If This Little World To-Night

by


If This Little World To-Night is the prologue in Herford's whimsical collection, The Bashful Earthquake & Other Fables and Verses, published in 1898.
If This Little World To-Night
If this little world to-night
   Suddenly should fall thro' space
In a hissing, headlong flight,
   Shrivelling from off its face,
As it falls into the sun,
   In an instant every trace
Of the little crawling things--
   Ants, philosophers, and lice,
Cattle, cockroaches, and kings,
   Beggars, millionaires, and mice,
Men and maggots all as one
   As it falls into the sun--
Who can say but at the same
   Instant from some planet far
A child may watch us and exclaim:
   "See the pretty shooting star!"

You might also enjoy our collection of Children's Poems.


9.5

facebook share button twitter share button reddit share button share on pinterest pinterest


Add If This Little World To-Night to your library.

Return to the Oliver Herford library , or . . . Read the next poem; The Bashful Earthquake

Or read more short stories for kids in our Children's Library

© 2022 AmericanLiterature.com