Attempts are sometimes made to read into these Rhymes a deeper
significance than the obvious and simple one which has accounted for
their enduring popularity in the Nursery, but this volume has no
[4]
concern with such profound interpretations, any more than have the
little people who love the old jingles best.
The earliest known collection of Nursery Rhymes was published about
1760 by John Newbery, the first publisher who devoted his attention to
very young readers. In his book, which included songs from the plays
of Shakespeare, some of the Rhymes appeared with titles which sound
strange to our ears; thus "Ding, Dong, Bell" was called "Plato's
Song", while "There were Two Birds sat on a Stone" was "Aristotle's
Song". To each Rhyme was appended a moral maxim, as for example, to
"Is John Smith within?" is added "Knowledge is a treasure, but
practice is the key to it". Most of the Rhymes in this little Newbery
collection, amongst them "There was a little Man and he wooed a little
Maid" and "The Wise Men of Gotham", are repeated in the present volume
so far as may be in accordance with that early text. Others have been
compared with early versions in chap-books issued late in the
eighteenth century or early in the nineteenth.
Students divide our rhymes into narrative pieces, historical,
folk-lore, game rhymes, counting-out rhymes, jingles, fragments, and
so forth, but for the children for whom and by whom they are
remembered, and for whose sake they are here collected and pictured
anew, they are just—Nursery Rhymes.
THE QUEEN OF HEARTS
[11]
The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts,
All on a summer's day;
The Knave of Hearts he stole those tarts,
And took them clean away.
[12]
The King of Hearts called for those tarts,
And beat the Knave full sore.
[13]
The Knave of Hearts
brought back those tarts,
And vowed he'd steal no more.
SAINT SWITHIN'S DAY
[14]
St. Swithin's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St. Swithin's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 't will rain no more.
[15]
DANCE TO YOUR DADDIE
Dance to your daddie,
My bonnie laddie,
Dance to your daddie, my bonnie lamb!
You shall get a fishie
On a little dishie,
You shall get a fishie when the boat comes hame!
Dance to your daddie,
My bonnie laddie,
Dance to your daddie, and to your mammie sing!
You shall get a coatie,
And a pair of breekies,
You shall get a coatie when the boat comes in!
[16]
THE MAN IN THE MOON
The man in the moon
Came tumbling down
And asked the way to Norwich;
He went by the south,
And burnt his mouth
With eating cold pease porridge.
[17]
SIMPLE SIMON
[18]
SIMPLE SIMON met a pie-man,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pie-man,
"Let me taste your ware."
Says the pie-man unto Simon,
"First give me a penny."
Says Simple Simon to the pie-man,
"I have not got any."
He went to catch a dicky-bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he had got a little salt
To put upon his tail.
[19]
He went to ride a spotted cow,
That had got a little calf,
She threw him down upon the ground,
Which made the people laugh.
[20]
Then Simple Simon went a-hunting,
For to catch a hare,
He rode a goat about the street,
But could not find one there.
He went for to eat honey
Out of the mustard-pot,
He bit his tongue until he cried,
That was all the good he got.
SIMPLE SIMON went a-fishing
For to catch a whale;
And all the water he had got
Was in his mother's pail.
He went to take a bird's nest,
Was built upon a bough;
A branch gave way, and Simon fell
Into a dirty slough.
He went to shoot a wild duck,
But the wild duck flew away;
Says Simon, "I can't hit him,
Because he will not stay."
[21]
ONCE Simon made a great Snowball,
And brought it in to roast;
He laid it down before the fire,
And soon the ball was lost.
HE went to slide upon the ice,
Before the ice would bear;
Then he plunged in above his knees,
Which made poor Simon stare.
He went to try if cherries ripe
Grew upon a thistle;
He pricked his finger very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.
[23]
He washed himself with blacking-ball,
Because he had no soap:
Then, then, said to his mother,
"I'm a beauty now, I hope."
He went for water in a sieve,
But soon it all ran through;
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.
[24]
TOAD AND FROG
"Croak," said the toad, "I'm hungry I think,
To-day I've had nothing to eat or to drink;
I'll crawl to a garden and jump through the pales,
And there I'll dine nicely on slugs and on snails."
"Ho, ho!" quoth the frog, "is that what you mean?
Then I'll hop away to the next meadow stream,
There I will drink, and eat worms and slugs too,
And then I shall have a good dinner like you."
LITTLE JACK HORNER
Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner
Eating of Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And cried "What a good boy was I!"
[25]
THE WOOING
There was a little man,
Who wooed a little maid;
And he said: "Little maid, will you wed, wed, wed?
I have little more to say,
So will you ay or nay
For the least said is soonest mend-ed, ded, ded."
Then the little maid replied:
"Should I be your little bride,
Pray what must we have for to eat, eat, eat?
Will the flame that you're so rich in
Light a fire in the kitchen?
Or the little god of Love turn the spit, spit, spit?"
