THE NURSERY RHYMES

LD King Cole

Was a merry old soul,

And a merry old soul was he;

He called for his pipe,

And he called for his bowl,

And he called for his fiddlers three.

Every fiddler, he had a fiddle,

And a very fine fiddle had he;

Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee, went the fiddlers.

Oh, there's none so rare,

As can compare

With King Cole and his fiddlers three!

We make no spare

Of John Hunkes' mare;

And now I

Think she will die;

He thought it good

To put her in the wood,

To seek where she might ly dry;

If the mare should chance to fale,

Then the crownes would for her sale.

The king of France, and four thousand men,

They drew their swords, and put them up again.

The king of France went up the hill,

With twenty thousand men;

The king of France came down the hill,

And ne'er went up again.

The king of France, with twenty thousand men,

Went up the hill, and then came down again;

The king of Spain, with twenty thousand more,

Climb'd the same hill the French had climb'd before.

The king of France, the king of France,

with forty thousand men,

Oh, they all went up the hill, and so—came

back again!

At the siege of Belle-isle

I was there all the while,

All the while, all the while,

At the siege of Belle-isle.

The rose is red, the grass is green,

Serve Queen Bess our noble queen;

Kitty the spinner

Will sit down to dinner,

And eat the leg of a frog;

All good people

Look over the steeple,

And see the cat play with the dog.

Good Queen Bess was a glorious dame,

When bonny King Jemmy from Scotland came;

We'll pepper their bodies,

Their peaceable noddies,

And give them a crack of the crown!

Ho! Master Teague, what is your story?

I went to the wood and kill'd a tory;

I went to the wood and kill'd another;

Was it the same, or was it his brother?

I hunted him in, and I hunted him out,

Three times through the bog, about and about;

When out of a bush I saw his head,

So I fired my gun, and I shot him dead.

Please to remember

The fifth of November,

Gunpowder treason and plot;

I know no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

See saw, sack-a-day;

Monmouth is a pretie boy,

Richmond is another,

Grafton is my onely joy,

And why should I these three destroy,

To please a pious brother!

Over the water, and over the lee,

And over the water to Charley.

Charley loves good ale and wine,

And Charley loves good brandy,

And Charley loves a pretty girl,

As sweet as sugar-candy.

Over the water, and over the sea,

And over the water to Charley,

I'll have none of your nasty beef,

Nor I'll have none of your barley;

But I'll have some of your very best flour;

To make a white cake for my Charley.

As I was going by Charing Cross,

I saw a black man upon a black horse;

They told me it was King Charles the First;

Oh dear! my heart was ready to burst!

High diddle ding,

Did you hear the bells ring?

The parliament soldiers are gone to the king!

Some they did laugh, some they did cry,

To see the parliament soldiers pass by.

High ding a ding, and ho ding a ding,

The parliament soldiers are gone to the king;

Some with new beavers, some with new bands,

The parliament soldiers are all to be hang'd.

Hector Protector was dressed all in green;

Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.

The Queen did not like him,

Nor more did the King:

So Hector Protector was sent back again.

Poor old Robinson Crusoe!

Poor old Robinson Crusoe!

They made him a coat

Of an old nanny goat,

I wonder how they could do so!

With a ring a ting tang,

And a ring a ting tang,

Poor old Robinson Crusoe!

What is the rhyme for poringer?

The king he had a daughter fair,

And gave the Prince of Orange her.

William and Mary, George and Anne,

Four such children had never a man:

They put their father to flight and shame,

And call'd their brother a shocking bad name.

As I walk'd by myself,

And talked to myself,

Myself said unto me,

Look to thyself,

Take care of thyself,

For nobody cares for thee.

I answer'd myself,

And said to myself

In the self-same repartee,

Look to thyself,

Or not look to thyself,

The self-same thing will be.

There was a monkey climb'd up a tree,

When he fell down, then down fell he.

There was a crow sat on a stone,

When he was gone, then there was none.

There was an old wife did eat an apple,

When she had eat two, she had eat a couple.

There was a horse going to the mill,

When he went on, he stood not still.

There was a butcher cut his thumb,

When it did bleed, then blood did come.

There was a lackey ran a race,

When he ran fast, he ran apace.

There was a cobbler clowting shoon,

When they were mended, they were done.

There was a chandler making candle,

When he them strip, he did them handle.

There was a navy went into Spain,

When it return'd it came again.

Jim and George were two great lords,

They fought all in a churn;

And when that Jim got George by the nose,

Then George began to gern.

Little General Monk

Sat upon a trunk,

Eating a crust of bread;

There fell a hot coal

And burnt in his clothes a hole,

Now General Monk is dead.

Keep always from the fire:

If it catch your attire,

You too, like Monk, will be dead.

Eighty-eight wor Kirby feight,

When nivver a man was slain;

They yatt their meaat, an drank ther drink

An sae com merrily heaam agayn.

NE, two, three,

I love coffee,

And Billy loves tea.

How good you be,

One, two, three.

I love coffee,

And Billy loves tea.

A, B, C, tumble down D,

The cat's in the cupboard and can't see me.

F for fig, J for jig,

And N for knuckle bones,

I for John the waterman,

And S for sack of stones.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

I caught a hare alive;

6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

I let her go again.

Great A, little a,

Bouncing B!

The cat's in the cupboard,

And she can't see.

One's none;

Two's some;

Three's a many;

Four's a penny;

Five is a little hundred.

A, B, C, and D,

Pray, playmates, agree,

E, F, and G,

Well so it shall be.

J, K, and L,

In peace we will dwell

M, N, and O,

To play let us go.

P, Q, R, and S,

Love may we possess,

W, X, and Y,

Will not quarrel or die.

Z, and amperse-and,

Go to school at command.

Hickery, dickery, 6 and 7,

Alabone Crackabone 10 and 11,

Spin span muskidan;

Twiddle 'um twaddle 'um, 21.

Apple-pie, pudding, and pancake,

All begins with an A.

Miss one, two, and three could never agree,

While they gossiped round a tea-caddy.

One, two,

Buckle my shoe;

Three, four,

Shut the door;

Five, six,

Pick up sticks;

Seven, eight,

Lay them straight;

Nine, ten,

A good fat hen;

Eleven, twelve,

Who will delve?

Thirteen, fourteen,

Maids a courting;

Fifteen, sixteen,

Maids a kissing;

Seventeen, eighteen,

Maids a waiting;

Nineteen, twenty,

My stomach's empty.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man!

So I will, master, as fast as I can:

Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T,

Put in the oven for Tommy and me.

A was an archer, and shot at a frog,

B was a butcher, and had a great dog.

C was a captain, all covered with lace,

D was a drunkard, and had a red face.

E was an esquire, with pride on his brow,

F was a farmer, and followed the plough.

G was a gamester, who had but ill luck,

H was a hunter and hunted a buck.

I was an innkeeper, who lov'd to bouse,

J was a joiner, and built up a house.

K was King William, once governed this land,

L was a lady, who had a white hand.

M was a miser, and hoarded up gold,

N was a nobleman, gallant and bold.

O was an oyster wench, and went about town,

P was a parson, and wore a black gown.

Q was a queen, who was fond of good flip,

R was a robber, and wanted a whip.

S was a sailor, and spent all he got,

T was a tinker, and mended a pot.

U was an usurer, a miserable elf,

V was a vintner, who drank all himself.

W was a watchman, and guarded the door.

X was expensive, and so became poor.

Y was a youth, that did not love school,

Z was a zany, a poor harmless fool.

A was an apple-pie;

B bit it;

C cut it;

D dealt it;

E eat it;

F fought for it;

G got it;

H had it;

J joined it;

K kept it;

L longed for it;

M mourned for it;

N nodded at it;

O opened it;

P peeped in it;

Q quartered it;

R ran for it;

S stole it;

T took it;

V viewed it;

W wanted it;

X, Y, Z, and amperse-and,

All wish'd for a piece in hand.

A for the ape, that we saw at the fair;

B for a blockhead, who ne'er shall go there;

C for a collyflower, white as a curd;

D for a duck, a very good bird;

E for an egg, good in pudding or pies;

F for a farmer, rich, honest, and wise;

G for a gentleman, void of all care;

H for the hound, that ran down the hare;

I for an Indian, sooty and dark;

K for the keeper, that look'd to the park;

L for a lark, that soar'd in the air;

M for a mole, that ne'er could get there;

N for Sir Nobody, ever in fault;

O for an otter, that ne'er could be caught;

P for a pudding, stuck full of plums;

Q was for quartering it, see here he comes;

R for a rook, that croak'd in the trees;

S for a sailor, that plough'd the deep seas;

T for a top, that doth prettily spin;

V for a virgin of delicate mien;

W for wealth, in gold, silver, and pence;

X for old Xenophon, noted for sense;

Y for a yew, which for ever is green;

Z for the zebra, that belongs to the queen.

HERE once was a gentleman grand,

Who lived at his country seat;

He wanted an heir to his land,

For he'd nothing but daughters yet.

His lady's again in the way,

So she said to her husband with joy,

"I hope some or other fine day,

To present you, my dear, with a boy."

The gentleman answered gruff,

"If 't should turn out a maid or a mouse,

For of both we have more than enough,

She shan't stay to live in my house."

The lady, at this declaration,

Almost fainted away with pain;

But what was her sad consternation,

When a sweet little girl came again.

She sent her away to be nurs'd,

Without seeing her gruff papa;

And when she was old enough,

To a school she was packed away.

Fifteen summers are fled,

Now she left good Mrs. Jervis;

To see home she was forbid,—

She determined to go and seek service.

Her dresses so grand and so gay,

She carefully rolled in a knob;

Which she hid in a forest away,

And put on a Catskin robe.

She knock'd at a castle gate,

And pray'd for charity;

They sent her some meat on a plate,

And kept her a scullion to be.

My lady look'd long in her face,

And prais'd her great beauty;

I'm sorry I've no better place,

And you must our scullion be.

So Catskin was under the cook,

A very sad life she led,

For often a ladle she took,

And broke poor Catskin's head.

There is now a grand ball to be,

When ladies their beauties show;

"Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, "dear me,

How much I should like to go!"

"You go with your Catskin robe,

You dirty impudent slut!

Among the fine ladies and lords,

A very fine figure you'd cut."

A basin of water she took,

And dash'd in poor Catskin's face;

But briskly her ears she shook,

And went to her hiding-place.

She washed every stain from her skin,

In some crystal waterfall;

Then put on a beautiful dress,

And hasted away to the ball.

When she entered, the ladies were mute,

Overcome by her figure and face;

But the lord, her young master, at once

Fell in love with her beauty and grace;

He pray'd her his partner to be,

She said, "Yes!" with a sweet smiling glance;

All night with no other lady

But Catskin, our young lord would dance.

"Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live?"

For now was the sad parting time;

But she no other answer would give,

Than this distich of mystical rhyme,—

Kind Sir, if the truth I must tell,

At the sign of the Basin of Water I Dwell.

Then she flew from the ball-room, and put

On her Catskin robe again;

And slipt in unseen by the cook,

Who little thought where she had been.

The young lord, the very next day,

To his mother his passion betrayed;

He declared he never would rest,

Till he'd found out this beautiful maid.

There's another grand ball to be,

Where ladies their beauties show;

"Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, "dear me,

How much I should like to go!"

"You go with your Catskin robe,

You dirty impudent slut!

Among the fine ladies and lords,

A very fine figure you'd cut."

In a rage the ladle she took,

And broke poor Catskin's head;

But off she went shaking her ears,

And swift to her forest she fled.

She washed every blood-stain off

In some crystal waterfall;

Put on a more beautiful dress,

And hasted away to the ball.

My lord, at the ball-room door,

Was waiting with pleasure and pain;

He longed to see nothing so much

As the beautiful Catskin again.

When he asked her to dance, she again

Said "Yes!" with her first smiling glance;

And again, all the night, my young lord

With none but fair Catskin did dance.

"Pray tell me," said he, "where you live?"

For now 'twas the parting-time;

But she no other answer would give,

Than this distich of mystical rhyme,—

Kind Sir, if the truth I must tell,

At the sign of the Broken-Ladle I dwell.

Then she flew from the ball, and put on

Her Catskin robe again;

And slipt in unseen by the cook,

Who little thought where she had been.

My lord did again, the next day,

Declare to his mother his mind,

That he never more happy should be,

Unless he his charmer should find.

Now another grand ball is to be,

Where ladies their beauties show;

"Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, "dear me,

How much I should like to go!"

"You go with your Catskin robe,

You impudent, dirty slut!

Among the fine ladies and lords,

A very fine figure you'd cut."

In a fury she took the skimmer,

And broke poor Catskin's head;

But heart-whole and lively as ever,

Away to her forest she fled.

She washed the stains of blood

In some crystal waterfall;

Then put on her most beautiful dress,

And hasted away to the ball.

My lord, at the ball-room door,

Was waiting with pleasure and pain;

He longed to see nothing so much

As the beautiful Catskin again.

When he asked her to dance, she again

Said "Yes!" with her first smiling glance;

And all the night long, my young lord

With none but fair Catskin would dance.

"Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live?"

For now was the parting-time;

But she no other answer would give,

Than this distich of mystical rhyme,—

Kind Sir, if the truth I must tell,

At the sign of the Broken-Skimmer I dwell.

Then she flew from the ball, and threw on

Her Catskin cloak again;

And slipt in unseen by the cook,

Who little thought where she had been.

But not by my lord unseen,

For this time he followed too fast;

And, hid in the forest green,

Saw the strange things that past.

Next day he took to his bed,

And sent for the doctor to come;

And begg'd him no other than Catskin,

Might come into his room.

He told him how dearly he lov'd her,

Not to have her his heart would break:

Then the doctor kindly promised

To the proud old lady to speak.

There's a struggle of pride and love,

For she fear'd her son would die;

But pride at the last did yield,

And love had the mastery.

