Lost Time

Timothy took his time to school,
Plenty of time he took.
But some he lost in the tadpole pool
And some in the stickle back brook.
Ever so much in the linnets nest,
And more on the five-barred gate.
Timothy too his time to school,
But he lost it all and was late.

Timothy has a lot to do -
How shall it all be done ?
Why, he never got home till close on two,
Though he might have been back by one.
There's sums, and writings, and spelling, too,
And an apple tree to climb.
Timothy has a lot to do -
How shall he find the time ?

Timothy sought it high and low!
He looked in the tadpole pool
To see if they'd taken the time to grow
That he lost on the way to school.
He found the nest an he found the tree,
And he found the gate he'd crossed,
But Timothy never shall find (ah me!)
The time that Timothy lost