HANDY PANDY
[26]
Handy Pandy, Jack-a-Dandy,
Loves plum-cake and sugar-candy;
He bought some at a grocer's shop,
And out he came, hop, hop, hop.
THE KILKENNY CATS
[27]
There were once two cats of Kilkenny,
Each thought there was one cat too many;
So they fought and they fit,
And they scratched and they bit,
Till, excepting their nails
And the tips of their tails,
Instead of two cats, there weren't any.
[28]
BLOW WIND BLOW
Blow, wind, blow! and go, mill, go!
That the miller may grind his corn;
That the baker may take it, and into rolls make it,
And send us some hot in the morn.
[29]
ONE, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR LEGS
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.
[30]
BLUE BELL BOY
I HAD a little boy,
And called him Blue Bell;
Gave him a little work,
He did it very well.
I bade him go upstairs
To bring me a gold pin;
In coal-scuttle fell he,
Up to his little chin.
He went to the garden
To pick a little sage;
He tumbled on his nose,
And fell into a rage.
He went to the cellar
To draw a little beer;
And quickly did return
To say there was none there.
[31]
COCK-A-DOODLE-DO
Cock-a-doodle-do!
My dame has lost her shoe;
My master's lost his fiddle-stick,
And don't know what to do.
Cock-a-doodle-do!
What is my dame to do?
Till master finds his fiddle-stick,
She'll dance without her shoe.
[33]
JOHN COOK'S GREY MARE
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!
[34]
BUZ AND HUM
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.
TOMMY TITTLEMOUSE
Little Tommy Tittlemouse
Lived in a little house;
He caught fishes
In other men's ditches.
[35]
A AND B AND SEE
Great A, little a, bouncing B,
The cat's in the cupboard and she can't see.
DOCTOR FOSTER
DOCTOR Foster went to Glo'ster,
In a shower of rain;
He stepped in a puddle right up to his middle,
And never went there again.
[36]
DAFFY DOWN DILLY
Daffy-down-dilly has come to town,
In a yellow petticoat, and a green gown.
QUEEN ANNE
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.
HO MY KITTEN
[37]
HO my kitten, a kitten,
And ho! my kitten, my deary!
Such a sweet pet as this
Was neither far nor neary.
Here we go up, up, up,
Here we go down, down, down;
Here we go backwards and forwards,
And here we go round, round, round.
LAVENDER BLUE
Lavender blue and rosemary green,
When I am king you shall be queen;
Call up my maids at four o'clock,
Some to the wheel and some to the rock,
Some to make hay and some to shear corn,
And you and I will keep ourselves warm.
THE QUARRELSOME KITTENS
[38]
TWO little kittens one stormy night,
They began to quarrel and they began to fight;
One had a mouse and the other had none,
And that's the way the quarrel begun.
"I'll have that mouse," said the biggest cat.
"You'll have that mouse? we'll see about that!"
"I will have that mouse," said the eldest son.
"You sha'n't have the mouse," said the little one.
I told you before 't was a stormy night
When these two little kittens began to fight;
The old woman seized her sweeping broom,
And swept the two kittens right out of the room.
[39]
The ground was covered with frost and snow,
And the two little kittens had nowhere to go;
So they laid them down on the mat at the door,
While the old woman finished sweeping the floor.
Then they crept in, as quiet as mice,
All wet with the snow, and as cold as ice,
For they found it was better, that stormy night,
To lie down and sleep than to quarrel and fight.
[40]
THE FLY AND THE HUMBLE-BEE
FIDDLE-DE-DEE, fiddle-de-dee,
The fly shall marry the humble-bee;
They went to church and married was she,
The fly has married the humble-bee.
CAT AND DOG
Pussy sits beside the fire,
How can she be fair?
In comes the little dog,
"Pussy, are you there?
So, so, Mistress Pussy,
Pray, how do you do?"
"Thank you, thank you, little dog,
I'm very well just now."
[41]
BOBBY SHAFT
Bobby Shaft is gone to sea,
With silver buckles at his knee;
When he'll come home he'll marry me,
Pretty Bobby Shaft!
Bobby Shaft is fat and fair,
Combing down his yellow hair;
He's my love for evermore!
Pretty Bobby Shaft!
[42]
THE LITTLE CLOCK
There's a neat little clock,
In the schoolroom it stands,
And it points to the time
With its two little hands.
And may we, like the clock,
Keep a face clean and bright,
With hands ever ready
To do what is right.
LITTLE MAID
"Little maid, pretty maid, whither goest thou?"
"Down in the forest to milk my cow."
"Shall I go with thee?" "No, not now;
When I send for thee, then come thou."
[43]
BAT, BAT
Bat, bat,
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.
[44]
CHRISTMAS
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat,
Please to put a penny in an old man's hat;
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you.
PETER WHITE
Peter White will ne'er go right,
And would you know the reason why?
