For little boys

This is in E Nesbit's "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" and made me smile.

Oh when I wake up in my bed
And see the sun all fat and red,
I'm glad to have another day
For all my different kinds of play.


There are so many things to do-
The things that make a man of you,
If grown-ups did not get so vexed
And wonder what you will do next.


I often wonder whether they
Ever made up our kinds of play-
If they were always good as gold
And only did what they were told.


They like you best to play with tops
And toys in boxes, brought from shops;
They do not even know the names
Of really interesting games.


They will not let you play with fire
Or trip your sisters up with wire,
They grudge the tea-tray for a drum,
Or booby-traps when callers come.


They don't like fishing, and it's true
You sometimes soak a suit or two:
They look on fireworks, though they're dry,
With quite a disapproving eye.


They do not understand the way
To get the most out of your day:
They do not know how hunger feels
Nor what you need between your meals.


And when you're sent to bed at night
They're happy, but they're not polite,
For through the door you hear them say:
"He's done his mischief for the day!"