We came from the fair with our pennies all spent...

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite books in the world was The Golden Book of Poetry - 85 Childhood Favorites.  This book is so long out of print that to try to find a copy today is next to impossible.  So I cherish my own bedraggled copy.  This book had the most endearing illustrations coupled with such vivid poems... I can still remember sitting with my Mom or my sister and listening to them as they read aloud my favorite poems.

Poems like "The Road to Raffydiddle" and "The Raggedy Man" and "General Store".  As a Mom of two boys I have tried not to be disappointed when they didn't just fall in love with this book.  Although, Jonathan will still let me read him "If I Were a One Legged Pirate" every once in awhile.  :)

But perhaps my very favorite poem of all was "Jill Came From the Fair" by Eleanor Farjeon.  I loved searching the colorful illustrations for all the little details of her adventures.

Jill came from the Fair

With her pennies all spent;

She had had her full share

Of delight and content;

She had ridden the ring

To a wonderful tune, 

She had flown in a swing

Half as high as the moon,

In a boat that was drawn 

by an ivory swan

Beside a green lawn

On a lake she had gone,

She had bought a gold packet

That held her desire;

She had touched the red jacket

Of one who ate fire,

She had stood at the butt,

And although she was small

She had won a rough nut

With the throw of a ball,

And across the broad back

Of a donkey a-straddle, 

She had jolted like Jack-

In-the-Box on a saddle--

Till mid frolic and shout

And tinsel and litter,

The lights started out

Making everything glitter,

And dazed by the noise

And the blare and the flare,

With her toys and her joys

Jill came from the Fair.

Jill made attending a fair seem like the most exciting thing on earth!  I fell in love with the whole idea.  :)  Wouldn't you?  As a child we attended the Iowa State Fair just about every year... camping alongside my aunt, uncle and cousins.  Sure enough, I decided a fair could be everything Jill had said it would be and I cherish the memories I have of tromping around with my cousins, Joel and Brian.

As a 'grown-up' (jury may still be out on that one...) one of my greatest joys has been introducing my boys to the Missouri State Fair.  This has become one of our own traditions - to camp for the entire fair time (almost 2 weeks) and fully enjoy all the fair has to offer.  You might remember my post from last year about 'How to see the MO State Fair'.  Well, as I get ready to post about this years trip I just had to share my 'Jill' poem.  For some reason this year, I found myself reciting that poem over and over (quietly, in my head... don't worry).  :)

We came from the fair with our pennies all spent (be we did make it in at budget!) and we certainly had our full share of delight and content.  What more could we ask??