Then my lord got quickly well,

When he was his charmer to wed;

And Catskin, before a twelvemonth,

Of a young lord was brought to bed.

To a wayfaring woman and child,

Lady Catskin one day sent an alms;

The nurse did the errand, and carried

The sweet little lord in her arms.

The child gave the alms to the child,

This was seen by the old lady-mother;

"Only see," said that wicked old woman,

"How the beggars' brats take to each other!"

This throw went to Catskin's heart,

She flung herself down on her knees,

And pray'd her young master and lord

To seek out her parents would please.

They set out in my lord's own coach;

They travelled, but nought befel

Till they reach'd the town hard by,

Where Catskin's father did dwell.

They put up at the head inn,

Where Catskin was left alone;

But my lord went to try if her father

His natural child would own.

When folks are away, in short time

What great alterations appear;

For the cold touch of death had all chill'd

The hearts of her sisters dear.

Her father repented too late,

And the loss of his youngest bemoan'd;

In his old and childless state,

He his pride and cruelty own'd.

The old gentleman sat by the fire,

And hardly looked up at my lord;

He had no hopes of comfort

A stranger could afford.

But my lord drew a chair close by,

And said, in a feeling tone,

"Have you not, sir, a daughter, I pray,

You never would see or own?"

The old man alarm'd, cried aloud,

"A hardened sinner am I!

I would give all my worldly goods,

To see her before I die."

Then my lord brought his wife and child

To their home and parent's face,

Who fell down and thanks returned

To God, for his mercy and grace.

The bells, ringing up in the tower,

Are sending a sound to the heart;

There's a charm in the old church-bells,

Which nothing in life can impart!

Simple Simon met a pieman

Going to the fair;

Says Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Let me taste your ware."

Says the pieman to Simple Simon,

"Show me first your penny."

Says Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Indeed I have not any."

Simple Simon went a fishing

For to catch a whale:

All the water he had got

Was in his mother's pail.

Punch and Judy,

Fought for a pie,

Punch gave Judy

A sad blow on the eye.

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile:

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Solomon Grundy,

Born on a Monday,

Christened on Tuesday,

Married on Wednesday,

Took ill on Thursday,

Worse on Friday,

Died on Saturday,

Buried on Sunday:

This is the end

Of Solomon Grundy.

Robin the Bobbin, the big-bellied Ben,

He eat more meat than fourscore men;

He eat a cow, he eat a calf,

He eat a butcher and a half;

He eat a church, he eat a steeple,

He eat the priest and all the people!

A cow and a calf,

An ox and a half,

A church and a steeple,

And all the good people,

And yet he complain'd that his stomach wasn't full.

There was a fat man of Bombay,

Who was smoking one sunshiny day,

When a bird, called a snipe,

Flew away with his pipe,

Which vex'd the fat man of Bombay.

My dear, do you know,

How a long time ago,

Two poor little children,

Whose names I don't know,

Were stolen away on a fine summer's day,

And left in a wood, as I've heard people say.

And when it was night,

So sad was their plight,

The sun it went down,

And the moon gave no light!

They sobb'd and they sigh'd, and they bitterly cried,

And the poor little things, they lay down and died.

And when they were dead,

The Robins so red

Brought strawberry leaves,

And over them spread;

And all the day long,

They sung them this song,

"Poor babes in the wood! poor babes in the wood!

And don't you remember the babes in the wood?"

There was a man, and he had naught,

And robbers came to rob him;

He crept up to the chimney pot,

And then they thought they had him.

But he got down on t'other side,

And then they could not find him;

He ran fourteen miles in fifteen days,

And never look'd behind him.

There was a little man,

And he had a little gun,

And he went to the brook,

And he shot a little rook;

And he took it home

To his old wife Joan,

And told her to make up a fire,

While he went back,

To fetch the little drake;

But when he got there,

The drake was fled for fear,

And like an old novice,

He turn'd back again.

Little Tommy Tittlemouse

Lived in a little house;

He caught fishes

In other men's ditches.

Little King Boggen he built a fine hall.

Pye-crust, and pastry-crust, that was the wall;

The windows were made of black-puddings and white,

And slated with pancakes—you ne'er saw the like.

The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown;

The lion beat the unicorn

All round about the town.

Some gave them white bread,

And some gave them brown;

Some gave them plum-cake,

And sent them out of town.

There was a jolly miller

Lived on the river Dee,

He look'd upon his pillow,

And there he saw a flee.

Oh! Mr. Flea,

You have been biting me,

And you must die:

So he crack'd his bones

Upon the stones,

And there he let him lie.

Tom, Tom, the piper's son,

Stole a pig, and away he run!

The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,

And Tom went roaring down the street.

In Arthur's court Tom Thumb* did live,

A man of mickle might;

The best of all the table round,

And eke a doughty knight.

His stature but an inch in height,

Or quarter of a span;

Then think you not this little knight

Was proved a valiant man?

His father was a ploughman plain,

His mother milk'd the cow,

Yet how that they might have a son

They knew not what to do:

Until such time this good old man

To learned Merlin goes,

And there to him his deep desires

In secret manner shows.

How in his heart he wish'd to have

A child, in time to come,

To be his heir, though it might be

No bigger than his thumb.

Of which old Merlin thus foretold,

That he his wish should have,

And so this son of stature small

The charmer to him gave.

No blood nor bones in him should be,

In shape, and being such

That men should hear him speak, but not

His wandering shadow touch.

But so unseen to go or come,—

Whereas it pleas'd him still;

Begot and born in half an hour,

To fit his father's will.

And in four minutes grew so fast

That he became so tall

As was the ploughman's thumb in height,

And so they did him call—

Tom Thumb, the which the fairy queen

There gave him to his name,

Who, with her train of goblins grim,

Unto his christening came.

Whereas she cloth'd him richly brave,

In garments fine and fair,

Which lasted him for many years

In seemly sort to wear.

His hat made of an oaken leaf,

His shirt a spider's web,

Both light and soft for those his limbs

That were so smally bred.

His hose and doublet thistle-down,

Together weaved full fine;

His stockings of an apple green,

Made of the outward rind;

His garters were two little hairs

Pull'd from his mother's eye;

His boots and shoes, a mouse's skin,

Were tann'd most curiously

Thus like a lusty gallant, he

Adventured forth to go,

With other children in the streets,

His pretty tricks to show.

Where he for counters, pins, and points,

And cherry-stones did play,

Till he amongst those gamesters young

Had lost his stock away.

Yet could he soon renew the same,

Whereas most nimbly he

Would dive into their cherry-bags,

And their partaker be,

Unseen or felt by any one,

Until this scholar shut

This nimble youth into a box,

Wherein his pins he put.

Of whom to be reveng'd, he took,

In mirth and pleasant game,

Black pots and glasses, which he hung

Upon a bright sun-beam.

The other boys to do the like,

In pieces broke them quite;

For which they were most soundly whipt;

Whereat he laughed outright.

And so Tom Thumb restrained was,

From these his sports and play;

And by his mother after that,

Compell'd at home to stay.

Until such time his mother went

A-milking of her kine;

Where Tom unto a thistle fast

She linked with a twine.

A thread that held him to the same,

For fear the blustering wind

Should blow him hence,—that so she might

Her son in safety find.

But mark the hap! a cow came by,

And up the thistle eat;

Poor Tom withal, that, as a dock,

Was made the red cow's meat.

Who, being miss'd, his mother went

Him calling everywhere;

Where art thou, Tom? Where art thou, Tom?

Quoth he, here, mother, here!

Within the red cow's stomach here,

Your son is swallowed up:

The which into her fearful heart,

Most careful dolours put.

Meanwhile the cow was troubled much,

And soon releas'd Tom Thumb;

No rest she had till out her mouth,

In bad plight he did come.

Now after this, in sowing time,

His father would him have

Into the field to drive his plough,

And thereupon him gave—

A whip made of a barley-straw,

To drive the cattle on;

Where, in a furrow'd land new sown,

Poor Tom was lost and gone.

Now by a raven of great strength,

Away he thence was borne,

And carried in the carrion's beak,

Even like a grain of corn,

Unto a giant's castle top,

In which he let him fall;

Where soon the giant swallowed up

His body, clothes, and all.

But soon the giant spat him out,

Three miles into the sea;

Whereas a fish soon took him up,

And bore him thence away.

Which lusty fish was after caught,

And to king Arthur sent;

Where Tom was found, and made his dwarf,

Whereas his days he spent.

Long time in lively jollity,

Belov'd of all the court;

And none like Tom was then esteem'd,

Among the noble sort.

Amongst his deeds of courtship done,

His highness did command,

That he should dance a galliard brave

Upon his queen's left hand.

The which he did, and for the same

The king his signet gave,

Which Tom about his middle wore,

Long time a girdle brave.

How, after this, the king would not

Abroad for pleasure go

But still Tom Thumb must ride with him,

Placed on his saddle-bow.

Whereon a time when, as it rain'd,

Tom Thumb most nimbly crept

In at a button-hole, where he

Within his bosom slept.

And being near his highness' heart,

He crav'd a wealthy boon,

A liberal gift, the which the king

Commanded to be done.

For to relieve his father's wants,

And mother's, being old;

Which was, so much of silver coin

As well his arms could hold.

And so away goes lusty Tom,

With threepence on his back,

A heavy burthen, which might make

His wearied limbs to crack.

So travelling two days and nights,

With labour and great pain,

He came into the house whereat

His parents did remain;

Which was but half a mile in space

From good king Arthur's court,

The which, in eight and forty hours,

He went in weary sort.

But coming to his father's door,

He there such entrance had

As made his parents both rejoice,

And he thereat was glad.

His mother in her apron took

Her gentle son in haste,

And by the fire-side, within

A walnut-shell him placed;

Whereas they feasted him three days

Upon a hazel-nut,

Whereon he rioted so long,

He them to charges put;

And thereupon grew wond'rous sick,

Through eating too much meat,

Which was sufficient for a month

For this great man to eat.

But now his business call'd him forth

King Arthur's court to see,

Whereas no longer from the same

He could a stranger be.

But yet a few small April drops

Which settled in the way,

His long and weary journey forth

Did hinder and so stay.

Until his careful father took

A birding trunk in sport,

And with one blast, blew this his son

Into king Arthur's court.

Now he with tilts and tournaments

Was entertained so,

That all the best of Arthur's knights

Did him much pleasure show:

As good Sir Lancelot du Lake,

Sir Tristain, and Sir Guy;

Yet none compar'd with brave Tom Thumb

For knightly chivalry.

In honour of which noble day,

And for his lady's sake,

A challenge in king Arthur's court

Tom Thumb did bravely make.

'Gainst whom these noble knights did run,

Sir Chinon and the rest,

Yet still Tom Thumb, with matchless might,

Did bear away the best.

At last Sir Lancelot du Lake

In manly sort came in,

And with this stout and hardy knight

A battle did begin.

Which made the courtiers all aghast,

For there that valiant man,

Through Lancelot's steed, before them all,

In nimble manner ran.

Yea, horse and all, with spear and shield,

As hardy he was seen,

But only by king Arthur's self

And his admired queen;

Who from her finger took a ring,

Through which Tom Thumb made way,

Not touching it, in nimble sort,

As it was done in play.

He likewise cleft the smallest hair

From his fair lady's head,

Not hurting her whose even hand

Him lasting honours bred.

Such were his deeds and noble acts

In Arthur's court there shone,

As like in all the world beside

Was hardly seen or known.

Now at these sports he toil'd himself,

That he a sickness took,

Through which all manly exercise

He carelessly forsook.

When lying on his bed sore sick,

King Arthur's doctor came,

With cunning skill, by physic's art,

To ease and cure the same.

His body being so slender small,

This cunning doctor took

A fine perspective glass, with which

He did in secret look—

Into his sickened body down,

And therein saw that Death

Stood ready in his wasted frame

To cease his vital breath.

His arms and legs consum'd as small

As was a spider's web,

Through which his dying hour grew on,

For all his limbs grew dead.

His face no bigger than an ant's,

Which hardly could be seen;

The loss of which renowned knight

Much grieved the king and queen.

And so with peace and quietness

He left this earth below;

And up into the fairy-land

His ghost did fading go,

Whereas the fairy-queen receiv'd,

With heavy mourning cheer,

The body of this valiant knight,

Whom she esteem'd so dear.

For with her dancing nymphs in green,

She fetch'd him from his bed,

With music and sweet melody,

So soon as life was fled;

For whom king Arthur and his knights

Full forty days did mourn;

And, in remembrance of his name,

That was so strangely born—

He built a tomb of marble gray,

And year by year did come

To celebrate ye mournful death

And burial of Tom Thumb.

Whose fame still lives in England here,

Amongst the country sort;

Of whom our wives and children small

Tell tales of pleasant sport.

Bryan O'Lin, and his wife, and wife's mother,

They all went over a bridge together:

The bridge was broken, and they all fell in,

The deuce go with all! quoth Bryan O'Lin.

Old Mother Goose, when

She wanted to wander,

Would ride through the air

On a very fine gander.

Mother Goose had a house,

'Twas built in a wood,

Where an owl at the door

For sentinel stood.

This is her son Jack,

A plain-looking lad,

He is not very good,

Nor yet very bad.

She sent him to market,

A live goose he bought,

Here, mother, says he,

It will not go for nought.

Jack's goose and her gander,

Grew very fond;

They'd both eat together,

Or swim in one pond.

Jack found one morning,

As I have been told,

His goose had laid him

An egg of pure gold.

Jack rode to his mother,

The news for to tell,

She call'd him a good boy,

And said it was well.

Jack sold his gold egg

To a rogue of a Jew,

Who cheated him out of

The half of his due.

Then Jack went a courting,

A lady so gay,

As fair as the lily,

And sweet as the May.

The Jew and the Squire

Came behind his back,

And began to belabour

The sides of poor Jack.