He follows his nose where'er he goes,
And that stands all awry.
[45]
SLEEP BABY SLEEP
SLEEP, baby, sleep,
Our cottage vale is deep;
The little lamb is on the green,
With woolly fleece so soft and clean—
Sleep, baby, sleep!
Sleep, baby, sleep,
Down where the woodbines creep;
Be always like the lamb so mild,
A kind, and sweet, and gentle child—
Sleep, baby, sleep!
[46]
UP PIPPEN HILL
As I was going up Pippen Hill,
Pippen Hill was dirty;
There I met a pretty miss,
And she dropped me a curtsey.
Little miss, pretty miss,
Blessings light upon you!
If I had half a crown a day,
I'd spend it all upon you.
A FALLING OUT
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.
[47]
TOM, THE PIPER'S SON
[48]
Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
Stole a pig and away he run!
The pig was eat and Tom was beat,
And Tom went howling down the street.
[49]
PEG
Peg, Peg, with a wooden leg,
Her father was a miller;
He tossed the dumpling at her head,
And said he could not kill her.
A DIFFICULT RHYME
What is the rhyme for porringer?
The king he had a daughter fair,
And gave the Prince of Orange her.
[50]
THE OLD WOMAN TOSSED IN A BASKET
There was an old woman tossed up in a basket
Seventeen 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,
"Where are you going to up so high?"
"To brush the cobwebs off the sky!"
"May I go with thee?" "Aye, by-and-by."
[51]
POOR OLD ROBINSON CRUSOE
POOR old Robinson Crusoe!
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
They made him a coat
Of an old nanny goat,
I wonder why they could do so!
With a ring a ting tang,
And a ring a ting tang,
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
TWO LITTLE DOGS
Two little dogs sat by the fire,
Over a fender of coal-dust;
When one said to the other dog,
"If Pompey won't talk, why, I must."
[52]
SATURDAY, SUNDAY
On Saturday night
Shall be all my care
To powder my locks
And curl my hair.
On Sunday morning
My love will come in,
When he will marry me
With a gold ring.
MERCHANTS OF LONDON
Hey diddle dinkety, poppety, pet.
The merchants of London they wear scarlet;
Silk in the collar, and gold in hem,
So merrily march the merchantmen.
[53]
THE OWL IN THE OAK
THERE was an owl lived in an oak,
Whiskey, whaskey, weedle;
And all the words he ever spoke
Were fiddle, faddle, feedle.
A sportsman chanced to come that way,
Whiskey, whaskey, weedle;
Says he, "I'll shoot you, silly bird,
So fiddle, faddle, feedle!"
GEORGY PORGY
Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play,
Georgy Porgy ran away.
[54]
TO MARKET
To market, to market,
To buy a fat pig;
Home again, home again,
Jiggety jig.
To market, to market,
To buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again,
Jiggety jog.
[55]
THE LITTLE GUINEA-PIG
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.
[56]
A NICK AND A NOCK
A nick and a nock,
A hen and a cock,
And a penny for my master.
PANCAKE DAY
Great A, little A,
This is pancake day;
Toss the ball high,
Throw the ball low,
Those that come after
May sing heigh-ho!
[57]
HUSH-A-BYE BABY
Hush-a-bye, baby,
On the tree top,
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall,
Down tumbles baby,
Cradle, and all.
[58]
IN MARBLE HALLS
IN marble halls 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 stronghold,
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold.
JACK SPRAT'S PIG
Jack Sprat had a pig, who was not very little,
Nor yet very big;
He was not very lean, he was not very fat;
He'll do well for a grunt,
Says little Jack Sprat.
[59]
ROBIN-A-BOBIN
Robin-a-Bobin
Bent his bow,
Shot at a pigeon,
And killed a crow.
BANDY-LEGS
As I was going to sell my eggs,
I met a man with bandy legs;
Bandy legs and crooked toes,
I tripped up his heels, and he fell on his nose.
[60]
A APPLE PIE
[61]
[62]
A Apple Pie
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 for it.
O opened it.
P peeped in it.
Q quartered it.
R ran for it.
S stole for it.
T took it.
V viewed it.
W wanted it.
X Y and Z all wished a piece of it.
[63]
THE PUMPKIN EATER
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.
HUSH-A-BYE, BABY
Hush-a-bye, baby,
Daddy is near;
Mamma is a lady,
And that's very clear.
[64]
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
BIRDS of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
And so will I have mine.
COCK-A-DOODLE-DO
Oh, my pretty cock! Oh, my handsome cock!
I pray you, do not crow before day,
And your comb shall be made of the very beaten gold,
And your wings of the silver so gray.
[65]
HUSH, BABY, MY DOLLY
Hush, baby, my dolly, I pray you don't cry,
And I'll give you some bread and some milk by and by;
Or perhaps you like custard, or maybe a tart,
Then to either you're welcome, with all my heart.
