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    Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 46: Tom Cricket

by William Allingham

Performer: Librivox - Rosslyn Carlyle


Tom Cricket he sat in his hole in the wall,

Close to the kitchen fire,

Up and down ran the Cockroaches all,

Red coats and black coats, great and small;

"Ho, Tom! our hearts are set on a ball,

And your music we desire!"



Tom sat in his hole, his horns hung out,

He play'd away on his fiddle;

The Cockroaches danced in a rabble rout,

Scrambling and scurrying all about,

Tho' they had their own steps and figures no doubt,

Hands across, and down the middle.



Till, "Stay!" says a Fat One,-"We're no Elves,

To dance all night without stopping!

Now for supper!" They help'd themselves,

For the servants were gone to bed; on shelves

And tables they quested by tens and twelves,

And quick to the floor kept dropping.



As a Cockroach ran by, says Tom Cricket to him,

"Fetch me up a piece of potato,

Good Sir!-to mix in the crowd I'm too slim."

Says Jack Cockroach, "I see you are proud and prim;

To eat alone is merely your whim,-

Which I never will give way to!"



"Come down," says he, "and look out for your share!"

"I won't do that," says Tom Cricket.

And when for another dance they care,

And call upon Tom for a lively air,

They find he has drawn himself back in his lair.

"How shameful," they cry, "How wicked!"



"Let's fill up the mouth of his cave with soot,

Because he's behaved so badly!"

They ran up and down the wall to do't;

But ere half-done-a dreadful salute!

In came the Cook, and the Scullion to boot,

And off they all scampered madly.

    Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 46: Tom Cricket

by William Allingham

Performer: Librivox - Rosslyn Carlyle

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read or listen to the poem.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Tom Cricket plays for some dancing Cockroaches until they refuse to bring him some food. When he stops playing, the Cockroaches want revenge, but the Cook and the Scullion interrupt their plot.

Vocabulary

Cricket: An insect related to the grasshoppers. The male produces a characteristic rhythmical chirping sound.
Cockroach: A beetlelike insect with long antennae and legs.
Rabble: A disorderly crowd; a mob.
Rout: An assembly of people who have made a move toward committing an illegal act that would constitute an offense of riot.
Servant: A person who performs duties for others.
Quested: Sought out.
Prim: Stiffly formal and respectable.
Whim: A sudden desire or change of mind.
Lair: A wild animal's resting place.
Soot: A black powdery or flaky substance produced by the incomplete burning of wood or other organic matter.
Ere: Before in time.
Salute: A gesture of respect or recognition.
Scullion: A servant assigned the lowliest kitchen tasks such as scrubbing dishes.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

  • Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem. Instructors may need to prompt children line-by-line.

Activity 2: Study the Poem's Companion Picture

  • Study the picture below and describe it in your own words.

Find the following in the companion picture:

  • Cricket
  • Bee in a Pink Flower
  • Blue Dragonfly Above a Pink Flower
  • Vase
  • Table
  • Leaves
  • Red Flowers
  • White Flowers
  • Orange Flower
  • Flower Buds

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

  • After reading or listening to each verse of the poem, narrate the verse events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 49 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?
1 / 4

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Tom Cricket.'
1 / 4

Question 2

What happens in the poem?
2 / 4

Answer 2

Tom Cricket plays for some dancing Cockroaches until they refuse to bring him some food. When he stops playing, the Cockroaches want revenge, but the Cook and the Scullion interrupt their plot.
2 / 4

Question 3

Who are the characters in the poem?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Tom Cricket, cockroaches, the cook and scullery.
3 / 4

Question 4

Does the poem teach us anything?
4 / 4

Answer 4

People can be ungrateful when you do them a favor.
4 / 4

  1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Tom Cricket.'
  2. What happens in the poem? Tom Cricket plays for some dancing Cockroaches until they refuse to bring him some food. When he stops playing, the Cockroaches want revenge, but the Cook and the Scullion interrupt their plot.
  3. Who are the characters in the poem? Tom Cricket, cockroaches, the cook and scullery.
  4. Does the poem teach us anything? People can be ungrateful when you do them a favor.

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