The word went forth in Fairyland, (From ugly fays, in sooth!) "Young Tom's had too much candy; He needs an aching tooth!" So Fever hurried from the south, And from the west came Grumps, And from the east came Puffy Face, And from the north came Thumps. They quickly spied a hollow tooth (Where Tom had failed to brush); They clapped their little, impish hands, And made a silent rush. They thumped the tooth, they banged the tooth, The mocking, cruel crew; They rasped the nerve, they ground the nerve, They pierced it through and through. From nine o'clock till twelve o'clock They racked the groaning child, Till Tom was "almost crazy," His mother, "fairly wild." At length between his moans and cries Young Tom was heard to say, "I'll give my teeth less candy, And brush them twice a day." Bang, bang! The impish fairy four Each dealt a parting thwack, Then off they flew, east, west, north, south, And nevermore came back. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CHRISMUS IS A-COMIN' by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR IDYLLS OF THE KING: THE MARRIAGE OF GERAINT by ALFRED TENNYSON THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS by MARIA ABDY LOST HAPPINESS by JOHANNA AMBROSIUS OUR WEAKNESS by JOHANNA AMBROSIUS SONNET: 14 by RICHARD BARNFIELD GOOD NIGHT by HESTER A. BENEDICT |