31
A CANDLE, A CANDLE

A candle, a candle

To light me to bed;

A pillow, a pillow

To tuck up my head.

The moon is as sleepy as sleepy can be,

The stars are all pointing their fingers at me,

And Missus Hop-Robin, way up in her nest,

Is rocking her tired little babies to rest.

So give me a blanket

To tuck up my toes,

And a little soft pillow

To snuggle my nose.

[NOTES] This rhyme is said to children to help them go to sleep. Years ago people used candles to light a room when it was dark. People put their head on cotton with feathers inside called pillows to go to sleep. The child can see the moon and the stars in the sky. The child can see a bird called a Robin in a tree. MotherRobin is in her bed with her baby birds. The child asks for a cover for his toes and a pillow to put his nose on.

candle—a small fire on the top of wax

pillow—cotton with feathers inside

to tuck—to put something in place

missus hop-robin—mother bird

to rock—to move from left to right to left

to rest—to stop moving

blanket—cover

to snuggle—to hold close