Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A Sunday Stroll
It was a pleasant Sunday in the sunny month of June, When LadyBug came a-strolling and a-whistling a tune. It was very, very early in the afternoon, When LadyBug came to Centipede's house in the sunny month of June. She tapped so lightly on his door and rang upon his bell, "Oh, I hope that he can hear me, and I hope that he is well. His doorbell seems in working order as far as I can tell. Oh, I hope my friend can hear me as I ring upon his bell!"
And but a moment later, Centipede came to the door. He walked upon one hundred feet (and maybe several more). "I thought I heard you ringing, but I wasn't really sure, So I put aside my tea and came running to the door!"
"Well, here I am," said LadyBug, "just as we had planned, And since the weather is so gorgeous and the weather is so grand, We shall stroll upon the beach and saunter on the sand. Yes, we shall take a Sunday Stroll just as we had planned!"
"Oh, my dear, I have forgotten about our walk down by the sea! Please come in, take a seat, and have a cup of tea. Just let me slip into my shoes for I'm sure you will agree, That one should not go barefoot on one's way down to the sea!"
"But of course, my dearest Centipede! Oh do please take your time! Sundays are such lazy days and to forget is not a crime. I'll just wait and sip my tea and read a book of rhyme. It's not even one o'clock, my dear! Oh do please take your time!"
LadyBug sat and read her book under the grandfather clock. She waited there so patiently as he slipped on every sock. One by one and slowly as the clock went ticker-tock, Her tea, she sipped, as the afternoon slipped, under the grandfather clock.
LadyBug nodded off to sleep as the moon was about to rise, And Centipede scampered to find his shoes and fix his shoelace ties. Some shoes were too loose, and some were too tight, and some were just the right size! "Oh LadyBug, won't you please help me?! The moon is about to rise!"
Then with a kiss and a sigh, she helped him tie his shoelaces that night. They tied and tied his shoelaces, one hundred nice and tight! They tied that night, they tied next day, they tied with all their might! And they went upon their Sunday Stroll late that Monday night!