The old Mother Goose,

That instant came in,

And turned her son Jack

Into fam'd Harlequin.

She then with her wand,

Touch'd the lady so fine,

And turn'd her at once

Into sweet Columbine.

The gold egg into the sea

Was thrown then,—

When Jack jump'd in,

And got the egg back again.

The Jew got the goose,

Which he vow'd he would kill,

Resolving at once

His pockets to fill.

Jack's mother came in,

And caught the goose soon,

And mounting its back,

Flew up to the moon.

I'll tell you a story

About Jack a Nory,—

And now my story's begun:

I'll tell you another

About Jack his brother,—

And now my story's done.

Three wise men of Gotham

Went to sea in a bowl:

And if the bowl had been stronger,

My song would have been longer.

Robin and Richard were two pretty men;

They laid in bed till the clock struck ten;

Then up starts Robin, and looks at the sky,

Oh! brother Richard, the sun's very high:

The bull's in the barn threshing the corn,

The cock's on the dunghill blowing his horn,

The cat's at the fire frying of fish,

The dog's in the pantry breading his dish.

My lady Wind, my lady Wind,

Went round about the house to find

A chink to get her foot in:

She tried the key-hole in the door,

She tried the crevice in the floor,

And drove the chimney soot in.

And then one night when it was dark,

She blew up such a tiny spark,

That all the house was pothered:

From it she raised up such a flame,

As flamed away to Belting Lane,

And White Cross folks were smothered.

And thus when once, my little dears,

A whisper reaches itching ears,

The same will come, you'll find:

Take my advice, restrain the tongue,

Remember what old nurse has sung

Of busy lady Wind!

Old Abram Brown is dead and gone,

You'll never see him more;

He used to wear a long brown coat,

That button'd down before.

A dog and a cock,

A journey once took,

They travell'd along till 'twas late;

The dog he made free

In the hollow of a tree,

And the cock on the boughs of it sate.

The cock nothing knowing,

In the morn fell a crowing,

Upon which comes a fox to the tree;

Says he, I declare,

Your voice is above,

All the creatures I ever did see.

Oh! would you come down

I the fav'rite might own,

Said the cock, there's a porter below;

If you will go in,

I promise I'll come down.

So he went—and was worried for it too.

Little Tom Tittlemouse,

Lived in a bell-house;

The bell-house broke,

And Tom Tittlemouse woke.

Tommy kept a chandler's shop,

Richard went to buy a mop,

Tommy gave him such a knock,

That sent him out of his chandler's shop,

When I was a little girl, about seven years old,

I hadn't got a petticoat, to cover me from the cold;

So I went into Darlington, that pretty little town,

And there I bought a petticoat, a cloak, and a gown.

I went into the woods and built me a kirk,

And all the birds of the air, they helped me to work;

The hawk with his long claws pulled down the stone,

The dove, with her rough bill, brought me them home;

The parrot was the clergyman, the peacock was the clerk,

The bullfinch play'd the organ, and we made merry work.

Pemmy was a pretty girl,

But Fanny was a better;

Pemmy looked like any churl,

When little Fanny let her.

Pemmy had a pretty nose,

But Fanny had a better;

Pemmy oft would come to blows,

But Fanny would not let her.

Pemmy had a pretty doll,

But Fanny had a better;

Pemmy chatter'd like a poll,

When little Fanny let her.

Pemmy had a pretty song,

But Fanny had a better;

Pemmy would sing all day long,

But Fanny would not let her.

Pemmy lov'd a pretty lad,

And Fanny lov'd a better;

And Pemmy wanted for to wed,

But Fanny would not let her.

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief;

Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef:

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not at home;

Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow-bone.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not in;

Taffy came to my house and stole a silver pin:

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed,

I took up a poker and flung it at his head.

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner,

Eating a Christmas pie;

He put in his thumb, and he took out a plum,

And said, "What a good boy am I!"

There was a king and he had three daughter,

And they all lived in a basin of water;

The basin bended,

My story's ended.

If the basin had been stronger,

My story would have been longer.

The man in the moon,

Came tumbling down,

And ask'd his way to Norwich,

He went by the south,

And burnt his mouth

With supping cold pease-porridge.

Our saucy boy Dick,

Had a nice little stick

Cut from a hawthorn tree;

And with this pretty stick,

He thought he could beat

A boy much bigger than he.

But the boy turned round,

And hit him a rebound,

Which did so frighten poor Dick,

That, without more delay,

He ran quite away,

And over a hedge he jumped quick.

Moss was a little man, and a little mare did buy,

For kicking and for sprawling none her could come nigh;

She could trot, she could amble, and could canter here and there,

But one night she strayed away—so Moss lost his mare.

Moss got up next morning to catch her fast asleep,

And round about the frosty fields so nimbly he did creep.

Dead in a ditch he found her, and glad to find her there,

So I'll tell you by and bye, how Moss caught his mare.

Rise! stupid, rise! he thus to her did say;

Arise, you beast, you drowsy beast, get up without delay,

For I must ride you to the town, so don't lie sleeping there;

He put the halter round her neck—so Moss caught his mare.

T. Swithin's day, if thou dost rain,

For forty days it will remain:

St. Swithin's day, if thou be fair,

For forty days 'twill rain na mair.

To make your candles last for a',

You wives and maids give ear-o!

To put 'em out's the only way,

Says honest John Boldero.

If wishes were horses,

Beggars would ride;

If turnips were watches,

I would wear one by my side.

Nature requires five,

Custom gives seven!

Laziness takes nine,

And Wickedness eleven.

Three straws on a staff,

Would make a baby cry and laugh.

See a pin and pick it up,

All the day you'll have good luck;

See a pin and let it lay,

Bad luck you'll have all the day!

Go to bed first, a golden purse;

Go to bed second, a golden pheasant;

Go to bed third, a golden bird!

When the wind is in the east,

'Tis neither good for man nor beast;

When the wind is in the north,

The skilful fisher goes not forth;

When the wind is in the south,

It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth;

When the wind is in the west,

Then 'tis at the very best.

Bounce Buckram, velvet's dear;

Christmas comes but once a year.

A man of words and not of deeds,

Is like a garden full of weeds;

And when the weeds begin to grow,

It's like a garden full of snow;

And when the snow begins to fall,

It's like a bird upon the wall;

And when the bird away does fly,

It's like an eagle in the sky;

And when the sky begins to roar,

It's like a lion at the door;

And when the door begins to crack,

It's like a stick across your back;

And when your back begins to smart,

It's like a penknife in your heart;

And when your heart begins to bleed,

You're dead, and dead, and dead, indeed.

A man of words and not of deeds,

Is like a garden full of weeds;

For when the weeds begin to grow,

Then doth the garden overflow.

If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger;

Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;

Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;

Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;

Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;

Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow.

A pullet in the pen

Is worth a hundred in the fen!

He that would thrive

Must rise at five;

He that hath thriven

May lie till seven;

And he that by the plough would thrive,

Himself must either hold or drive.

A swarm of bees in May

Is worth a load of hay;

A swarm of bees in June

Is worth a silver spoon;

A swarm of bees in July

Is not worth a fly.

They that wash on Monday

Have all the week to dry;

They that wash on Tuesday

Are not so much awry;

They that wash on Wednesday

Are not so much to blame;

They that wash on Thursday,

Wash for shame;

They that wash on Friday,

Wash in need;

And they that wash on Saturday,

Oh! they're sluts indeed.

Needles and pins, needles and pins,

When a man marries his trouble begins.

Yeow mussent sing a' Sunday,

Becaze it is a sin,

But yeow may sing a' Monday

Till Sunday cums agin.

A sunshiny shower,

Won't last half an hour.

As the days grow longer,

The storms grow stronger.

As the days lengthen,

So the storms strengthen.

He that goes to see his wheat in May,

Comes weeping away.

The mackerel's cry,

Is never long dry.

In July,

Some reap rye;

In August,

If one will not the other must.

A guinea it would sink,

And a pound it would float;

Yet I'd rather have a guinea,

Than your one pound note.

For every evil under the sun,

There is a remedy, or there is none.

If there be one, try and find it;

If there be none, never mind it.

The art of good driving 's a paradox quite,

Though custom has prov'd it so long;

If you go to the left, you're sure to go right,

If you go to the right, you go wrong.

Friday night's dream

On the Saturday told,

Is sure to come true,

Be it never so old.

When the sand doth feed the clay,

England woe and well-a-day!

But when the clay doth feed the sand,

Then it is well with Angle-land.

The fair maid who, the first of May,

Goes to the fields at break of day,

And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree

Will ever after handsome be.

  DILLER, a dollar,

A ten o'clock scholar,

What makes you come so soon?

You used to come at ten o'clock,

But now you come at noon.

Tell tale, tit!

Your tongue shall be slit,

And all the dogs in the town

Shall have a little bit.

In fir tar is,

In oak none is.

In mud eel is,

In clay none is.

Goat eat ivy,

Mare eat oats.

At Dover Dwells George Brown Esquire,

Good Christopher Finch, And David Friar.

Astra Dabit Dominus, Gratisque Beabit Egenos,

Gratia Christicolæ Feret Aurea Dona Fideli.

Birch and green holly, boys,

Birch and green holly.

If you get beaten, boys,

'Twill be your own folly.

When V and I together meet,

They make the number Six compleat.

When I with V doth meet once more,

Then 'tis they Two can make but Four

And when that V from I is gone,

Alas! poor I can make but One.

Multiplication is vexation,

Division is as bad;

The Rule of Three doth puzzle me,

And Practice drives me mad.

Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November;

February has twenty-eight alone,

All the rest have thirty-one,

Excepting leap-year, that's the time

When February's days are twenty-nine.

My story's ended,

My spoon is bended:

If you don't like it,

Go to the next door,

And get it mended.

Father Iohnson Nicholas Iohnson's son—

Son Iohnson Nicholas Iohnson's Father.

The rose is red, the grass is green;

And in this book my name is seen.

Cross patch,

Draw the latch,

Sit by the fire and spin;

Take a cup,

And drink it up,

Then call your neighbours in.

Come when you're called,

Do what you're bid,

Shut the door after you,

Never be chid.

Speak when you're spoken to,

Come when one call;

Shut the door after you,

And turn to the wall!

I love my love with an A, because he's Agreeable.

I hate him because he's Avaricious.

He took me to the Sign of the Acorn,

And treated me with Apples.

His name's Andrew,

And he lives at Arlington.

If ifs and ands,

Were pots and pans,

There would be no need for tinkers!

Mistress Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With cockle-shells, and silver bells,

And mussels all a row.

Doctor Faustus was a good man,

He whipt his scholars now and then;

When he whipp'd them he made them dance,

Out of Scotland into France,

Out of France into Spain,

And then he whipp'd them back again!

Legomoton,

Acapon,

Alfagheuse,

Pasti venison.

When I was a little boy, I had but little wit

It is some time ago, and I've no more yet;

Nor ever ever shall, until that I die,

For the longer I live, the more fool am I.

H, where are you going,

My pretty maiden fair,

With your red rosy cheeks,

And your coal-black hair?

I'm going a-milking,

Kind sir, says she;

And it's dabbling in the dew,

Where you'll find me.

May I go with you,

My pretty maiden fair, &c.

Oh, you may go with me,

Kind sir, says she, &c.

If I should chance to kiss you,

My pretty maiden fair, &c.

The wind may take it off again,

Kind sir, says she, &c.

And what is your father,

My pretty maiden fair, &c.

My father is a farmer,

Kind sir, says she, &c.

And what is your mother,

My pretty maiden fair, &c.

My mother is a dairy-maid,

Kind sir, says she, &c.

Polly put the kettle on,

Polly put the kettle on,

Polly put the kettle on,

And let's drink tea.

Sukey take it off again,

Sukey take it off again,

Sukey take it off again,

They're all gone away.

One misty moisty morning

When cloudy was the weather,

There I met an old man

Clothed all in leather;

Clothed all in leather,

With cap under his chin,—

How do you do, and how do you do,

And how do you do again!

The fox and his wife they had a great strife,

They never eat mustard in all their whole life;

They eat their meat without fork or knife,

And loved to be picking a bone, e-ho!

The fox jumped up on a moonlight night;

The stars they were shining, and all things bright;

Oh, ho! said the fox, it's a very fine night

For me to go through the town, e-ho!

The fox when he came to yonder stile,

He lifted his lugs and he listened a while!

Oh, ho! said the fox, it's but a short mile

From this unto yonder wee town, e-ho!

The fox when he came to the farmer's gate,

Who should he see but the farmer's drake;

I love you well for your master's sake,

And long to be picking your bone, e-ho!

The gray goose she ran round the hay-stack,

Oh, ho! said the fox, you are very fat;

You'll grease my beard and ride on my back

From this into yonder wee town, e-ho!

Old Gammer Hipple-hopple hopped out of bed,

She opened the casement, and popped out her head;

Oh! husband, oh! husband, the gray goose is dead,

And the fox is gone through the town, oh!

Then the old man got up in his red cap,

And swore he would catch the fox in a trap;

But the fox was too cunning, and gave him the slip,

And ran thro' the town, the town, oh!

When he got to the top of the hill,

He blew his trumpet both loud and shrill,

For joy that he was safe

Thro' the town, oh!

When the fox came back to his den,

He had young ones both nine and ten,

"You're welcome home, daddy, you may go again,

If you bring us such nice meat

From the town, oh!"

Little Tom Dogget,

What dost thou mean,

To kill thy poor Colly

Now she's so lean?

Sing, oh poor Colly,

Colly, my cow,

For Colly will give me

No more milk now.