[66]
I HAD A LITTLE PONY
I HAD a little pony
His name was Dapple-Grey,
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away.
She whipped him, she lashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.
SNAIL
Snail, snail, come out of your hole,
Or else I'll beat you as black as a coal.
Snail, snail, put out your horns,
Here comes a thief to pull down your walls.
[67]
MY LADY WIND
My lady Wind, my lady Wind,
Went round about the house to find
A chink to get her foot in:
She tried the keyhole 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!
[68]
LITTLE JENNY WREN
AS little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed,
She waggled with her tail,
And nodded with her head.
She waggled with her tail,
And nodded with her head,
As little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed.
POOR ROBIN
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!
PUSSY CAT
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
I've been up to London to look at the queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under the chair.
[69]
DANCE, LITTLE BABY
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!
OF WASHING
They that wash on Friday, wash in need;
And they that wash on Saturday, oh! they're sluts indeed.
[70]
DICKERY, DICKERY, DARE
Dickery, dickery, dare,
The pig flew up in the air;
The man in brown soon brought him down,
Dickery, dickery, dare.
[71]
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
This is the house that Jack built.
THIS is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.[72]
This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
[73]
This is the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
[74]
This is the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
[75]
This is the farmer sowing his corn,
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
[76]
A FROG HE WOULD AWOOING GO
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigho! says Rowley,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
[77]
So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigho! says Rowley,
And on the road he met with a rat.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
"Pray, Mr. Rat, will you go with me?"
Heigho! says Rowley,
"Kind Mistress Mousey for to see!"
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
When they reached the door of Mousey's hall,
Heigho! says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
[78]
"Pray, Mistress Mouse, are you within?"
Heigho! says Rowley;
"Oh, yes, kind sirs, I'm sitting to spin."
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
"Pray, Mistress Mouse, will you give us some beer?"
Heigho! says Rowley,
"For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer."
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
"Pray, Mr. Frog, will you give us a song?"
Heigho! says Rowley;
"But let it be something that's not very long."
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
"Indeed, Mistress Mouse," replied Mr. Frog,
Heigho! says Rowley,
"A cold has made me as hoarse as a hog."
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
[79]
"Since you have caught cold, Mr. Frog," Mousey said,
Heigho! says Rowley,
"I'll sing you a song that I have just made."
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
But while they were all a merry-making,
Heigho! says Rowley,
A cat with her kittens came tumbling in.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Heigho! says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
[80]
This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright,
Heigho! says Rowley;
He took up his hat and he wished them good-night.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Heigho! says Rowley,
A lily-white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
So there was an end of one, two, and three,
Heigho! says Rowley,
The Rat, the Mouse, and the little Frog-gee!
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigho! says Anthony Rowley.
[81]
THE MOUSE AND THE MILLER
There was an old woman
Lived under a hill,
She put a mouse in a bag,
And sent it to mill;
The miller did swear
By the point of his knife,
He never took toll
Of a mouse in his life!
LITTLE BETTY BLUE
Little Betty Blue
Lost her holiday shoe,
What shall little Betty do?
Buy her another
To match the other,
And then she'll walk upon two.
[82]
OF THE CUTTING OF NAILS
CUT them on Monday, you cut them for health;
Cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth;
Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news;
Cut them on Thursday, a pair of new shoes;
Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;
Cut them on Saturday, you'll see your true-love to-morrow;
Cut them on Sunday, and you will have ill fortune all through the week.
THE ORANGE STEALER
Dingty, diddledy, my mammy's maid,
She stole oranges, I'm afraid;
Some in her pockets, some in her sleeve,
She stole oranges, I do believe.
[83]
I LOVE SIXPENCE
I LOVE sixpence, a jolly, jolly sixpence,
I love sixpence as my life;
I spent a penny of it, I spent a penny of it,
I took a penny home to my wife.
I love fourpence, a jolly, jolly fourpence,
I love fourpence as my life;
I spent two pence of it, I spent two pence of it,
And I took two pence home to my wife.
I love nothing, a jolly, jolly nothing,
I love nothing as my life;
I spent nothing of it, I spent nothing of it,
I took nothing home to my wife.
[84]
DIDDLEY-DIDDLEY-DUMPTY
DIDDLEY-DIDDLEY-DUMPTY,
The cat ran up the plum-tree,
Half a crown
To fetch her down,
Diddley-diddley-dumpty.
SAMMY SOAPSUDS
When little Sammy Soapsuds
Went out to take a ride,
In looking over London Bridge,
He fell into the tide.
His parents never having taught
Their loving Sam to swim,
The tide soon got the mastery,
And made an end of him.
THE ROSE IS RED
The rose is red, the violet blue,
The gilly flower sweet, and so are you.
These are the words you bade me say
For a pair of new gloves on Easter Day.
[85]
THE WIND
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 fish's mouth;
When the wind is in the West,
Then 'tis at the very best.
