BAKING THE JOHNNY-CAKE

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 gathering¹ 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 speck² 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 miller³, 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 maiden⁴, “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 plow⁵
The farmer he laughed, and he laughed very loud—
“And how can I plant till the land has been plowed⁶?
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.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

3 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

4 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

5 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

6 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句