In a singsong voice, a mother holds her baby close and moves them together—up, down, backward, forward, in circles. Every motion is safe because she’s right there: “Never mind baby, mother is by.” The poem bubbles with the baby’s delighted shrieks (“Crow and caper, caper and crow”) as they almost touch the ceiling and dip toward the floor. The speaker’s tone is full of warmth and reassurance; she promises to sing along, shaking a little coral toy that rings “ding, ding, ding.” The whole scene feels like a pocket of pure, unclouded happiness—a tiny moment of play that wraps the baby in love and rhythm.
The Baby's Dance — Summary
Dance little baby, dance up high, Never mind baby, mother is by; Crow and caper, caper and crow, There little baby, there you go; Up to the ceiling, down to the ground, Backwards and forwards, round and round; Dance little baby, and mother shall sing, With the merry coral, ding, ding, ding.