Story Reads: 36,160

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward, you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Independent Thinking

1. When the little boy in this poem woke before the sun was out, why did he think his shadow had stayed at home in bed?

Creativity

2. If your shadow was your friend, can you think of some funny things you could do together?

 

POEMS FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Header illustration by Merio at Pixabay