1911 Little Willies Book, No. XXI
Into the family drinking well
Willie pushed his sister Nell.
She’s there yet, because it kilt her —
No we have to buy a filter.
It’s difficult to read this verse without being reminded of Harry Graham’s earlier (1901) poem concerning Aunt Eliza’s similar demise.
1911 Little Willies Book, No. XXIII
Little Willie for a frolic,
Ate a melon parabolic;
When the fruit arrived inside,
Little Willie up and died.
Was the trouble — melon-colic?
An earlier version of this verse was published in 1909 in The Central Record with “Johnny” as the title character.