Edward Buttoneye and His Adventures

The story for bedtime and little children since ages 4-8.

And, though he never could explain,

I don’t mind telling you

That in that box he had been lain

By those who made him, limb and brain,

And stitched his eyes on, too.

It’s odd, you’ll think, they joined his toes

And gave him such a head and nose.

But there on the broad countryside

Was he, a homeless lad.

Another might have sat and cried,

But Edward, no. “Whate’er betide,

If work is to be had,

I’ll take,” thought he, “what Fortune brings

And live in hopes of better things.”

A farmhouse stood not far away,

So first there Edward tried,

And was engaged to herd by day

And night the farmer’s sheep, which stray,

Whene’er they can, and hide.

And so a paper Edward bought

And sat and watched and read and thought.

He read through each advertisement

To see if he could find

A place he thought would suit his bent,

In which he could be quite content

And cultivate his mind.

—He read so hard and thought so deep

He quite forgot about the sheep.