The Daring Book for Girls - Andrea J. Buchanan [19]
5. Miss Brown
I went down town, to see Miss Brown.
She gave me a nickel, to buy a pickle.
The pickle was sour so she gave me a flower.
The flower was black so she gave me a smack.
The smack was hard so she gave me a card.
And on the card it said:
Little Spanish dancer turn around.
(turn while jumping)
Little Spanish dancer, touch the ground.
(touch ground)
Little Spanish dancer tie your shoe.
(jump on one leg, pretend to tie shoe)
Little Spanish dancer, 64-skidoo.
(jump/exit rope area)
6. Not Last Night But The Night Before
Not last night b ut the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door, As I ran out, (jumper jumps out of rope) They ran in, (jumper jumps back in) Knocked me on the head with a rolling pin.
I asked them what they wanted And this is what they said:
Chinese dancers do the splits, (the jumper does commands after each one)
Chinese dancers do high kicks,
Chinese dancers turn around,
Chinese dancers touch the ground,
Chinese dancers get out of town.
(the jumper runs out of the rope, end of turn)
7. School
School, school, the golden rule, spell your name and go to school
(The jumper spells name and then runs out without touching the rope. Each subsequent turn, the jumper jumps through the grades.)
Kindergarten (jumper just runs through)
First Grade (jumper jumps once, saying “first grade” then runs out)
Second Grade (jumper jumps twice, saying “second grade” then runs out)
And so on, through 12th grade
(The jumper’s turn ends when she misses or once she’s jumped all the way through the 12th grade.)
8. Down in the Valley
Down in the valley where the green grass grows,
There sat (jumper’s name) pretty as a rose.
Up came (a boy)
And kissed her on the cheek,
How many kisses did she get this week?
(jumper jumps and counts until she misses)
9. Policeman
Policeman, Policeman do your duty
Here comes (jumper’s name), an American beauty.
She can wiggle, she can wobble,
she can do the splits.
But I bet you five dollars that she can’t do this.
(Jumper’s name) jumps on one foot, one foot,
one foot, (jumper jumps on one foot)
(Jumper’s name) jumps on two foot, two foot, two foot (jumper jumps on two feet)
(Jumper’s name) jumps on three foot, three foot, three foot (jumper jumps on two feet with one hand to the ground)
(Jumper’s name) jumps on four foot, four foot, four foot (jumper jumps on two feet with both hands to the ground)
(Jumper’s name), jump out!
10. Apples on a Stick
Apples on a stick
Make me sick,
Make my heart go
Two-forty-six.
Not because I’m dirty,
Not because I’m clean,
Not because I kissed a boy
Behind a magazine.
Close your eyes and count to ten.
If you mess up, then that’s the end.
(jumper jumps and counts to 10)
Queens of the Ancient World I
Wise Artemisia
IT IS A MYSTERY what Queen Artemisia, who lived during the fifth century BC, looked like; no depictions of her survive. But the tales we know of her from the world’s first historian, Herodotus, portray Artemisia as an intelligent and clever queen who bravely spoke her mind, even when no one else agreed with her. We also know she was a skillful and courageous sailor, who protected the Persian fleet during the ancient Greco-Persian Wars.
In the fifth century BC, Artemisia ruled Halicarnassus (today called Bodrum), a city nestled along a cove on the southeastern coast of Turkey’s Aegean Sea. Artemisia’s father and her husband had ruled the city before her. When her husband died, she became queen, as their son was too young to rule.
At this time, in 480 BC, the Persian Empire was at its zenith. Xerxes (pronounced Zerksi), the fourth of the great Persian kings, was in power. He had already conquered much of Asia and turned his sights toward the Greek city states and isles.
Xerxes narrowly won the battle of Thermopylae, capturing the pass to the Greek mainland, and then burned down its capital, Athens. He next headed south to take the island of Salamis, moving his battle to sea and relying heavily on the boats in his navy. He asked his allies around the Aegean