[86]
A WARNING
THE robin and the red-breast,
The robin and the wren;
If ye take from their nest,
Ye'll never thrive again!
The robin and the red-breast,
The martin and the swallow;
If ye touch one of their eggs,
Bad luck will surely follow.
FINGERS AND TOES
Every lady in this land
Has twenty nails upon each hand
Five and twenty on hands and feet.
All this is true, without deceit.
[87]
COCK-CROW
COCKS crow in the morn
To tell us to rise,
And he who lies late
Will never be wise;
For early to bed
And early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy
And wealthy and wise.
[88]
MY MAID MARY
My maid Mary she minds the dairy,
While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn;
Gaily run the reel and the little spinning-wheel,
Whilst I am singing and mowing my corn.
ROBIN AND WREN
The Robin and the Wren
Fought about the parritch-pan;
And ere the Robin got a spoon,
The Wren had ate the parritch down.
[89]
BUY ME A MILKING-PAIL
BUY me a milking-pail,
Mother, mother."
"Betsy's gone a-milking,
Beautiful daughter."
"Sell my father's feather-bed,
Mother, mother."
"Where will your father lie,
Beautiful daughter?"
"Put him in the boys' bed,
Mother, mother."
"Where will the boys lie,
Beautiful daughter?"
"Put them in the pigs' stye,
Mother, mother."
"Where will the pigs lie,
Beautiful daughter?"
"Put them in the salting-tub,
Mother, mother.
Put them in the salting-tub,
Mother, mother."
[90]
HUMPTY-DUMPTY
HUMPTY-DUMPTY sat on a wall,
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall;
Threescore men, and threescore more,
Cannot place Humpty-Dumpty as he was before.
WHAT ARE LITTLE BOYS MADE OF?
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
That's what little boys are made of, made of.
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and all things nice,
That's what little girls are made of, made of.
[91]
THERE WAS A LITTLE MAN
THERE was a little man, and he had a little gun,
And his bullets they were made of lead, lead, lead.
He shot Johnny Sprig through the middle of his wig,
And knocked it right off his head, head, head.
[92]
A MEDLEY
ON Christmas Eve I turned the spit,
I burnt my fingers, I feel it yet;
The cock sparrow flew over the table,
The pot began to play with the ladle;
The ladle stood up like a naked man,
And vowed he'd fight the frying-pan;
The frying-pan behind the door
Said he never saw the like before;
And the kitchen clock I was going to wind
Said he never saw the like behind.
THE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM
Three wise men of Gotham
They went to sea in a bowl;
And if the bowl had been stronger,
My song had been longer.
[93]
TO THE BIRDS
AWAY, 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.
[94]
HEY! DIDDLE, DIDDLE
[95]
HEY! diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such craft,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
TWO LITTLE BIRDS
There were two blackbirds
Sat upon a hill,
The one named Jack,
The other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack!
Fly away, Jill!
Come again, Jack!
Come again, Jill!
[96]
THE LITTLE COCK SPARROW
A LITTLE Cock Sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he;
A little Cock Sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he.
A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow,
Determined to shoot this little Cock Sparrow;
A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow,
Determined to shoot this little Cock Sparrow.
"This little Cock Sparrow shall make me a stew,
And his giblets shall make me a little pie too."
"Oh, no!" said the sparrow, "I won't make a stew."
So he flapped his wings and away he flew!
[97]
DAME TROT
Dame Trot and her cat
Sat down for to chat;
The Dame sat on this
side.
And Puss sat on that.
"Puss," says the Dame,
"Can you catch a rat
Or a mouse in the dark?"
"Purr," says the cat.
[98]
IF
IF you are to be a gentleman, as I suppose you be,
You'll neither laugh nor smile for a tickling of the knee.
HOW DO YOU DO?
How do you do, neighbour?
Neighbour, how do you do?
Very well, I thank you.
How does Cousin Sue do?
She is very well,
And sends her love to you,
And so does Cousin Bell.
Ah! how, pray, does she do?
[99]
THERE WAS A LITTLE BOY
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."
THE MAN IN THE WILDERNESS
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.
[100]
THOMAS A'TATTAMUS
THOMAS A'TATTAMUS took two T's
To tie two tups to two tall trees,
To frighten the terrible Thomas A'Tattamus!
Tell me how many T's there are in all that.
LITTLE GIRL, LITTLE GIRL
Little girl, little girl, where have you been?
Gathering roses to give to the Queen.
Little girl, little girl, what gave she you?
She gave me a diamond as big as my shoe.
OLD KING COLE
Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
[102]
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,[103]
And he called for his fiddlers three.[104]
Every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee, went the fiddlers.[105]
Oh, there's none so rare,
As can compare
With King Cole
And his fiddlers three!
