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!'
She told us a lot of other pieces but I cannot remember them, and she talked to us all the way up, and when we got nearly to Cannon Street she said -'I've got two new shillings here! Do you think they would help to smooth the path to Fame?'
Noel said, 'Thank you,' and was going to take the shilling. But Oswald, who always remembers what he is told, said -'Thank you very much, but Father told us we ought never to take anything from strangers.'
'That's a nasty one,' said the lady - she didn't talk a bit like a real lady, but more like a jolly sort of grown-up boy in a dress and hat - 'a very nasty one! But don't you think as Noel and I are both poets I might be considered a sort of relation? You've heard of brother poets, haven't you? Don't you think NoEl and I are aunt and nephew poets, or some relationship of that kind?'
I didn't know what to say, and she went on -'It's awfully straight of you to stick to what your Father tells you, but look here, you take the shillings, and here's my card.
When you get home tell your Father all about it, and if he says No, you can just bring the shillings back to me.'
So we took the shillings, and she shook hands with us and said, 'Good-bye, and good hunting!'
We did tell Father about it, and he said it was all right, and when he looked at the card he told us we were highly honoured, for the lady wrote better poetry than any other lady alive now. We had never heard of her, and she seemed much too jolly for a poet. Good old Kipling! We owe him those two shillings, as well as the jungle books!