Can You Spin, Caterpillar?
In italics below is a little poem about a caterpillar and its cocoon. It nicely introduces another poem on the same subject that comes right after it...
The Cocoon
See the pretty brown cradle.
I found it on the apple tree.
A caterpillar made it.
A baby is asleep in the cradle.
The baby is a butterfly.
The cradle is a cocoon.
The butterfly will come out in the spring.
Can You Spin, Caterpillar?
Poem
Can you spin, caterpillar?
Oh, yes.
Can you spin a cradle?
Yes, I can spin a cradle.
Who rocks you to sleep, little caterpillar?
The wind rocks me to sleep.
Do not go away, pretty caterpillar.
Please do not go away.
I like to see you spin.
Crawl, crawl, pretty caterpillar.
Spin a little cradle.
The wind will rock the cradle.
The wind will sing to you.
The wind will sing,
"Woo-woo-woo!"
Go to sleep, my little caterpillar.
Go to sleep, my dear.
See the pretty little cradle!
The caterpillar made it.
The caterpillar is in it.
Rock the little cradle, old wind.
Sing, "Woo-woo-woo!" old wind.
The little caterpillar will sleep all winter.
Good-by, little caterpillar.
"Rock-a-bye baby, all winter long,
Wrapped in cradle of silk, soft and strong.
Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye, wrapped soft and strong
Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye, all winter long."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
"Can You Spin, Caterpillar?" can be found in "The Holton Primer" (1901) by Martha Adelaide Holton. "The Cocoon" can be found in "The School News and Practical Educator," Volume 21 (1907).