[106]
LENGTHENING DAYS
As the days grow longer
The storms grow stronger
[107]
HARK, HARK! THE DOGS DO BARK
HARK, hark! the dogs do bark,
Beggars are coming to town;
Some in jags, and some in rags,
And some in velvet gown.
BESSY BELL AND MARY GRAY
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
They were two bonny lasses;
They built their house upon the lea,
And covered it with rashes.
Bessy kept the garden gate,
And Mary kept the pantry:
Bessy always had to wait,
While Mary lived in plenty.
[108]
WEE WILLIE WINKIE
WEE WILLIE WINKIE runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs, in his nightgown,
Rapping at the window, crying through the lock:
"Are the children in their beds, for it's past eight o'clock."
BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes, marry, have I, three bags full:
One for my master, one for my dame,
But none for the little boy who cries in the lane.
[109]
EARLY RISING
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.
THE TAILORS AND THE SNAIL
Four and twenty tailors went to kill a snail,
The best man amongst them durst not touch her tail;
She put out her horns like a little Kyloe cow,
Run, tailors, run, or she'll kill you all e'en now.
[110]
BUTTONS, a farthing a pair,
Come, who will buy them of me?
They're round and sound and pretty,
And fit for the girls of the city.
Come, who will buy them of me,
Buttons, a farthing a pair?
SULKY SUE
Here's Sulky Sue;
What shall we do?
Turn her face to the wall
Till she comes to.
[111]
HECTOR PROTECTOR
Hector Protector was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him, No more did the King;
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
JERRY AND JAMES AND JOHN
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 her three sons,
Jerry and James and John!
[112]
THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE
[113]
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,
Then whipped them all round, and sent them to bed.
[114]
NEEDLES AND PINS
Needles and pins, needles and pins,
When a man marries his trouble begins.
[115]
THE SONG OF MYSELF
As I walked by myself,
And talked to myself,
Myself said unto me:
Look to thyself,
Take care of thyself,
For nobody cares for thee.
I answered myself,
And said to myself,
In the self-same repartee:
Look to thyself,
Or not look to thyself,
The self-same thing will be.
TIT-TAT-TOE
TIT-TAT-TOE,
My first go,
Three jolly butcher-boys
All of a row;
Stick one up,
Stick one down,
Stick one in the old man's crown.
[116]
THE WAY TO LONDON TOWN
SEE-SAW, sacaradown,
Which is the way to London town?
One foot up, the other foot down,
That is the way to London town.
CÆSAR'S SONG
Bow, wow, wow, whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog,
Bow, wow, wow.
GREEN GRAVEL
Around the green gravel the grass grows green,
And all the pretty maids are plain to be seen;
Wash them with milk, and clothe them with silk,
And write their names with a pen and ink.
[117]
WASH ME AND COMB ME
Wash me and comb me,
And lay me down softly,
And lay me on a bank to dry,
That I may look pretty,
When somebody comes by.
TEN FINGERS
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
But I let him go again.
Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my finger so.
Which finger did he bite?
The little one upon the right.
[118]
THE CODLIN WOMAN
There was a little woman, as I've been told,
Who was not very young, nor yet very old,
Now this little woman her living got,
By selling codlins, hot, hot, hot!
OF PIGS
A LONG-TAILED pig and a short-tailed pig,
Or a pig without e'er a tail,
A sow pig, or a boar pig,
Or a pig with a curly tail.
[119]
GOOD KING ARTHUR
WHEN good King Arthur ruled this land
He was a goodly king;
He stole three pecks of barley-meal
To make a bag-pudding.[120]
A bag-pudding the king did make,
And stuff'd it well with plums;
[121]
And in it put great lumps of fat,
As big as my two thumbs.
The king and queen did eat thereof,
And noble men beside;
And what they could not eat that night,
The queen next morning fried.
[122]
SOLOMON GRUNDY
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.
THREE BLIND MICE
Three blind mice, three blind mice,
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
She cut off their tails with a carving knife;
Did you ever see such a thing in your life
As three blind mice?
[123]
CROSS-PATCH
CROSS-PATCH, draw the latch,
Sit by the fire and spin;
Take a cup, and drink it up,
Then call your neighbours in.
YANKEE DOODLE
Yankee Doodle came to town,
Mounted on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his cap
And called it Maccaroni.
Yankee Doodle came to town,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
He stuck a feather in his cap
And called it sugar-candy.
[124]
TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR
TWINKLE, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
[125]
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark:
How could he see where to go,
If you did not twinkle so?
In the dark blue sky you keep,
Often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye
Till the sun is in the sky.
How your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveller in the dark!
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
[126]
BOYS AND GIRLS
Boys and girls come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day;
[127]
Come with a whoop, and come with a call,
Come with a good will or come not at all.
Lose your supper and lose your sleep,
Come to your playfellows in the street.
[128]
[129]
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A halfpenny loaf will serve us all;
You find milk, and I'll find flour,
And we'll have a pudding in half an hour.
