are common things andways of life in different countries, and helps us to understand that we are all one family.