What Folks Are Made Of

[kateybella]

What Folks Are Made Of

Traditional Original

What are little babies made of, made of?
What are little babies made of?
Diapers and crumbs and sucking their thumbs;
That's what little babies are made of?

What are little boys made of, made of? (1. R.S.)
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That's what little boys are made of. And such are...

What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice;
That's what little girls are made of.

What are young men made of, made of?
What are young men made of?
Sighs and leers and crocodile tears;
That's what young men are made of.

What are young women made of, made of? (2. R. S.)
What are young women made of?
Rings and jings and other fine things; Sugar and spice and all things nice;
That's what young women are made of. And such are...

What are our sailors made of, made of?
What are our sailors made of?
Pitch and tar, pig-tail and scar;
That's what our sailors are made of.

What are our soldiers made of, made of?
What are our soldiers made of?
Pipeclay and drill, the foeman to kill;
That's what our soldiers are made of.

What are our nurses made of, made of?
What are our nurses made of?
Bushes and thorns and old cow's horns;
That's what our nurses are made of.

What are our fathers made of, made of?
What are our fathers made of?
Pipes and smoke and collars choke;
That's what our fathers are made of.

What are our mothers made of, made of?
What are our mothers made of?
Ribbons and laces and sweet pretty faces;
That's what our mothers are made of.

What are old men made of, made of?
What are old men made of?
Slippers that flop and a bald-headed top;
That's what old men are made of.

What are old women made of, made of?
What are old women made of?
Reels, and jeels, and old spinning wheels;
That's what old women are made of?

What are all folks made of, made of?
What are all folks made of?
Fighting a spot and loving a lot,
That's what all folks are made of.

[kateybella]

i knew the second and third line from when i was little, but i never knew this whole poem existed.