by Jacquie Schmall

Created on: March 01, 2009

In an old fashioned town
On a quaint winding street,
Stood a square little store,
Built of yellow concrete.
Inside, day by day
Was a small kindly lady
Who sat in a chair
In a corner quite shady.
When the sun did shine in
On those days that were sunny
She watched dust dance around
In the light; it was funny.
Far down the street
On a hill past the mall
Was a sturdy old school

Not too big, nor too small.
All around that old school
Not far from the store
Stood a great many houses,
A hundred or more.
Some were old, some were not,
Some were white, some were gray,
Each one had a garden,
A backyard for play.
Each morning at eight
Out of every front door,
Passed their garden toward school,
Kids marched by the score.
They laughed as they went,
Whether sunshine or rain,
There were Michaels and Joes
Robertas and Janes.

Alone or in groups,
They all passed the store
With the little red mat
Neatly placed by the door.
The dear lady inside
Only seen by a few,
Smiled at each child
As old people do.
Mrs. New sold antiques,
Which are things that are old,
And she wore flowered aprons
With colors quite bold.
To pass the long hours
She crocheted pretty hats
When her yarn got all tangled
She wouldstop and say "drat".
Not too many people
Came into the shop.
And none of the children
Ever had time to stop.
So she sat quite alone,
In her chair in the shade.
Crocheting and dratting
The hats that she made.
In the back of the store,
With much time to play,
Lived her thirty-one cats
She had one for each day.
Some cats like to play,
And some of the slept,
And some chased the dust,
Whenever she swept.
When the cats spilled their milk,
Or turned over their dish,
She softly say, "drat",
Now you can't have your fish.
They meowed their complaint
And before very long,
Mrs. New smiled
And joined in their song.
Drat fish and drat milk,
We have a hunch,
That when we get hungry
We'll catch mice for lunch!
Then they danced all around
In the square little store.
Not far from the school
With children galore.
Mrs. New's shop
Had neighbors next door,
A baker, shoemaker,
And a wondrous toy store.
Each of those places
Had shoppers enough
To keep them quite busy
Selling their stuff.
Mrs. New sat alone,
With her thirty-one cats,
Crocheting, and dancing
In between drats.
When the cats spilled their milk,
Or turned over their dish,
She softly say "drat",
Now you can't have your fish.
The chorus of cats
Meowed and meowed,
They all sang together
One big friendly crowd.
Drat fish and drat milk,
We have a hunch,
When we get hungry
We'll catch mice for lunch!
Then they danced all around
In the square little store.
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