Page 107 - English Expedition Class 2

16 A Good Play

Sometimes our imagination is all we need to have fun. Have you ever played make-believe
games? What did you imagine? Share your experience in class. Now, read this poem about two
children who imagined sailing a ship together.

We built a ship upon the stairs

All made of the back-bedroom chairs,

And filled it full of sofa pillows

1
To go a-sailing on the billows .

2
We took a saw and several nails,
3
And water in the nursery pails ;
And Tom said, ‘Let us also take

An apple and a slice of cake;’

Which was enough for Tom and me

4
To go a-sailing on, till tea .

We sailed along for days and days,

And had the very best of plays;

But Tom fell out and hurt his knee,

So, there was no one left but me.

R.L. Stevenson

1 billow: a large wave 3 pail: bucket
2 saw: a tool used to cut wood or metal 4 tea: (here) a time in the evening when people have tea
and snacks
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