I had better have kept her,

'Till fatter she had been,

For now, I confess,

She's a little too lean.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

First in comes the tanner

With his sword by his side,

And he bids me five shillings

For my poor cow's hide.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

Then in comes the tallow-chandler,

Whose brains were but shallow,

And he bids me two-and-sixpence

For my cow's tallow.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

Then in comes the huntsman

So early in the morn,

He bids me a penny

For my cow's horn.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

Then in comes the tripe-woman,

So fine and so neat,

She bids me three half-pence

For my cow's feet.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

Then in comes the butcher,

That nimble-tongu'd youth,

Who said she was carrion,

But he spoke not the truth.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

The skin of my cowly

Was softer than silk,

And three times a-day

My poor cow would give milk.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

She every year

A fine calf did me bring,

Which fetcht me a pound,

For it came in the spring.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

But now I have kill'd her,

I can't her recall;

I will sell my poor Colly,

Hide, horns, and all.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

The butcher shall have her,

Though he gives but a pound,

And he knows in his heart

That my Colly was sound.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.

And when he has bought her

Let him sell all together,

The flesh for to eat,

And the hide for leather.

Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.*

Says t'auld man tit oak tree,

Young and lusty was I when I kenn'd thee;

I was young and lusty, I was fair and clear,

Young and lusty was I mony a lang year;

But sair fail'd am I, sair fail'd now,

Sair fail'd am I sen I kenn'd thou.

You shall have an apple,

You shall have a plum,

You shall have a rattle-basket,

When your dad comes home.

Up at Piccadilly oh!

The coachman takes his stand,

And when he meets a pretty girl,

He takes her by the hand;

Whip away for ever oh!

Drive away so clever oh!

All the way to Bristol oh!

He drives her four-in-hand.

Sing a song of sixpence,

A bag full of rye;

Four and twenty blackbirds

Baked in a pie;

When the pie was open'd,

The birds began to sing;

Was not that a dainty dish,

To set before the king?

The king was in his counting-house

Counting out his money;

The queen was in the parlour

Eating bread and honey;

The maid was in the garden

Hanging out the clothes,

There came a little blackbird,

And snapt off her nose.

Jenny was so mad,

She didn't know what to do;

She put her finger in her ear,

And crackt it right in two.

Lend me thy mare to ride a mile?

She is lamed, leaping over a stile.

Alack! and I must keep the fair!

I'll give thee money for thy mare.

Oh, oh! say you so?

Money will make the mare to go!

About the bush, Willy,

About the bee-hive,

About the bush, Willy,

I'll meet thee alive.

Then to my ten shillings,

Add you but a groat,

I'll go to Newcastle,

And buy a new coat.

Five and five shillings,

Five and a crown;

Five and five shillings,

Will buy a new gown.

Five and five shillings,

Five and a groat;

Five and five shillings,

Will buy a new coat.

A pretty little girl in a round-eared cap

I met in the streets t'other day;

She gave me such a thump,

That my heart it went bump;

I thought I should have fainted away!

I thought I should have fainted away!

My father he died, but I can't tell you how,

He left me six horses to drive in my plough:

With my wing wang waddle oh,

Jack sing saddle oh,

Blowsey boys bubble oh,

Under the broom.

I sold my six horses and I bought me a cow;

I'd fain have made a fortune but did not know how:

With my, &c.

I sold my cow, and I bought me a calf;

I'd fain have made a fortune, but lost the best half:

With my, &c.

I sold my calf, and I bought me a cat;

A pretty thing she was, in my chimney corner sat:

With my, &c.

I sold my cat, and bought me a mouse;

He carried fire in his tail, and burnt down my house:

With my, &c.

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep,

And can't tell where to find them;

Leave them alone, and they'll come home,

And bring their tails behind them.

Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,

And dreamt she heard them bleating;

But when she awoke, she found it a joke,

For they still were all fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook,

Determin'd for to find them;

She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,

For they'd left all their tails behind 'em.

Jeanie come tie my,

Jeanie come tie my,

Jeanie come tie my bonnie cravat;

I've tied it behind,

I've tied it before,

And I've tied it so often, I'll tie it no more.

Trip upon trenchers, and dance upon dishes,

My mother sent me for some barm, some barm;

She bid me tread lightly, and come again quickly,

For fear the young men should do me some harm.

Yet didn't you see, yet didn't you see,

What naughty tricks they put upon me:

They broke my pitcher,

And spilt the water,

And huff'd my mother,

And chid her daughter,

And kiss'd my sister instead of me.

Some up, and some down,

There's players in the town,

You wot well who they be;

The sun doth arise,

To three companies,

One, two, three, four, make wee!

Besides we that travel,

With pumps full of gravel,

Made all of such running leather:

That once in a week,

New masters we seek,

And never can hold together.

Johnny shall have a new bonnet,

And Johnny shall go to the fair,

And Johnny shall have a blue ribbon

To tie up his bonny brown hair.

And why may not I love Johnny?

And why may not Johnny love me?

And why may not I love Johnny

As well as another body?

And here's a leg for a stocking,

And here is a leg for a shoe,

And he has a kiss for his daddy,

And two for his mammy, I trow.

And why may not I love Johnny?

And why may not Johnny love me?

And why may not I love Johnny,

As well as another body?

As I was walking o'er little Moorfields,

I saw St. Paul's a running on wheels,

With a fee, fo, fum.

Then for further frolics I'll go to France.

While Jack shall sing and his wife shall dance,

With a fee, fo fum.

The north wind doth blow,

And we shall have snow,

And what will poor Robin do then?

Poor thing!

He'll sit in a barn,

And to keep himself warm,

Will hide his head under his wing.

Poor thing!

The white dove sat on the castle wall,

I bend my bow and shoot her I shall;

I put her in my glove both feathers and all;

I laid my bridle upon the shelf,

If you will any more, sing it yourself.

Elsie Marley is grown so fine,

She won't get up to serve the swine,

But lies in bed till eight or nine,

And surely she does take her time.

And do you ken Elsie Marley, honey?

The wife who sells the barley, honey;

She won't get up to serve her swine,

And do you ken Elsie Marley, honey?

London bridge is broken down,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

London bridge is broken down,

With a gay lady.

How shall we build it up again?

Dance o'er my lady lee;

How shall we build it up again?

With a gay lady.

Silver and gold will be stole away,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Silver and gold will be stole away,

With a gay lady.

Build it up again with iron and steel,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Build it up with iron and steel,

With a gay lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

With a gay lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Build it up with wood and clay,

With a gay lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Wood and clay will wash away,

With a gay lady.

Build it up with stone so strong,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Huzza! 'twill last for ages long,

With a gay lady.

Old Father of the Pye,

I cannot sing, my lips are dry;

But when my lips are very well wet,

Then I can sing with the Heigh go Bet!

Tom he was a piper's son,

He learn'd to play when he was young,

But all the tunes that he could play,

Was, "Over the hills and far away;"

Over the hills, and a great way off,

And the wind will blow my top-knot off.

Now Tom with his pipe made such a noise,

That he pleas'd both the girls and boys,

And they stopp'd to hear him play,

"Over the hills and far away."

Tom with his pipe did play with such skill,

That those who heard him could never keep still;

Whenever they heard they began for to dance,

Even pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.

As Dolly was milking her cow one day,

Tom took out his pipe and began for to play;

So Doll and the cow danced "the Cheshire round,"

Till the pail was broke, and the milk ran on the ground.

He met old dame Trot with a basket of eggs,

He used his pipe, and she used her legs;

She danced about till the eggs were all broke,

She began for to fret, but he laughed at the joke.

He saw a cross fellow was beating an ass,

Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and glass;

He took out his pipe and played them a tune,

And the jackass's load was lightened full soon.

Jacky, come give me thy fiddle,

If ever thou mean to thrive:

Nay; I'll not give my fiddle

To any man alive.

If I should give my fiddle,

They'll think that I'm gone mad;

For many a joyful day

My fiddle and I have had.

Of all the gay birds that e'er I did see,

The owl is the fairest by far to me;

For all the day long she sits on a tree,

And when the night comes away flies she.

I love sixpence, pretty little sixpence,

I love sixpence better than my life;

I spent a penny of it, I spent another,

And took fourpence home to my wife.

Oh, my little fourpence, pretty little fourpence,

I love fourpence better than my life;

I spent a penny of it, I spent another,

And I took twopence home to my wife.

Oh, my little twopence, my pretty little twopence,

I love twopence better than my life;

I spent a penny of it, I spent another,

And I took nothing home to my wife.

Oh, my little nothing, my pretty little nothing,

What will nothing buy for my wife?

I have nothing, I spend nothing,

I love nothing better than my wife.

Merry are the bells, and merry would they ring,

Merry was myself, and merry could I sing;

With a merry ding-dong, happy, gay, and free,

And a merry sing-song, happy let us be!

Waddle goes your gait, and hollow are your hose,

Noddle goes your pate, and purple is your nose;

Merry is your sing-song, happy, gay, and free,

With a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

Merry have we met, and merry have we been,

Merry let us part, and merry meet again;

With our merry sing-song, happy, gay, and free,

And a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

My maid Mary

She minds her dairy,

While I go a hoing and mowing each morn,

Merrily run the reel

And the little spinning wheel

Whilst I am singing and mowing my corn.

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

One a penny, two a penny

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

If ye have no daughters,

Give them to your sons.

Wooley Foster has gone to sea,

With silver buckles at his knee,

When he comes back he'll marry me,—

Bonny Wooley Foster!

Wooley Foster has a cow,

Black and white about the mow,

Open the gates and let her through,

Wooley Foster's ain cow!

Wooley Foster has a hen,

Cockle button, cockle ben,

She lay eggs for gentlemen,

But none for Wooley Foster!

Buz, quoth the blue fly,

Hum, quoth the bee,

Buz and hum they cry,

And so do we:

In his ear, in his nose,

Thus, do you see?

He ate the dormouse,

Else it was he.

As I was going up the hill,

I met with Jack the piper,

And all the tunes that he could play

Was "Tie up your petticoats tighter."

I tied them once, I tied them twice,

I tied them three times over;

And all the songs that he could sing

Was "Carry me safe to Dover."

There were two birds sat on a stone,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;

One flew away, and then there was one,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;

The other flew after, and then there was none,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;

And so the poor stone was left all alone,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de!

How does my lady's garden grow?

How does my lady's garden grow?

With cockle shells, and silver bells,

And pretty maids all of a row.

There was a jolly miller

Lived on the river Dee:

He worked and sung from morn till night,

No lark so blithe as he,

And this the burden of his song

For ever used to be—

I jump mejerrime jee!

I care for nobody—no! not I,

Since nobody cares for me.

As I was going along, long, long,

A singing a comical song, song, song,

The lane that I went was so long, long, long,

And the song that I sung was as long, long, long,

And so I went singing along.

Where are you going, my pretty maid?

I'm going a-milking, sir, she said.

May I go with you, my pretty maid?

You're kindly welcome, sir, she said.

What is your father, my pretty maid?

My father's a farmer, sir, she said.

Say, will you marry me, my pretty maid?

Yes, if you please, kind sir, she said.

Will you be constant, my pretty maid?

That I can't promise you, sir, she said.

Then I won't marry you, my pretty maid!

Nobody asked you, sir! she said.

Pancakes and fritters,

Say All Saints and St. Peters;

When will the ball come,

Say the bells of St. Alkmun;

At two they will throw,

Says Saint Werabo;

O! very well,

Says little Michel.

I have been to market, my lady, my lady;

Then you've not been to the fair, says pussy, says pussy;

I bought me a rabbit, my lady, my lady;

Then you did not buy a hare, says pussy, says pussy;

I roasted it, my lady, my lady;

Then you did not boil it, says pussy, says pussy;

I eat it, my lady, my lady;

And I'll eat you, says pussy, says pussy.

My father left me three acres of land,

Sing ivy, sing ivy;

My father left me three acres of land,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

I ploughed it with a ram's horn,

Sing ivy, sing ivy;

And sowed it all over with one pepper corn,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

I harrowed it with a bramble bush,

Sing ivy, sing ivy;

And reaped it with my little penknife,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

I got the mice to carry it to the barn,

Sing ivy, &c.

And thrashed it with a goose's quill,

Sing holly, &c.

I got the cat to carry it to the mill,

Sing ivy, &c.

The miller he swore he would have her paw,

And the cat she swore she would scratch his face,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

Three blind mice, see how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife,

Who cut off their tails with the carving-knife,

Did you ever see such fools in your life?

Three blind mice.

There was a frog liv'd in a well,

Kitty alone, Kitty alone;

There was a frog liv'd in a well,

Kitty alone, and I!

There was a frog liv'd in a well,

And a farce* mouse in a mill,   [*merry

Cock me cary, Kitty alone,

Kitty alone, and I.

This frog he would a wooing ride,

Kitty alone, &c.

This frog he would a wooing ride,

And on a snail he got astride,

Cock me cary, &c.

He rode till he came to my Lady Mouse hall,

Kitty alone, &c.

He rode till he came to my Lady Mouse hall,

And there he did both knock and call,

Cock me cary, &c.

Quoth he, Miss Mouse, I'm come to thee,

Kitty alone, &c.

Quoth he, Miss Mouse, I'm come to thee,

To see if thou canst fancy me,

Cock me cary, &c.

Quoth she, answer I'll give you none,

Kitty alone, &c.

Quoth she, answer I'll give you none,

Until my uncle Rat come home,

Cock me cary, &c.

And when her uncle Rat came home,

Kitty alone, &c.

And when her uncle Rat came home,

Who's been here since I've been gone?

Cock me cary, &c.

Sir, there's been a worthy gentleman,

Kitty alone, &c.

Sir, there's been a worthy gentleman,

That's been here since you've been gone,

Cock me cary, &c.

The frog he came whistling through the brook,

Kitty alone, &c.

The frog he came whistling through the brook,

And there he met with a dainty duck,

Cock me cary, &c.

This duck she swallow'd him up with a pluck,

Kitty alone, Kitty alone;

This duck she swallow'd him up with a pluck,

So there's an end of my history book.

