The Dream of a Boy who Lived at Nine Elms

Nine grenadiers, with bayonets in their guns;

Nine bakers' baskets, with hot-cross buns;

Nine brown elephants, standing in a row;

Nine new velocipedes, good ones to go;

Nine knickerbocker suits, with buttons all complete;

Nine pairs of skates with straps for the feet;

Nine clever conjurors eating hot coals;

Nine sturdy mountaineers leaping on their poles;

Nine little drummer-boys beating on their drums;

Nine fat aldermen sitting on their thumbs;

Nine new knockers to our front door;

Nine new neighbours that I never saw before;

Nine times running I dreamt it all plain;

With bread and cheese for supper I could dream it all again!