Lines and Squares

by A. A. Milne

Whenever I walk in a London street,
I'm ever so careful to watch my feet;
  And I keep in the squares,
  And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,
  Go back to they lairs,
  And I say to them, "Bears,
Just look how I'm walking in all the squares!"

And the little bears growl to each other "He's mine,
As soon as he's silly and steps on a line." 
And some of the bigger bears try to pretend
That they came round the corner to look for a friend;
And they try to pretend that nobody cares 
Whether you walk on the lines or squares. 
But only the sillies believe their talk; 
It's ever so portant how you walk.

And it's ever so jolly to call out, "Bears,
Just watch me walking in all the squares!" 

By A.A.Milne
 
Writer of Winne-the-pooh  




Taken from the book "When we were very young"
First published November 6th, 1924
Reprinted 63 times

The version I have reset and reprinted 1965 by
Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd
Bungay, Suffolk, England.

Published by Methuen & Co. Ltd.
11 New Fetter Lane,
London EC4

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