Tonight Is The Night

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
~ ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS ~

I discovered this book 10 years ago, and immediately fell in love with the eerie pictures and bewitching lyrics. Only this year did I learn that the verse is an old childhood song, set to music long ago. I had no idea!

Hallowe'en

Tonight is the night
When dead leaves fly
Like witches on switches
Across the sky,

When elf and sprite
Flit through the night
On a moony sheen.
Tonight is the night

When leaves make a sound
Like a gnome in his home
Under the ground,

When spooks and trolls
Creep out of holes
Mossy and green.
Tonight is the night

When pumpkins stare
Through sheaves and leaves
Everywhere,

When ghoul and ghost
And goblin host
Dance round their queen.
It's Hallowe'en.

poem by Harry Behn
sung by Kathryn Lillich
storybook illustrations by Greg Couch

Also by Harry Behn
Trees

Trees are the kindest things I know,
They do no harm, they simply grow
And spread a shade for sleepy cows,
And gather birds among their bows.

They give us fruit in leaves above,
And wood to make our houses of,
And leaves to burn Halloween
And in the Spring new buds of green.

They are first when day's begun
To tough the beams of morning sun,
They are the last to hold the light
When evening changes into night.

And when a moon floats on the sky
They hum a drowsy lullaby
Of sleepy children long ago...
Trees are the kindest things I know.

Illustrated by James Endicott

Next Fortnightly Post
Monday, October 28th
Between now and then, read

THE QUOTIDIAN KIT
my shorter, almost daily blog posts
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com

Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST ~ Halloween Favorites
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogsppot.com