Father's in the woodshed,
Cleaning forty fish;
Mother's in the kitchen,
Washing every dish;
Sister's upstairs making
Every bed we own;
The company is on the porch
With the graphophone.

Father does the rowing,
Brother does the chores,
Mother does the baking,
Sister sweeps the floors;
Everybody's working,
Here at Idlenook,
Except the company — and that
Sits down and reads a book.