little sarah stood by her grandmother’s bed,

“now what shall i get for your breakfast?” she said.

“you may get me a johnny-cake. quickly go make it,

in one minute mix, and in two minutes bake it.”

sarah gathering flour

so sarah went to the closet to see

if yet any meal in the barrel might be.

[112]the barrel had long been as empty as wind,

and not a speck of corn meal could she find.

but grandmother’s johnny-cake, still she must make it,

in one minute mix, and in two minutes bake it.

sarah at store

she ran to the store, but the storekeeper said,

“i have none. you must go to the miller, fair maid,

for he has a mill, and he’ll put the corn in it,

and grind you some nice yellow meal in a minute.

now run, or the johnny-cake, how will you make it,

in one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

sarah talking to miller

then sarah she ran every step of the way,

but the miller said, “no, i have no meal to-day.

run, quick, to the cornfield, just over the hill,

and if any corn’s there, you may fetch it to mill.

run, run, or the johnny-cake, how will you make it,

in one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

sarah running

she ran to the cornfield—the corn had not grown,

[113]though the sun in the blue sky pleasantly shone.

“pretty sun,” cried the maiden, “please make the corn grow.”

“pretty maid,” the sun answered, “i cannot do so.”

“then grandmother’s johnny-cake, how shall i make it,

in one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

sarah talking to farmer

but sarah looked round, and she saw what was wanted;

the corn could not grow, for no corn had been planted.

she asked of the farmer to sow her some grain,

but the farmer laughed till his sides ached again.

“ho! ho! for the johnny-cake, how can you make it,

in one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

sarah watching farmer and horse plow

the farmer he laughed, and he laughed very loud—

“and how can i plant till the land has been plowed?

run, run, to the plowman, and bring him with speed;

he’ll plow up the ground and i’ll fill it with seed.”

away, then, ran sarah, still hoping to make it,

[114]in one minute mix, in two minutes bake it.

the plowman he plowed, and the grain it was sown,

and the sun shed his rays till the corn was all grown.

it was ground at the mill, and again at her bed

these words to kind sarah the grandmother said,

“please get me a johnny-cake—quickly go make it,

in one minute mix, in two minutes bake it.”

from “child life: a collection of poems,”

edited by john greenleaf whittier.