[130]
SING IVY
My father he left me three acres of land,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
My father he 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 peppercorn,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
I harrowed it with a bramble bush,
Sing ivy, sing ivy;
And reaped it with my little pen-knife,
Sing holly, go whistle, and ivy!
[131]
PUSSYCAT MEW
Pussycat Mew jumped over a coal,
And in her best petticoat burnt a great hole.
Poor Pussy's weeping, she'll have no more milk,
Until her best petticoat's mended with silk!
GOOSEY, GOOSEY, GANDER
GOOSEY, goosey, gander,
Whither dost thou wander?
Up stairs and down stairs,
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
That would not say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him down stairs.
[132]
THE MAN AND HIS CALF
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.
RIDE A COCK-HORSE
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.
[133]
SEEKING A WIFE
When I was a bachelor, I lived by myself,
And all the bread and cheese I got I put upon a shelf,
The rats and the mice did lead me such a life,
That I went up to London, to get myself a wife.
The streets were so broad, and the lanes were so narrow,
I could not get my wife home without a wheelbarrow,
The wheelbarrow broke, my wife got a fall,
Down tumbled wheelbarrow, little wife, and all.
[134]
DOCTOR FAUSTUS
DOCTOR FAUSTUS was a good man,
He whipped his scholars now and then;
When he whipped them he made them dance
Out of Scotland into France,
Out of France into Spain,
And then he whipped them back again.
POLLY, PUT THE KETTLE ON
Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
And we'll have tea.
Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
They're all gone away.
[135]
THE BLACKSMITH
ROBERT BARNES, fellow fine,
Can you shoe this horse of mine?
"Yes, good sir, that I can,
As well as any other man;
Here's a nail, and there's a prod,
And now, good sir, your horse is shod."
THE FOUNT OF LEARNING
Here's A, B, and C, D, E, F, and G,
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q,
R, S, T, and U,
W, X, Y, and Z.
And here's the child's dad
Who is sagacious and discerning,
And knows this is the fount of all learning.
[136]
OF ARITHMETIC
MULTIPLICATION is vexation,
Division is as bad;
The Rule of Three doth puzzle me,
And Practice drives me mad.
OVER THE WATER TO CHARLEY
Over the water, and over the lea,
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.
[137]
[138]
THREE JOLLY WELSHMEN
There were three jolly Welshmen,
As I have heard say,
And they went a-hunting
Upon St. David's day.
All the day they hunted,
And nothing could they find;[139]
But a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing with the wind.
One said it was a ship,
The other he said "Nay";
The third he 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 he said it was a cheese,
With half o' it cut away.
[140]
THE DAYS OF THE MONTH
THIRTY days hath September,
April, June, and November;
February has twenty-eight alone,
All the rest have thirty-one,
Except in leap-year, when's the time
That February has twenty-nine.
A VARIED SONG
I'll sing you a song,
The days are long,
The woodcock and the sparrow;
The little dog he has burned his tail,
And he must be hanged to-morrow.
[141]
A DILLER, A DOLLAR.
A 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.
[142]
A PIE SAT ON A PEAR-TREE
A PIE sat on a pear-tree,
A pie sat on a pear-tree,
A pie sat on a pear-tree,
Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
Once so merrily hopped she,
Twice so merrily hopped she,
Thrice so merrily hopped she,
Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
THE GIRL IN THE LANE
The girl in the lane, that couldn't speak plain,
Cried gobble, gobble, gobble;
The man on the hill, that couldn't stand still,
Went hobble, hobble, hobble.
[143]
THREE MEN IN A TUB
Rub-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!
[144]
LITTLE MISS MUFFET
LITTLE Miss Muffet,
She sat on a tuffet,
Eating of curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
THE BOY AND THE OWL
There was a little boy went into a field,
And lay down on some hay;
An owl came out and flew about,
And the little boy ran away.
[145]
COCK ROBIN'S COURTING
Cock Robin got up early,
At the break of day,
And went to Jenny's window
To sing a roundelay.
He sang Cock Robin's love
To the little Jenny Wren,
And when he got unto the end,
Then he began again.
[146]
FOR EVERY EVIL
For every evil under the sun,
There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there be one, seek till you find it;
If there be none, never mind it.
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY
When I was a little boy,
I washed my mammy's dishes,
I put my finger in my eye,
And pulled out golden fishes.
[147]
ANDREW
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?
MARY'S CANARY
Mary had a pretty bird,
Feathers bright and yellow;
Slender legs—upon my word,
He was a pretty fellow.
The sweetest note he always sung,
Which much delighted Mary;
She often, where the cage was hung,
Sat hearing her canary.
[148]
THE CUCKOO
In April,
Come he will.
In May,
He sings all day.
In June,
He changes his tune.
In July,
He prepares to fly.
In August,
Go he must.
A SWARM OF BEES
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.