Cock me cary, Kitty alone,

Kitty alone and I.

There was a man in our toone, in our toone, in our toone,

There was a man in our toone, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, an old razor, an old razor,

And he played upon an old razor, with my fiddle fiddle fe fum fo.

And his hat it was made of the good roast beef, the good roast beef, the good roast beef,

And his hat it was made of the good roast beef, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, &c.

And his coat it was made of the good fat tripe, the good fat tripe, the good fat tripe,

And his coat it was made of the good fat tripe, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, &c.

And his breeks were made of the bawbie baps, the bawbie baps, the bawbie baps,

And his breeks were made of the bawbie baps, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, &c.

And there was a man in tither toone, in tither toone, in tither toone,

And there was a man in tither toone, and his name was Edrin Drum;

And he played upon an old laadle, an old laadle, an old laadle,

And he played upon an old laadle, with my fiddle fiddle fe fum fo.

And he eat up all the good roast beef, the good roast beef, &c. &c.

And he eat up all the good fat tripe, the good fat tripe, &c. &c.

And he eat up all the bawbie baps, &c. and his name was Edrin Drum.

John Cook had a little grey mare; he, haw, hum!

Her back stood up, and her bones they were bare; he, haw, hum!

John Cook was riding up Shuter's bank; he, haw, hum!

And there his nag did kick and prank; he, haw, hum!

John Cook was riding up Shuter's hill; he, haw, hum!

His mare fell down, and she made her will; he, haw, hum!

The bridle and saddle were laid on the shelf; he, haw, hum!

If you want any more you may sing it yourself; he, haw, hum!

A carrion crow sat on an oak,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,

Watching a tailor shape his cloak;

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Wife, bring me my old bent bow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,

That I may shoot yon carrion crow;

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

The tailor he shot and missed his mark,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do;

And shot his own sow quite through the heart;

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Wife, bring brandy in a spoon;

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,

For our old sow is in a swoon,

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Hic hoc, the carrion crow,

For I have shot something too low:

I have quite missed my mark,

And shot the poor sow to the heart;

Wife, bring treacle in a spoon,

Or else the poor sow's heart will down.

Awa' birds, away!

Take a little, and leave a little,

And do not come again;

For if you do,

I will shoot you through,

And there is an end of you.

If I'd as much money as I could spend,

I never would cry old chairs to mend;

Old chairs to mend, old chairs to mend;

I never would cry old chairs to mend.

If I'd as much money as I could tell,

I never would cry old clothes to sell;

Old clothes to sell, old clothes to sell;

I never would cry old clothes to sell.

Whistle, daughter, whistle, whistle daughter dear;

I cannot whistle, mammy, I cannot whistle clear.

Whistle, daughter, whistle, whistle for a pound;

I cannot whistle, mammy, I cannot make a sound.

I'll sing you a song,

Though not very long,

Yet I think it as pretty as any,

Put your hand in your purse,

You'll never be worse,

And give the poor singer a penny.

Dame, get up and bake your pies,

Bake your pies, bake your pies;

Dame, get up and bake your pies,

On Christmas-day in the morning.

Dame, what makes your maidens lie,

Maidens lie, maidens lie;

Dame, what makes your maidens lie,

On Christmas-day in the morning?

Dame, what makes your ducks to die,

Ducks to die, ducks to die;

Dame, what makes your ducks to die,

On Christmas-day in the morning?

Their wings are cut and they cannot fly,

Cannot fly, cannot fly;

Their wings are cut and they cannot fly,

On Christmas-day in the morning.

HERE was a girl in our towne,

Silk an' satin was her gowne,

Silk an' satin, gold an' velvet,

Guess her name, three times I've tell'd it.

I went to the wood and got it,

I sat me down and looked at it;

The more I looked at it the less I liked it,

And I brought it home because I couldn't help it.

Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more,

On the king's kitchen-door;

All the king's horses,

And all the king's men,

Couldn't drive Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more,

Off the king's kitchen-door!

When I was taken from the fair body,

They then cut off my head,

And thus my shape was altered;

It's I that make peace between king and king,

And many a true lover glad:

All this I do and ten times more,

And more I could do still,

But nothing can I do,

Without my guider's will.

As I look'd out o' my chamber window

I heard something fall;

I sent my maid to pick it up,

But she couldn't pick it all.

I went into my grandmother's garden,

And there I found a farthing.

I went into my next door neighbour's,

There I bought a pipkin and a popkin—

A slipkin and a slopkin,

A nailboard, a sailboard,

And all for a farthing.

As I was going o'er London Bridge,

I met a cart full of fingers and thumbs!

Made in London,

Sold at York,

Stops a bottle

And is a cork.

Ten and ten and twice eleven,

Take out six and put in seven;

Go to the green and fetch eighteen,

And drop one a coming.

As soft as silk, as white as milk,

As bitter as gall, a thick wall,

And a green coat covers me all.

As I was going o'er Tipple Tine,

I met a flock of bonny swine;

Some green-lapp'd,

Some green-back'd;

They were the very bonniest swine

That e'er went over Tipple Tine.

Humpty Dumpty lay in a beck,*

With all his sinews round his neck;

Forty doctors and forty wrights

Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty to rights!

Arthur O'Bower has broken his band,

He comes roaring up the land;—

The King of Scots, with all his power,

Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!

Make three-fourths of a cross,

And a circle complete;

And let two semicircles

On a perpendicular meet;

Next add a triangle

That stands on two feet;

Next two semicircles,

And a circle complete.

There was a king met a king

In a narrow lane,

Says this king to that king,

"Where have you been?"

"Oh! I've been a hunting

With my dog and my doe."

"Pray lend him to me,

That I may do so."

"There's the dog take the dog."

"What's the dog's name?"

"I've told you already."

"Pray tell me again."

Flour of England, fruit of Spain,

Met together in a shower of rain;

Put in a bag tied round with a string,

If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a ring.

Every lady in this land

Has twenty nails upon each hand,

Five and twenty hands and feet,

All this is true without deceit.

Twelve pears hanging high,

Twelve knights riding by;

Each knight took a pear,

And yet left eleven there!

I have a little sister, they call her peep, peep;

She wades the waters deep, deep, deep;

She climbs the mountains high, high, high;

Poor little creature she has but one eye.

Old mother Twitchett had but one eye,

And a long tail which she let fly;

And every time she went over a gap,

She left a bit of her tail in a trap.

In marble walls as white as milk,

Lined with a skin as soft as silk;

Within a fountain crystal clear,

A golden apple doth appear.

No doors there are to this strong-hold.

Yet things break in and steal the gold.

What shoe-maker makes shoes without leather,

With all the four elements put together?

Fire and water, earth and air;

Ev'ry customer has two pair.

Higgledy piggledy

Here we lie,

Pick'd and pluck'd,

And put in a pie.

My first is snapping, snarling, growling,

My second's industrious, romping, and prowling.

Higgledy piggledy

Here we lie,

Pick'd and pluck'd,

And put in a pie.

Thomas a Tattamus took two Ts,

To tie two tups to two tall trees,

To frighten the terrible Thomas a Tattamus!

Tell me how many Ts there are in all THAT.

There was a man who had no eyes,

He went abroad to view the skies;

He saw a tree with apples on it,

He took no apples off, yet left no apples on it.

The moon nine days old,

The next sign to cancer;

Pat rat without a tail;—

And now, sir, for your answer,

Little Nancy Etticoat,

In a white petticoat,

And a red nose;

The longer she stands,

The shorter she grows.

Long legs, crooked thighs,

Little head and no eyes.

There were three sisters in a hall,

There came a knight amongst them all;

Good morrow, aunt, to the one,

Good morrow, aunt, to the other,

Good morrow, gentlewoman, to the third,

If you were my aunt,

As the other two be,

I would say good morrow,

Then, aunts, all three.

Congeal'd water and Cain's brother,

That was my lover's name, and no other.

Thirty white horses upon a red hill,

Now they tramp, now they champ, now they stand still.

Black we are, but much admired;

Men seek for us till they are tired.

We tire the horse, but comfort man

Tell me this riddle if you can.

Higher than a house, higher than a tree;

Oh, whatever can that be?

Humpty dumpty sate on a wall,

Humpty dumpty had a great fall;

Three score men and three score more

Cannot place Humpty Dumpty as he was before.

Purple, yellow, red, and green,

The king cannot reach it nor the queen;

Nor can old Noll, whose power's so great:

Tell me this riddle while I count eight.

Pease-porridge hot, pease-porridge cold,

Pease-porridge in the pot, nine days old.

Spell me that without a P,

And a clever scholar you will be.

As I was going o'er Westminster bridge,

I met with a Westminster scholar;

He pulled off his cap an' drew off his glove,

And wished me a very good morrow.

What is his name?

Black within, and red without;

Four corners round about.

There was a man rode through our town,

Gray Grizzle was his name;

His saddle-bow was gilt with gold,

Three times I've named his name.

As I went over Lincoln bridge

I met mister Rusticap;

Pins and needles on his back,

A going to Thorney fair.

Two legs sat upon three legs,

With one leg in his lap;

In comes four legs,

And runs away with one leg.

Up jumps two legs,

Catches up three legs,

Throws it after four legs,

And makes him bring back one leg.

Formed long ago, yet made to-day,

Employed while others sleep;

What few would like to give away,

Nor any wish to keep.

A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose,

A hundred eyes, and never a nose.

As round as an apple, as deep as a cup,

And all the king's horses can't pull it up.

As I went through the garden gap,

Who should I meet but Dick Red-cap!

A stick in his hand, a stone in his throat,

If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat.

Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy and Bess,

They all went together to seek a bird's nest.

They found a bird's nest with five eggs in,

They all took one, and left four in.

As I was going to St. Ives,

I met a man with seven wives,

Every wife had seven sacks,

Every sack had seven cats,

Every cat had seven kits:

Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,

How many were there going to St. Ives?

Highty, tighty, paradighty clothed in green,

The king could not read it, no more could the queen;

They sent for a wise man out of the East,

Who said it had horns, but was not a beast!

See, see! what shall I see?

A horse's head where his tail should be.

As I was going o'er London Bridge,

And peep'd through a nick,

I saw four and twenty ladies

Riding on a stick!

Lives in winter,

Dies in summer,

And grows with its root upwards!

When I went up sandy hill,

I met a sandy boy;

I cut his throat, I sucked his blood,

And left his skin a hanging-o.

I had a little castle upon the sea-side,

One half was water, the other was land;

I open'd my little castle door, and guess what I found;

I found a fair lady with a cup in her hand.

The cup was gold, filled with wine;

Drink, fair lady, and thou shalt be mine!

Old father Graybeard,

Without tooth or tongue;

If you'll give me your finger,

I'll give you my thumb.

USHY cow bonny, let down thy milk,

And I will give thee a gown of silk;

A gown of silk and a silver tee,

If thou wilt let down thy milk to me.

If you love me, pop and fly;

If you hate me, lay and die.

I went to the toad that lies under the wall,

I charmed him out, and he came at my call;

I scratch'd out the eyes of the owl before,

I tore the bat's wing, what would you have more.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,

Guard the bed that I lay on!

Four corners to my bed,

Four angels round my head;

One to watch, one to pray,

And two to bear my soul away!

Come, butter, come,

Come, butter, come!

Peter stands at the gate,

Waiting for a butter'd cake;

Come, butter, come!

When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist;

For the twisting of his twist, he three times doth intwist;

But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,

The twine that untwisteth, untwisteth the twist.

Untwirling the twine that untwisteth between,

He twirls, with the twister, the two in a twine:

Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine

He twisteth the twine he had twined in twain.

The twain that, in twining, before in the twine,

As twines were intwisted; he now doth untwine:

'Twixt the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,

He, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.

A Thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a thatching;

Did a thatcher of Thatchwood go to Thatchet a thatching?

If a thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a thatching,

Where's the thatching the thatcher of Thatchwood has thatch'd?

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper;

A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked;

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,

Where's the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?

My father he left me, just as he was able,

One bowl, one bottle, one lable,

Two bowls, two bottles, two lables,

Three, &c. [And so on ad. lib. in one breath.]

Robert Rowley rolled a round roll round,

A round roll Robert Rowley rolled round;

Where rolled the round roll Robert Rowley rolled round?

Swan swam over the sea—

Swim, swan, swim;

Swan swam back again,

Well swam swan,

Hickup, hickup, go away!

Come again another day;

Hickup, hickup, when I bake,

I'll give to you a butter-cake.

Hickup, snicup,

Rise up, right up!

Three drops in the cup

Are good for the hiccup.

HERE was an old woman, as I've heard tell,

She went to market her eggs for to sell;

She went to market all on a market-day,

And she fell asleep on the king's highway.

There came by a pedlar whose name was Stout,

He cut her petticoats all round about;

He cut her petticoats up to the knees,

Which made the old woman to shiver and freeze.

When this little woman first did wake,

She began to shiver and she began to shake,

She began to wonder and she began to cry,

"Oh! deary, deary me, this is none of I!

"But if it be I, as I do hope it be,

I've a little dog at home, and he'll know me;

If it be I, he'll wag his little tail,

And if it be not I, he'll loudly bark and wail."

Home went the little woman all in the dark,

Up got the little dog, and he began to bark;

He began to bark, so she began to cry,

"Oh! deary, deary me, this is none of I!"

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,

She had so many children she didn't know what to do;

She gave them some broth without any bread,

She whipped them all well and put them to bed.

Old woman, old woman, shall we go a shearing?

Speak a little louder, sir, I am very thick of hearing.

Old woman, old woman, shall I love you dearly?

Thank you, kind sir, I hear you very clearly.

There was an old woman sat spinning,

And that's the first beginning;

She had a calf,

And that's half;

She took it by the tail,

And threw it over the wall,

And that's all.

There was an old woman, her name it was Peg;

Her head was of wood, and she wore a cork-leg.

