Got a sliver in my hand <br />An' it hurt t' beat the band, <br />An' got white around it, too; <br />Then the first thing that I knew <br />It was all swelled up, an' Pa <br />Said: 'There's no use fussin', Ma, <br />Jes' put on his coat an' hat; <br />Doctor Johnson must see that.' <br /> <br />I was scared an' yelled, because <br />One time when the doctor was <br />At our house he made me smell <br />Something funny, an' I fell <br />Fast asleep, an' when I woke <br />Seemed like I was goin' t' choke; <br />An' the folks who stood about <br />Said I'd had my tonsils out. <br /> <br />An' my throat felt awful sore <br />An' I couldn't eat no more, <br />An' it hurt me when I'd talk, <br />An' they wouldn't let me walk. <br />So when Pa said I must go <br />To the doctor's, I said: 'No, <br />I don't want to go to-night, <br />'Cause my hand will be all right.' <br /> <br />Pa said: 'Take him, Ma,' an' so <br />I jes' knew I had t' go. <br />An' the doctor looked an' said: <br />'It is very sore an' red- <br />Much too sore to touch at all. <br />See that picture on the wall, <br />That one over yonder, Bud, <br />With the old cow in the mud? <br /> <br />'Once I owned a cow like that, <br />Jes' as brown an' big an' fat, <br />An' one day I pulled her tail <br />An' she kicked an' knocked the pail <br />Full o' milk clean over me.' <br />Then I looked up there t' see <br />His old cow above the couch, <br />An' right then I hollered 'ouch.' <br /> <br />'Bud,' says he, 'what's wrong with you; <br />Did the old cow kick you, too?' <br />An' he laughed, an' Ma said: 'Son, <br />Never mind, now, it's all done.' <br />Pretty soon we came away <br />An' my hand's all well to-day. <br />But that's first time that I knew <br />Picture cows could kick at you.<br /><br />Edgar Albert Guest<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dr-johnson-s-picture-cow/
