Looking-Glass River

Robert Louis Stevenson · 1885

Catalog grade guidance: K–5 — Short children’s lyric; good for early memorization and reading aloud.

26 content lines · 121 words · Est. recitation about 1 min 17 sec (approx.)

Public-domain text for reading and recitation practice. Source: Project Gutenberg #136.Estimated time uses ~120 words/minute plus short pauses—not a contest rule.

Looking-Glass River

  Smooth it glides upon its travel,
       Here a wimple, there a gleam--
            O the clean gravel!
            O the smooth stream!

  Sailing blossoms, silver fishes,
       Paven pools as clear as air--
            How a child wishes
            To live down there!

  We can see our colored faces
       Floating on the shaken pool
            Down in cool places,
            Dim and very cool;

  Till a wind or water wrinkle,
       Dipping marten, plumping trout,
            Spreads in a twinkle
            And blots all out.

  See the rings pursue each other;
       All below grows black as night,
            Just as if mother
            Had blown out the light!

  Patience, children, just a minute--
       See the spreading circles die;
            The stream and all in it
            Will clear by-and-by.


                                           XXXVI