The neighbours all pitch'd her into the water,

Her leg was drown'd first, and her head follow'd a'ter.

A little old man and I fell out;

How shall we bring this matter about?

Bring it about as well as you can,

Get you gone, you little old man!

There was an old woman,

And she sold puddings and pies;

She went to the mill,

And the dust flew in her eyes:

Hot pies and cold pies to sell!

Wherever she goes,—

You may follow her by the smell.

Old Mother Niddity Nod swore by the pudding-bag,

She would go to Stoken Church fair;

And then old Father Peter said he would meet her

Before she got half-way there.

There was an old woman

Lived under a hill;

And if she's not gone,

She lives there still.

There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket

Nineteen times as high as the moon;

Where she was going I couldn't but ask it,

For in her hand she carried a broom.

Old woman, old woman, old woman, quoth I,

O whither, O whither, O whither, so high?

To brush the cobwebs off the sky!

Shall I go with thee? Aye, by and by.

There was an old man who liv'd in Middle Row,

He had five hens and a name for them, oh!

Bill and Ned and Battock,

Cut-her-foot and Pattock,

Chuck, my lady Prattock,

Go to thy nest and lay.

There was an old woman of Leeds

Who spent all her time in good deeds;

She worked for the poor

Till her fingers were sore,

This pious old woman of Leeds!

Old Betty Blue

Lost a holiday shoe,

What can old Betty do?

Give her another

To match the other,

And then she may swagger in two.

Old mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard,

To get her poor dog a bone;

But when she came there

The cupboard was bare,

And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's

To buy him some bread,

But when she came back

The poor dog was dead.

She went to the joiner's

To buy him a coffin,

But when she came back

The poor dog was laughing.*

She took a clean dish

To get him some tripe,

But when she came back

He was smoking his pipe.

She went to the fishmonger's

To buy him some fish,

And when she came back

He was licking the dish.

She went to the ale-house

To get him some beer,

But when she came back

The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern

For white wine and red,

But when she came back

The dog stood on his head.

She went to the hatter's

To buy him a hat,

But when she came back

He was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's

To buy him a wig,

But when she came back

He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer's

To buy him some fruit,

But when she came back

He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's

To buy him a coat,

But when she came back

He was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler's

To buy him some shoes,

But when she came back

He was reading the news.

She went to the sempstress

To buy him some linen,

But when she came back

The dog was spinning.

She went to the hosier's

To buy him some hose,

But when she came back

He was dress'd in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsey,

The dog made a bow;

The dame said, your servant,

The dog said, bow, wow.

There was an old woman

Lived under a hill,

She put a mouse in a bag,

And sent it to mill;

The miller declar'd

By the point of his knife,

He never took toll

Of a mouse in his life.

There was an old woman had three sons,

Jerry, and James, and John:

Jerry was hung, James was drowned,

John was lost and never was found,

And there was an end of the three sons,

Jerry, and James, and John!

There was an old man, who lived in a wood,

As you may plainly see;

He said he could do as much work in a day,

As his wife could do in three.

With all my heart, the old woman said,

If that you will allow,

To-morrow you'll stay at home in my stead,

And I'll go drive the plough:

But you must milk the Tidy cow,

For fear that she go dry;

And you must feed the little pigs

That are within the sty;

And you must mind the speckled hen,

For fear she lay away;

And you must reel the spool of yarn

That I spun yesterday.

The old woman took a staff in her hand,

And went to drive the plough:

The old man took a pail in his hand,

And went to milk the cow;

But Tidy hinched, and Tidy flinched,

And Tidy broke his nose,

And Tidy gave him such a blow,

That the blood ran down to his toes.

High! Tidy! ho! Tidy! high!

Tidy! do stand still;

If ever I milk you, Tidy, again,

'Twill be sore against my will!

He went to feed the little pigs,

That were within the sty;

He hit his head against the beam,

And he made the blood to fly.

He went to mind the speckled hen,

For fear she'd lay astray,

And he forgot the spool of yarn

His wife spun yesterday.

So he swore by the sun, the moon, and the stars,

And the green leaves on the tree,

If his wife didn't do a day's work in her life,

She should ne'er be ruled by he.

There was an old man of Tobago,

Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago;

Till, much to his bliss,

His physician said this—

"To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go."

Oh, dear, what can the matter be?

Two old women got up in an apple tree;

One came down,

And the other staid till Saturday.

There was an old man,

And he had a calf,

And that's half;

He took him out of the stall,

And put him on the wall;

And that's all.

Father Short came down the lane,

Oh! I'm obliged to hammer and smite

From four in the morning till eight at night,

For a bad master, and a worse dame.

There was an old woman called Nothing-at-all,

Who rejoiced in a dwelling exceedingly small:

A man stretched his mouth to its utmost extent,

And down at one gulp house and old woman went.

There was an old woman of Norwich,

Who lived upon nothing but porridge;

Parading the town,

She turned cloak into gown,

This thrifty old woman of Norwich.

A little old man of Derby,

How do you think he served me?

He took away my bread and cheese,

And that is how he served me.

There was an old woman in Surrey,

Who, was morn, noon, and night in a hurry;

Call'd her husband a fool,

Drove the children to school,

The worrying old woman of Surrey.

NE-ERY, two-ery,

Ziccary zan;

Hollow bone, crack a bone,

Ninery, ten:

Spittery spot,

It must be done;

Twiddleum twaddleum,

Twenty-one.

Hink spink, the puddings stink,

The fat begins to fry,

Nobody at home, but jumping Joan,

Father, mother, and I.

Stick, stock, stone dead,

Blind man can't see,

Every knave will have a slave,

You or I must be he.

Who goes round my house this night?

None but cruel Tom!

Who steals all the sheep at night?

None but this poor one.

Dance, Thumbkin, dance,

[Keep the thumb in motion.

Dance, ye merrymen, every one:

[All the fingers in motion.

For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,

[The thumb only moving.

Thumbkin, he can dance alone,

[Ditto.

Dance, Foreman, dance,

[The first finger moving.

Dance, ye merrymen, every one;

[The whole moving.

But Foreman, he can dance alone,

Foreman, he can dance alone.

One to make ready,

And two to prepare;

Good luck to the rider,

And away goes the mare.

Gay go up and gay go down,

To ring the bells of London town.

Bull's eyes and targets,

Say the bells of St. Marg'ret's.

Brickbats and tiles,

Say the bells of St. Giles'.

Halfpence and farthings,

Say the bells of St. Martin's.

Oranges and lemons,

Say the bells of St. Clement's.

Pancakes and fritters,

Say the bells of St. Peter's.

Two sticks and an apple,

Say the bells at Whitechapel.

Old Father Baldpate,

Say the slow bells at Aldgate.

You owe me ten shillings,

Say the bells at St. Helen's.

Pokers and tongs,

Say the bells at St. John's.

Kettles and pans,

Say the bells at St. Ann's.

When will you pay me?

Say the bells at Old Bailey.

When I grow rich,

Say the bells at Shoreditch.

Pray when will that be?

Say the bells of Stepney.

I am sure I don't know,

Says the great bell at Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,

And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

Buff says Buff to all his men,

And I say Buff to you again;

Buff neither laughs nor smiles,

But carries his face

With a very good grace,

And passes the stick to the very next place!

Pease-pudding hot,

Pease-pudding cold,

Pease-pudding in the pot,

Nine days old.

Some like it hot,

Some like it cold,

Some like it in the pot,

Nine days old.

Awake, arise, pull out your eyes,

And hear what time of day;

And when you have done, pull out your tongue,

And see what you can say.

I charge my daughters every one

To keep good house while I am gone.

You and you (points) but specially you,

[Or sometimes, but specially Sue.]

Or else I'll beat you black and blue.

Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,

Hunting over other men's grounds!

Eleven ships sailing o'er the main,

Some bound for France and some for Spain:

I wish them all safe home again:

Ten comets in the sky,

Some low and some high;

Nine peacocks in the air,

I wonder how they all came there,

I do not know and I do not care;

Eight joiners in joiner's hall,

Working with the tools and all;

Seven lobsters in a dish,

As fresh as any heart could wish;

Six beetles against the wall,

Close by an old woman's apple stall;

Five puppies of our dog Ball,

Who daily for their breakfast call;

Four horses stuck in a bog,

Three monkeys tied to a clog;

Two pudding-ends would choke a dog.

With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.

a.  Draw a pail of water,

For my lady's daughter;

My father's a king, and my mother's a queen,

My two little sisters are dress'd in green,

Stamping grass and parsley,

Marigold leaves and daisies.

b.  One rush, two rush,

Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.

Sieve my lady's oatmeal,

Grind my lady's flour,

Put it in a chesnut,

Let it stand an hour;

One may rush, two may rush,

Come, my girls, walk under the bush.

Queen Anne, queen Anne, you sit in the sun,

As fair as a lily, as white as a wand.

I send you three letters, and pray read one,

You must read one, if you can't read all,

So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.

There were three jovial Welshmen,

As I have heard them say,

And they would go a-hunting

Upon St. David's day.

All the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But a ship a-sailing,

A-sailing with the wind.

One said it was a ship,

The other he said, nay;

The third said it was a house,

With the chimney blown away.

And all the night they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But the moon a-gliding,

A-gliding with the wind.

One said it was the moon,

The other he said, nay;

The third said it was a cheese,

And half o't cut away.

And all the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But a hedgehog in a bramble bush,

And that they left behind.

The first said it was a hedgehog,

The second he said, nay;

The third it was a pincushion,

And the pins stuck in wrong way.

And all the night they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But a hare in a turnip field,

And that they left behind.

The first said it was a hare,

The second he said, nay;

The third said it was a calf,

And the cow had run away.

And all the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But an owl in a holly tree,

And that they left behind.

One said it was an owl,

The other he said, nay;

The third said 'twas an old man,

And his beard growing grey.

Is John Smith within?—

Yes, that he is.

Can he set a shoe?—

Ay, marry, two,

Here a nail, there a nail,

Tick, tack, too.

Margery Mutton-pie, and Johnny Bopeep,

They met together in Grace-church Street;

In and out, in and out, over the way,

Oh! says Johnny, 'tis chop-nose day.

Intery, mintery, cutery-corn,

Apple seed and apple thorn;

Wine, brier, limber-lock,

Five geese in a flock,

Sit and sing by a spring,

O-u-t, and in again.

A duck and a drake,

A nice barley-cake,

With a penny to pay the old baker;

A hop and a scotch,

Is another notch,

Slitherum, slatherum, take her.

See, Saw, Margery Daw,

Sold her bed and lay upon straw;

Was not she a dirty slut,

To sell her bed and lie in the dirt!

See, saw, Margery Daw,

Little Jackey shall have a new master;

Little Jackey shall have but a penny a day,

Because he can't work any faster.

1.   I am a gold lock.

2.   I am a gold key.

1.   I am a silver lock.

2.   I am a silver key.

1.   I am a brass lock.

2.   I am a brass key.

1.   I am a lead lock.

2.   I am a lead key.

1.   I am a monk lock.

2.   I am a monk key!

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,

To buy little Johnny a galloping-horse;

It trots behind, and it ambles before,

And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,

To see what Tommy can buy;

A penny white loaf, a penny white cake,

And a twopenny apple-pie.

Jack be nimble,

And Jack be quick:

And Jack jump over

The candle-stick.

Weave the diaper tick-a-tick tick,

Weave the diaper tick—

Come this way, come that

As close as a mat,

Athwart and across, up and down, round about,

And forwards, and backwards, and inside, and out;

Weave the diaper thick-a-thick thick,

Weave the diaper thick!

One-ery, two-ery, hickary, hum,

Fillison, follison, Nicholson, John,

Quever, quauver, Irish Mary,

Stenkarum, stankarum, buck!

Whoop, whoop, and hollow,

Good dogs won't follow,

Without the hare cries "pee wit."

Tom Brown's two little Indian boys,

One ran away,

The other wouldn't stay,—

Tom Brown's two little Indian boys.

There were two blackbirds,

Sitting on a hill,

The one nam'd Jack,

The other nam'd Jill;

Fly away Jack!

Fly away Jill!

Come again Jack!

Come again Jill!

Tip, top, tower,

Tumble down in an hour.

1.   I went up one pair of stairs.

2.   Just like me.

1.   I went up two pair of stairs.

2.   Just like me.

1.   I went into a room.

2.   Just like me.

1.   I looked out of a window.

2.   Just like me.

1.   And there I saw a monkey.

2.   Just like me.

Number number nine, this hoop's mine;

Number number ten, take it back again.

Here goes my lord

A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,

Here goes my lady

A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!

Here goes my young master

Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch:

Here goes my young miss,

An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!

The footman lays behind to tipple ale and wine,

And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

Green cheese, yellow laces,

Up and down the market-places,

Turn, cheeses, turn!

To market ride the gentlemen,

So do we, so do we;

Then comes the country clown,

Hobbledy gee, Hobbledy gee;

First go the ladies, nim, nim, nim;

Next come the gentlemen, trim, trim, trim;

Then comes the country clowns, gallop-a-trot.

Ride a cock-horse to Coventry-cross;

To see what Emma can buy;

A penny white cake I'll buy for her sake,

And a twopenny tart or a pie.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,

To see an old lady upon a white horse,

Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,

And so she makes music wherever she goes.

1.   Let us go to the wood, says this pig;

2.   What to do there? says that pig;

3.   To look for my mother, says this pig;

4.   What to do with her? says that pig;

5.   Kiss her to death, says this pig.

Ring me (1), ring me (2), ring me rary (3),

As I go round (4), ring by ring (5),

A virgin (6) goes a maying (7),

Here's a flower (8), and there's a flower (9),

Growing in my lady's garden (10),

If you set your foot awry (11),

Gentle John will make you cry (12),

If you set your foot amiss (13),

Gentle John (14) will give you a kiss.

