Every Time I climb a Tree
by David Thompson Watson McCord (Mulberry)
The Poem :
"Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
I scrape a leg
Or skin a knee
And every time I climb a tree
I find some ants
Or dodge a bee
And get the ants
All over me.
And every time I climb a tree
Where have you been?
They say to me
But don't they know that I am free
Every time I climb a tree
I like it best
To spot a nest
That has an egg
Or maybe three.
And then I skin
The other leg
But every time I climb a tree
I see a lot of things to see
Swallows, rooftops and TV
And all the fields and farms there be
Every time I climb a tree
Though climbing may be good for ants
It isn't awfully good for pants
But still it's pretty good for me
Every time I climb a tree.
Summary of the Poem :
The poet scrapes a leg or skin a knee every time he tries to climb a tree. He finds some ants and dodges a bee while being on the tree. Some ants get over him.
The ants and bees seem to ask him that where had he been so long. The poet is annoyed to answer this question. He climbs a tree when he is free. They should know this.
The poet likes to find the nests of birds with one or three eggs.
He skins his another leg. Yet, he likes to climb a tree as he can see so many things climbing the tree.
He sees swallows, rooftops and TV. He also sees all the fields and farms. Climbing is easy of ants but not for the poet. His pants get teared as he climbs a tree. But still the poet loves to climb a tree.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
1. Use this tree chart to list all the things the boy sees when he climbs a tree.
2. Choose the right answer.
a. Every time the boy climbs the tree he scrapes his leg because
i. the tree bark is smooth. [ ]
ii. the tree bark is rough. [✓]
iii. there are ants on the tree. [ ]
b. The boy dodges a bee because
i. bees are harmless. [ ]
ii. bees give him honey. [ ]
iii. bees can sting. [✓]
c. When the boy says 'it isn't awfully good for pants,' it means
i. his pants are very good. [ ]
ii. his pants are awful. [ ]
iii. his pants tear. [✓]
3. Read these lines and answer the questions that follow.
"And every time I climb a tree
Where have you been?
They say to me"
a. What happens to the boy every time he climbs a tree?
= Every time the boy climbs a tree the ants and bees seem to ask him that where had he been so long.
b. Circle the words which tell us how people feel when they ask the boy 'where have you been'?
=
c. Who do you think 'they' are in these lines?
= I think 'they' are the ants and bees and other creatures who live on the tree.
4. How many times do you find the words 'every time' used in the poem? Why do you think these words are repeated so often?
= I find the words 'every time' nine times in the poem.
I think these words are repeated so often to emphasise on what the poet sees and what happens to him when he climbs on a tree.
5. How does the boy feel every time he climbs a tree?
= The boy feels very excited mixed with fear every time he climbs a tree. He is excited to see the things he can see from the tree. He is scared of the ants and bees. He gets hurt by getting rubbed against the hard and rough bark of the tree.
6. List the rhyming pairs from the poem, such as tree - knee.
= The rhyming pairs from the poem are -
tree - knee;
tree - bee;
bee - me;
tree - me;
free - tree;
best - nest;
tree - see;
TV - be;
ants - pants;
me - tree;
About the Poet :
David Thompson Watson McCord (1897-1996) was a well-known children's writer. When he was a child he lived in the countryside. McCord used to read aloud to his grandmother and thus he found his love for reading and writing. He would often visit schools to recite his poems and engage children in writing poetry.