✦ A Classic Poem ✦
A child meets a little Elf-man down where the lilies blow and asks him why he is so small. The Elf’s answer is short, clever, and absolutely right.
Read aloud by Storyland Classics ✦ 25 seconds ✦ Watch on YouTube
✦ The Poem ✦
by John Kendrick Bangs (1862–1922). Public domain.
I met a little Elf-man, once, Down where the lilies blow. I asked him why he was so small And why he didn’t grow.
He slightly frowned, and with his eye He looked me through and through. “I’m quite as big for me,” said he, “As you are big for you.”
✦ About the Poem ✦
John Kendrick Bangs (1862–1922) was an American humorist, editor, and writer who wrote many light, funny poems and stories.
In only eight lines, the little Elf teaches a big lesson: everyone is exactly the right size for themselves. It is a lovely poem to share with any child who has ever felt too small.
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