This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours,

Has put [him or her] self in [the selected child's] power,

So clap all hands, and ring all bells, and make the wedding o'er.

[All clap hands.]

"Two broken tradesmen,

Newly come over,

The one from France and Scotland,

The other from Dover."

"What's your trade?"

Clap hands, clap hands,

Hie Tommy Randy,

Did you see my good man?

They call him Cock-a-bandy.

Silken Stockings on his legs,

Silver buckles glancin',

A sky-blue bonnet on his head,

And oh, but he is handsome.

1.   This pig went to market;

2.   This pig staid at home;

3.   This pig had a bit of meat;

4.   And this pig had none;

5.   This pig said, Wee, wee, wee! I can't find my way home.

Bat, bat, (clap hands,)

Come under my hat,

And I'll give you a slice of bacon;

And when I bake,

I'll give you a cake,

If I am not mistaken.

Cuckoo, cherry tree,

Catch a bird, and give it to me;

Let the tree be high or low,

Let it hail, rain, or snow.

a.   Who is going round my sheepfold?

b.   Only poor old Jacky Lingo.

a.   Don't steal any of my black sheep.

b.   No, no more I will, only by one,

  Up, says Jacky Lingo. (Strikes one.)

Highty cock O!

To London we go,

To York we ride;

And Edward has pussy-cat tied to his side;

He shall have little dog tied to the other,

And then he goes trid trod to see his grandmother.

This is the key of the kingdom.

In that kingdom there is a city.

In that city there is a town.

In that town there is a street.

In that street there is a lane.

In that lane there is a yard.

In that yard there is a house.

In that house there is a room.

In that room there is a bed.

On that bed there is a basket.

In that basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in the basket, basket in the bed, bed in the room, &c. &c.

Hickory (1), Dickory (2), Dock (3),

The mouse ran up the clock (4),

The clock struck one (5),

The mouse was gone (6);

O (7), u (8), t (9), spells OUT!

One old Oxford ox opening oysters;

Two tee-totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tadbury;

Three tall tigers tippling tenpenny tea;

Four fat friars fanning fainting flies;

Five frippy Frenchmen foolishly fishing for flies;

Six sportsmen shooting snipes;

Seven Severn salmons swallowing shrimps;

Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe;

Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils;

Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinderboxes with ten tenpenny tacks;

Eleven elephants elegantly equipt;

Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types.

Good horses, bad horses,

What is the time of day?

Three o'clock, four o'clock,

Now fare you away.

See-saw, jack a daw,

What is a craw to do wi' her?

She has not a stocking to put on her,

And the craw has not one for to gi' her.

How many miles is it to Babylon?—

Threescore miles and ten.

Can I get there by candle-light?—

Yes, and back again!

If your heels are nimble and light,

You may get there by candle-light.

Clap hands, clap hands!

Till father comes home;

For father's got money,

But mother's got none.

Clap hands, &c.

Till father, &c.

See-saw sacradown,

Which is the way to London town?

One foot up, and the other down,

And that is the way to London town.

Here stands a post,

Who put it there?

A better man than you;

Touch it if you dare!

b.   Trip trap over the grass: If you please will you let one of your [eldest] daughters come,

Come and dance with me?

I will give you pots and pans, I will give you brass,

I will give you anything for a pretty lass.

a.   says, "No."

b.   I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl,

I will give you anything for a pretty girl.

a.   Take one, take one, the fairest you may see.

b.   The fairest one that I can see

Is pretty Nancy,—come to me.

You shall have a duck, my dear,

And you shall have a drake,

And you shall have a young man apprentice for your sake.

If this young man should happen to die,

And leave this poor woman a widow,

The bells shall all ring, and the birds shall all sing,

And we'll all clap hands together.

We are three brethren out of Spain,

Come to court your daughter Jane.

My daughter Jane she is too young,

And has not learned her mother tongue.

Be she young, or be she old,

For her beauty she must be sold.

So fare you well, my lady gay,

We'll call again another day.

Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,

And rub thy spurs till they be bright.

Of my spurs take you no thought,

For in this town they were not bought,

So fare you well, my lady gay,

We'll call again another day.

Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,

And take the fairest in your sight.

The fairest maid that I can see,

Is pretty Nancy,—come to me.

Here comes your daughter safe and sound,

Every pocket with a thousand pound;

Every finger with a gay gold ring;

Please to take your daughter in.

Eggs, butter, bread,

Stick, stock, stone dead!

Stick him up, stick him down,

Stick him in the old man's crown!

My father was a Frenchman,

He bought for me a fiddle,

He cut me here, he cut me here,

He cut me right in the middle.

Shoe the colt, shoe!

Shoe the wild mare;

Put a sack on her back,

See if she'll bear.

If she'll bear,

We'll give her some grains;

If she won't bear,

We'll dash out her brains!

Here sits the Lord Mayor       .     .  forehead.

Here sit his two men     .     .     .  eyes.

Here sits the cock      .     .     .     .  right cheek.

Here sits the hen    .     .     .     .  left cheek.

Here sit the little chickens       .     .  tip of nose.

Here they run in     .     .     .     .  mouth.

Chinchopper, chinchopper,

Chinchopper, chin!      .     .     .  chuck the chin.

Ring the bell!  .     .     .  giving a lock of its hair a pull.

Knock at the door!     .  tapping its forehead.

Draw the latch!     .     .  pulling up its nose.

And walk in!   .     .     .  opening its mouth and putting in its finger.

Thumbikin, Thumbikin, broke the barn,

Pinnikin, Pinnikin, stole the corn.

Long back'd Gray

Carried it away.

Old Mid-man sat and saw,

But Peesy-weesy paid for a'.

This pig went to market,

Squeak mouse, mouse, mousey;

Shoe, shoe, shoe the wild colt,

And here's my own doll, Dowsy.

Flowers, flowers, high-do!

Sheeny, greeny, rino!—

Sheeny greeny,

Sheeny greeny,

Rum tum fra!

1.   This pig went to the barn.

2.   This eat all the corn.

3.   This said he would tell.

4.   This said he wasn't well.

5.   This went week, week, week, over the door sill.

Here comes a poor woman from baby-land,

With three small children in her hand:

One can brew, the other can bake,

The other can make a pretty round cake.

One can sit in the garden and spin,

Another can make a fine bed for the king;

Pray ma'am will you take one in?

I can make diet bread,

Thick and thin;

I can make diet bread,

Fit for the king.

Here we come a piping,

First in spring, and then in May;

The queen she sits upon the sand,

Fair as a lily, white as a wand:

King John has sent you letters three,

And begs you'll read them unto me.—

We can't read one without them all,

So pray, Miss Bridget, deliver the ball!

The first day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree.

The second day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Two turtle doves and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The third day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The fourth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The fifth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The sixth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The seventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The eighth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The ninth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The tenth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The twelfth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Twelve lords a leaping,

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

Heetum peetum penny pie,

Populorum gingum gie;

East, West, North, South,

Kirby, Kendal, Cock him out!

Trip and go, heave and hoe,

Up and down, to and fro;

From the town to the grove

Two and two let us rove,

A-maying, a-playing;

Love hath no gainsaying;

So merrily trip and go,

So merrily trip and go!

This is the way the ladies ride;

Tri, tre, tre, tree,

Tri, tre, tre, tree!

This is the way the ladies ride,

Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!

This is the way the gentlemen ride;

Gallop-a-trot,

Gallop-a-trot!

This is the way the gentlemen ride,

Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!

This is the way the farmers ride;

Hobbledy-hoy,

Hobbledy-hoy!

This is the way the farmers ride,

Hobbledy hobbledy-hoy!

There was a man, and his name was Dob,

And he had a wife, and her name was Mob,

And he had a dog, and he called it Cob,

And she had a cat, called Chitterabob.

Cob, says Dob,

Chitterabob, says Mob,

Cob was Dob's dog,

Chitterabob Mob's cat.

"May my geese fly over your barn?"

"Fly over his barn and eat all his corn."

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Now we dance looby, looby, light,

Shake your right hand a little

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

Shake your right foot a little,

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

Shake your right foot a little,

Shake your left foot a little,

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

Shake your right foot a little,

Shake your left foot a little,

Shake your head a little,

And turn you round about.

Children. To Beccles! to Beccles!

To buy a bunch of nettles!

Pray, old Dame, what's o'clock?

Dame. One, going for two.

Children. To Beccles! to Beccles!

To buy a bunch of nettles!

Pray, old Dame, what's o'clock?

Dame. Two, going for three.

I've a glove in my hand,

Hittity Hot!

Another in my other hand,

Hotter than that!

So I sow beans, and so they come up,

Some in a mug, and some in a cup.

I sent a letter to my love,

I lost it, I lost it!

I found it, I found it!

It burns, it scalds.

Eye winker,

Tom Tinker,

Nose dropper.

Mouth eater,

Chin chopper,

Chin chopper.

Thumb bold,

Thibity-thold,

Langman,

Lick pan,

Mama's little man.

Fox a fox, a brummalary,

How many miles to Lummaflary? Lummabary.

A.    Eight and eight, and a hundred and eight.

How shall I get home to night?

A.    Spin your legs, and run fast.

Here come I,

Little David Doubt;

If you don't give me money,

I'll sweep you all out.

Money I want,

And money I crave;

If you don't give me money,

I'll sweep you all to the grave!

The dog of the kill,*

He went to the mill

To lick mill-dust:

The miller he came

With a stick on his back,—

Home, dog, home!

The foot behind,

The foot before:

When he came to a stile,

Thus he jumped o'er.

My mother and your mother

Went over the way;

Said my mother to your mother,

It's chop-a-nose day!

eter White will ne'er go right,

Would you know the reason why?

He follows his nose where'er he goes,

And that stands all awry.

O that I was where I would be,

Then would I be where I am not!

But where I am must be,

And where I would be I cannot.

Three children sliding on the ice

Upon a summer's day,

As it fell out, they all fell in,

The rest they ran away.

Now had these children been at home,

Or sliding on dry ground,

Ten thousand pounds to one penny,

They had not all been drown'd.

You parents all that children have,

And you that have got none,

If you would have them safe abroad,

Pray keep them safe at home.

There was a man of Newington,

And he was wond'rous wise,

He jump'd into a quickset hedge,

And scratch'd out both his eyes:

But when he saw his eyes were out,

With all his might and main,

He jump'd into another hedge,

And scratch'd 'em in again.

Up stairs, down stairs, upon my lady's window,

There I saw a cup of sack and a race of ginger;

Apples at the fire, and nuts to crack,

A little boy in the cream-pot up to his neck.

I would if I cou'd,

If I cou'dn't, how cou'd I?

I cou'dn't, without I cou'd, cou'd I?

Cou'd you, without you cou'd, cou'd ye?

Cou'd ye, cou'd ye?

Cou'd you, without you cou'd, cou'd ye?

If all the world was apple-pie,

And all the sea was ink,

And all the trees were bread and cheese,

What should we have for drink?

Tobacco wick! tobacco wick!

When you're well, 'twill make you sick:

Tobacco wick! tobacco wick!

'Twill make you well when you are sick.

The man in the wilderness asked me,

How many strawberries grew in the sea?

I answered him, as I thought good,

As many as red herrings grew in the wood.

There was an old woman, and what do you think?

She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink:

Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet;

This tiresome old woman could never be quiet.

She went to the baker, to buy her some bread,

And when she came home her old husband was dead;

She went to the clerk to toll the bell,

And when she came back her old husband was well.

Here am I, little jumping Joan;

When nobody's with me,

I'm always alone.

There was an old woman had nothing,

And there came thieves to rob her;

When she cried out she made no noise,

But all the country heard her.

There was a little Guinea-pig,

Who, being little, was not big;

He always walked upon his feet,

And never fasted when he eat.

When from a place he ran away,

He never at that place did stay;

And while he ran, as I am told,

He ne'er stood still for young or old.

He often squeak'd and sometimes vi'lent,

And when he squeak'd he ne'er was silent;

Though ne'er instructed by a cat,

He knew a mouse was not a rat.

One day, as I am certified,

He took a whim and fairly died;

And, as I'm told by men of sense,

He never has been living since.

I saw a peacock with a fiery tail,

I saw a blazing comet drop down hail,

I saw a cloud wrapped with ivy round,

I saw an oak creep upon the ground,

I saw a pismire swallow up a whale,

I saw the sea brimful of ale,

I saw a Venice glass full fifteen feet deep,

I saw a well full of men's tears that weep,

I saw red eyes all of a flaming fire,

I saw a house bigger than the moon and higher,

I saw the sun at twelve o'clock at night,

I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight.

My true love lives far from me,

Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.

Many a rich present he sends to me,

Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie,

Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.

He sent me a goose, without a bone;

He sent me a cherry, without a stone.

Petrum, &c.

He sent me a Bible, no man could read;

He sent me a blanket, without a thread.

Petrum, &c.

How could there be a goose without a bone?

How could there be a cherry without a stone?

Petrum, &c.

How could there be a Bible no man could read?

How could there be a blanket without a thread?

Petrum, &c.

When the goose is in the egg-shell, there is no bone;

When the cherry is in the blossom, there is no stone.

Petrum, &c.

When ye Bible is in ye press no man it can read;

When ye wool is on ye sheep's back, there is no thread.

Petrum, &c.

There was a man and he was mad,

And he jump'd into a pea-swad;*

The pea-swad was over-full,

So he jump'd into a roaring bull;

The roaring bull was over-fat,

So he jump'd into a gentleman's hat;

The gentleman's hat was over-fine,

So he jump'd into a bottle of wine;

The bottle of wine was over-dear,

So he jump'd into a bottle of beer;

The bottle of beer was over-thick,

So he jump'd into a club-stick;

The club-stick was over-narrow,

So he jump'd into a wheel-barrow;

The wheel-barrow began to crack,

So he jump'd on to a hay-stack;

The hay-stack began to blaze,

So he did nothing but cough and sneeze!

