The Sound of Children Laughing

They’re playing outside in Tolly Maw, laughing and chanting which means that someone is having a very bad time of it. I mean to say, but listen -

These are the scissor girls, these are the boys

They cut up your blankets and cut up your toys

They cut as they giggle and cut up that noise

These are the scissor girls, these are the boys

These are the needles and these are the pins

They stitch up your face where the scissors made grins

They hide inside packets, and bags and in tins

These are the needles and these are the pins

These are the old men with old curses and knives

They saw at the stitches urged on by their wives

They thieve at your days to stretch out their lives

These are the old men with old curses and knives

These are the flies slick sticky as tar

They creep and they feed on the puss from your scar

They’ll find out your stink no matter how far

You run from the flies slick sticky as tar

You’ll rot in your room, your fingers fall off

No dancing, no drinking, no sleeping, no scoff

You daren’t cry aloud and you daren’t even cough

You’ll rot in your room, your fingers fall off

You’ll die where you lie ignored on the floor

Unless to the kitchen, unless to the drawer

Unless then the scissors to your stumps you will gnaw

You’ll die where you lie ignored on the floor

You are the scissor girls, you are the boys

You cut up their blankets and cut up their toys

You cut as you giggle and cut up that noise

You are the scissor girls, you are the boys