Sick

    "I cannot go to school today，"

    Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

    "I have the measles¹ and the mumps²，

    A gash³， a rash and purple bumps.

    My mouth is wet， my throat is dry，

    I'm going blind in my right eye.

    My tonsils are as big as rocks，

    I've counted sixteen chicken pox

    And there's one more——that's seventeen，

    And don't you think my face looks green？

    My leg is cut——my eyes are blue——

    It might be instamatic flu.

    I cough and sneeze and gasp⁴ and choke，

    I'm sure that my left leg is broke——

    My hip⁵ hurts when I move my chin，

    My belly⁶ button's caving in，

    My back is wrenched⁷， my ankle's sprained⁸，

    My 'pendix pains each time it rains.

    My nose is cold， my toes are numb⁹.

    I have a sliver¹⁰ in my thumb.

    My neck is stiff， my voice is weak，

    I hardly whisper when I speak.

    My tongue is filling up my mouth，

    I think my hair is falling out.

    My elbow's bent¹¹， my spine¹² ain't straight，

    My temperature is one-o-eight.

    My brain is shrunk， I cannot hear，

    There is a hole inside my ear.

    I have a hangnail， and my heart is——what？

    What's that？ What's that you say？

    You say today is. . .Saturday？

    G'bye， I'm going out to play！"