I saw a ship a-sailing,

A-sailing on the sea;

And, oh! it was all laden

With pretty things for thee!

There were comfits in the cabin,

And apples in the hold;

The sails were made of silk,

And the masts were made of gold:

The four-and-twenty sailors,

That stood between the decks,

Were four-and-twenty white mice,

With chains about their necks.

The captain was a duck,

With a packet on his back;

And when the ship began to move,

The captain said, "Quack! quack!"

Barney Bodkin broke his nose,

Without feet we can't have toes;

Crazy folks are always mad,

Want of money makes us sad.

If a man who turnips cries

Cries not when his father dies,

It is a proof that he would rather

Have a turnip than his father.

 ushy baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry,

 And I'll give you some bread and some milk by and bye;

Or, perhaps you like custard, or may-be a tart,—

Then to either you're welcome, with all my whole heart.

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 will sing,

With the merry coral, ding, ding, ding!

To market, to market,

To buy a plum bun:

Home again, come again,

Market is done.

Dance to your daddy,

My little babby,

Dance to your daddy;

My little lamb.

You shall have a fishy,

In a little dishy;

You shall have a fishy

When the boat comes in.

Tom shall have a new bonnet,

With blue ribbands to tie on it,

With a hush-a-bye and a lull-a-baby,

Who so like to Tommy's daddy?

Bye, baby bumpkin,

Where's Tony Lumpkin?

My lady's on her death-bed,

With eating half a pumpkin.

Hush, hush, hush, hush!

And I dance mine own child,

And I dance mine own child,

Hush, hush, hush, hush!

Hush thee, my babby,

Lie still with thy daddy,

Thy mammy has gone to the mill,

To grind thee some wheat,

To make thee some meat,

And so, my dear babby, lie still.

Hey, my kitten, my kitten,

And hey, my kitten, my deary!

Such a sweet pet as this

Was neither far nor neary.

Here we go up, up, up,

And here we go down, down, downy;

And here we go backwards and forwards,

And here we go round, round, roundy.

I won't be my father's Jack,

I won't be my mother's Gill,

I will be the fiddler's wife,

And have music when I will.

T'other little tune,

T'other little tune,

Pr'ythee, love, play me

T'other little tune.

Danty baby diddy,

What can a mammy do wid'e,

But sit in a lap,

And give 'un a pap?

Sing danty baby diddy.

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green;

Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen;

And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring;

And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king.

Bye, O my baby!

When I was a lady,

O then my poor baby did'nt cry!

But my baby is weeping,

For want of good keeping,

Oh, I fear my poor baby will die!

Hush-a-bye, a ba lamb,

Hush-a-bye a milk cow,

You shall have a little stick

To beat the naughty bow-wow.

Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree top,

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,

When the bough bends, the cradle will fall,

Down will come baby, bough, cradle, and all.

Ride, baby, ride,

Pretty baby shall ride,

And have a little puppy-dog tied to her side,

And little pussy-cat tied to the other,

And away she shall ride to see her grandmother,

To see her grandmother,

To see her grandmother.

Bye, baby bunting,

Daddy's gone a hunting,

To get a little hare's skin

To wrap a baby bunting in.

Give me a blow, and I'll beat 'em,

Why did they vex my baby?

Kissy, kiss, kissy, my honey,

And cuddle your nurse, my deary.

My dear cockadoodle, my jewel, my joy,

My darling, my honey, my pretty sweet boy;

Before I do rock thee with soft lullaby,

Give me thy dear lips to be kiss'd, kiss'd, kiss'd.

Hush-a-bye, lie still and sleep,

It grieves me sore to see thee weep,

For when thou weep'st thou wearies me,

Hush-a-bye, lie still and bye.

Young Lambs to sell!

Young Lambs to sell!

If I'd as much money as I can tell,

I never would cry—Young Lambs to sell!

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit-Pie!

Come, my ladies, come and buy;

Else your babies they will cry.

To market, to market,

To buy a plum cake;

Home again, home again,

Ne'er a one baked;

The baker is dead and all his men,

And we must go to market again.

Rock well my cradle,

And "bee baa," my son;

You shall have a new gown,

When ye lord comes home.

Oh! still my child, Orange,

Still him with a bell;

I can't still him, ladie,

Till you come down yoursell!

Where was a sugar and fretty?

And where was jewel and spicy?

Hush-a-bye, babe in a cradle,

And we'll go away in a tricy!

I'll buy you a tartan bonnet,

And some feathers to put on it,

Tartan trews and a phillibeg,

Because you are so like your daddy.

ing dong bell,

Pussy's in the well!

Who put her in?—

Little Tommy Lin.

Who pulled her out?—

Dog with long snout.

What a naughty boy was that

To drown poor pussy-cat,

Who never did any harm,

But kill'd the mice in his father's barn.

Hey ding a ding, what shall I sing?

How many holes in a skimmer?

Four and twenty,—my stomach is empty;

Pray, mamma, give me some dinner.

Cock a doodle doo!

My dame has lost her shoe;

My master's lost his fiddling stick,

And don't know what to do.

Cock a doodle doo!

What is my dame to do?

Till master finds his fiddling stick,

She'll dance without her shoe.

Cock a doodle doo!

My dame has lost her shoe,

And master's found his fiddling stick,

Sing doodle doodle doo!

Cock a doodle doo!

My dame will dance with you,

While master fiddles his fiddling stick.

For dame and doodle doo.

Cock a doodle doo!

Dame has lost her shoe;

Gone to bed and scratch'd her head,

And can't tell what to do.

Diddledy, diddledy, dumpty;

The cat ran up the plum-tree.

I'll lay you a crown

I'll fetch you down;

So diddledy, diddledy, dumpty.

Little Tee Wee,

He went to sea

In an open boat;

And while afloat

The little boat bended,

And my story's ended.

Sing, sing, what shall I sing?

The cat has eat the pudding-string;

Do, do, what shall I do?

The cat has bit it quite in two.

Handy Spandy, Jack-a-dandy,

Loved plum-cake and sugar-candy;

He bought some at a grocer's shop,

And out he came, hop, hop, hop.

Tiddle liddle lightum,

Pitch and tar;

Tiddle liddle lightum,

What's that for?

Sing jigmijole, the pudding-bowl,

The table and the frame;

My master he did cudgel me

For speaking of my dame.

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John

Went to bed with his trowsers on;

One shoe off, the other shoe on,

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.

Dibbity, dibbity, dibbity, doe.

Give me a pancake

And I'll go.

Dibbity, dibbity, dibbity, ditter,

Please to give me

A bit of a fritter.

Feedum, fiddledum fee,

The cat's got into the tree.

Pussy, come down,

Or I'll crack your crown,

And toss you into the sea.

Little Jack a Dandy

Wanted sugar-candy,

And fairly for it cried;

But little Billy Cook

Who always reads his book,

Shall have a horse to ride.

Hyder iddle diddle dell,

A yard of pudding's not an ell;

Not forgetting tweedle-dye,

A tailor's goose will never fly.

Gilly Silly Jarter,

Who has lost a garter?

In a shower of rain,

The miller found it,

The miller ground it,

And the miller gave it to Silly again.

Hub a dub dub,

Three men in a tub;

And who do you think they be?

The butcher, the baker,

The candlestick-maker;

Turn 'em out, knaves all three!

Hey diddle, dinketty, poppety, pet,

The merchants of London they wear scarlet;

Silk in the collar, and gold in the hem,

So merrily march the merchantmen.

Fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-de-dee,

The fly shall marry the humble-bee.

They went to the church, and married was she,

The fly has married the humble-bee.

Hey, dorolot, dorolot!

Hey, dorolay, dorolay!

Hey, my bonny boat, bonny boat,

Hey, drag away, drag away!

A cat came fiddling out of a barn,

With a pair of bag-pipes under her arm;

She could sing nothing but fiddle cum fee,

The mouse has married the humble-bee;

Pipe, cat,—dance, mouse,

We'll have a wedding at our good house.

Hey! diddle, diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon;

The little dog laugh'd

To see the sport,

While the dish ran after the spoon.

Doodledy, doodledy, doodledy, dan,

I'll have a piper to be my good man;

And if I get less meat, I shall get game,

Doodledy, doodledy, doodledy, dan.

Tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee

Resolved to have a battle,

For tweedle-dum said tweedle-dee

Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew by a monstrous crow,

As big as a tar-barrel,

Which frightened both the heroes so,

They quite forgot their quarrel.

Come dance a jig

To my Granny's pig,

With a raudy, rowdy, dowdy;

Come dance a jig

To my Granny's pig,

And pussy-cat shall crowdy.

Pussicat, wussicat, with a white foot,

When is your wedding? for I'll come to't.

The beer's to brew, the bread's to bake,

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, don't be too late.

Ding, dong, darrow,

The cat and the sparrow;

The little dog has burnt his tail,

And he shall be hang'd to-morrow.

Little Dicky Dilver

Had a wife of silver,

He took a stick and broke her back,

And sold her to the miller;

The miller would'nt have her,

So he threw her in the river.

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, dancing a jig;

Ride to the market to buy a fat hog,

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

Doodle, doodle, doo,

The princess lost her shoe;

Her highness hopp'd,

The fidler stopped,

Not knowing what to do.

Rompty-iddity, row, row, row,

If I had a good supper, I could eat it now.

Round about, round about,

Magotty-pie,

My father loves good ale,

And so do I.

High, ding, cockatoo-moody,

Make a bed in a barn, I will come to thee;

High, ding, straps of leather,

Two little puppy-dogs tied together;

One by the head, and one by the tail,

And over the water these puppy-dogs sail.

"Hey! diddle, diddle,

The cat and the fiddle"—

"The cow jumped over the moon"—

"The cow jumped under the moon;

The little dog laughed"—

"And the dish ran after the spoon"—

"Hey! diddle, diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jump'd under the moon;

The little dog bark'd,

To see the sport,

And the cat ran after the spoon!"

s I was going up Pippen-hill,

Pippen-hill was dirty,

There I met a pretty miss,

And she dropt me a curtsey.

Little miss, pretty miss,

Blessings light upon you!

If I had half-a-crown a day,

I'd spend it all on you.

Brave news is come to town,

Brave news is carried;

Brave news is come to town,

Jemmy Dawson's married.

Willy, Willy Wilkin,

Kissed the maids a-milking,

Fa, la, la!

And with his merry daffing,

He set them all a laughing.

Ha, ha, ha!

It's once I courted as pretty a lass,

As ever your eyes did see;

But now she's come to such a pass,

She never will do for me.

She invited me to her own house,

Where oft I'd been before,

And she tumbled me into the hog-tub,

And I'll never go there any more.

Sylvia, sweet as morning air,

Do not drive me to despair:

Long have I sighed in vain,

Now I am come again,

Will you be mine or no, no-a-no,—

Will you be mine or no?

Simon pray leave off your suit,

For of your courting you'll reap no fruit,

I would rather give a crown

Than be married to a clown;

Go for a booby, go, no-a-no,—

Go, for a booby, go.

What care I how black I be,

Twenty pounds will marry me;

If twenty won't, forty shall,

I am my mother's bouncing girl!

"Where have you been all the day,

My boy Willy?"

"I've been all the day,

Courting of a lady gay:

But oh! she's too young

To be taken from her mammy."

"What work can she do,

My boy Willy?

Can she bake and can she brew,

My boy Willy?"

"She can brew and she can bake,

And she can make our wedding cake:

But oh! she's too young

To be taken from her mammy."

"What age may she be? What age may she be?

My boy Willy?"

"Twice two, twice seven,

Twice ten twice eleven:

But oh! she's too young

To be taken from her mammy."

There was a little man,

And he woo'd a little maid,

And he said, "little maid, will you wed, wed, wed?

I have little more to say,

Than will you, yea or nay,

For least said is soonest mended-ded, ded, ded."

The little maid replied,

Some say a little sighed,

"But what shall we have for to eat, eat, eat?

Will the love that you're so rich in

Make a fire in the kitchen?

Or the little god of Love turn the spit, spit, spit?"

There was a little boy and a little girl

Lived in an alley;

Says the little boy to the little girl,

"Shall I, oh! shall I?"

Says the little girl to the little boy,

"What shall we do?"

Says the little boy to the little girl,

"I will kiss you."

A cow and a calf,

An ox and a half,

Forty good shillings and three;

Is that not enough tocher

For a shoe-maker's daughter,

A bonny lass with a black e'e?

O the little rusty, dusty, rusty miller!

I'll not change my wife for either gold or siller.

As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks

Were walking out one Sunday,

Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,

"To-morrow will be Monday."

Little Jack Jingle,

He used to live single:

But when he got tired of this kind of life,

He left off being single, and liv'd with his wife.

When shall we be married,

My dear Nicholas Wood?

We will be married on Monday,

And will not that be very good?

What, shall we be married no sooner?

Why sure the man's gone wood!*

What shall we have for our dinner,

My dear Nicholas Wood?

We will have bacon and pudding,

And will not that be very good?

What, shall we have nothing more?

Why sure the man's gone wood!

Who shall we have at our wedding,

My dear Nicholas Wood?

We will have mammy and daddy,

And will not that be very good?

What, shall we have nobody else?

Why sure the man's gone wood!

Tommy Trot, a man of law,

Sold his bed and lay upon straw:

Sold the straw and slept on grass,

To buy his wife a looking-glass.

We're all dry with drinking on't.

We're all dry with drinking on't;

The piper spoke to the fiddler's wife,

And I can't sleep for thinking on't.

"John, come sell thy fiddle,

And buy thy wife a gown."

"No, I'll not sell my fiddle,

For ne'er a wife in town."

Up hill and down dale;

Butter is made in every vale,

And if that Nancy Cook

Is a good girl,

She shall have a spouse,

And make butter anon,

Before her old grandmother

Grows a young man.