[149]
ROBIN AND RICHARD
Robin and Richard were two little men,
They did not awake till the clock struck ten;
Then up starts Robin, and looks at the sky;
Oh! brother Richard, the sun's very high!
They both were ashamed, on such a fine day,
When they were wanted to make the new hay.
Do you go before, with bottle and bag,
I will come after on little Jack nag.
[150]
THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF COCK ROBIN
[151]
[152]
[153]
[154]
[155]
Who killed Cock Robin?
'I' said the sparrow
"With my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin."
Who saw him die?
'I' said the fly
"With my little eye,
I saw him die."
Who caught his blood?
'I' said the fish
"With my little dish,
I caught his blood."
Who'll make his shroud?
'I' said the beetle
"With my thread and needle,
I'll make his shroud."
Who'll bear the torch?
'I' said the linnet
"Will come in a minute,
I'll bear the torch."
Who'll be the clerk?
'I' said the lark
"I'll say Amen in the dark;
I'll be the clerk."
Who'll dig his grave?
'I' said the owl
"With my spade and trowel,
I'll dig his grave."
Who'll be the parson?
'I' said the rook
"With my little book
I'll be the parson."
Who'll be chief mourner?
'I' said the dove
"I mourn for my love;
I'll be chief mourner."
Who'll sing his dirge?
'I' said the thrush
"As I sing in a bush,
I'll sing his dirge."
Who'll carry his coffin?
'I' said the kite
"If it be in the night,
I'll carry his coffin."
Who'll toll the bell?
'I' said the bull
"Because I can pull,
I'll toll the bell."
The birds of the air
Fell sighing and sobbing
When they heard the bell toll
For poor Cock Robin.
[156]
LADY-BIRD, LADY-BIRD
Lady-Bird, Lady-Bird, fly away home,
Your house is on fire, your children have gone,
All but one, that lies under a stone;
Fly thee home, Lady-Bird, ere it be gone.
THE LOVING BROTHERS
I love you well, my little brother,
And you are fond of me;
Let us be kind to one another,
As brothers ought to be.
You shall learn to play with me,
And learn to use my toys;
And then I think that we shall be
Two happy little boys.
[157]
NOTHING-AT-ALL
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.
FORTUNE-TELLING BY CHERRY-STONES
One, I love; two, I love;
Three, I love, I say;
Four, I love with all my heart;
Five, I cast away;
Six, he loves; seven, she loves;
Eight, both love;
Nine, he comes; ten, he tarries;
Eleven, he courts; and twelve, he marries.
[158]
[159]
LITTLE BO-PEEP
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Let 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;
And when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For still they were all fleeting.
[160]
Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
[161]
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they'd left all their tails behind them.
It happened one day as Bo-Peep did stray
Into a meadow hard by,
There she espied their tails side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.
[162]
She heaved a sigh, and wiped her eye,
And went over hill and dale, oh;
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
To tack to each sheep its tail, oh!
[163]
TO BED!
COME let's to bed,
Says Sleepy-head;
Sit up a while, says Slow;
Put on the pan, says Greedy Nan,
Let's sup before we go.
[164]
OF GOING TO BED
Go to bed first,
A golden purse;
Go to bed second,
A golden pheasant;
Go to bed third,
A golden bird.
GRACE BEFORE MEAT
Here a little child I stand,
Heaving up my either hand:
Cold as paddocks though they be,
Here I lift them up to Thee,
For a benison to fall
On our meat and on us all!
[165]
THERE WAS A BUTCHER
There was a butcher cut his thumb,
When it did bleed, then blood did come.
There was a chandler making candle,
When he them stript, he did them handle.
There was a cobbler clouting shoon,
When they were mended, they were done.
There was a crow sat on a stone,
When he was gone, then there was none.
There was a horse going to the mill,
When he went on, he stood not still.
There was a lackey ran a race,
When he ran fast, he ran apace.
There was a monkey climbed a tree,
When he fell down, then down fell he.
There was a navy went into Spain,
When it return'd, it came again.
There was an old woman lived under a hill,
And if she's not gone, she lives there still.
[166]
WINTER HAS COME
Cold and raw the north wind doth blow,
Bleak in a morning early;
All the hills are covered with snow,
And winter's now come fairly.
[167]
MONDAY'S CHILD
MONDAY'S child is fair of face,
[168]
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
[169]
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for its living,
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny, and blithe, and good, and gay.
[170]
[171]
JACK AND JILL
Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
[172]
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Then up Jack got up, and off did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob,
With vinegar and brown paper.
[174]
CHARLEY, CHARLEY
CHARLEY, Charley, stole the barley
Out of the baker's shop,
The baker came out and gave him a clout,
Which made poor Charley hop.
[175]
THE PIPER'S COW
There was a piper had a cow,
And he had nought to give her;
He pulled out his pipe, and played her a tune,
And bade the cow consider.
The cow considered very well,
And gave the piper a penny,
And bade him play the other tune—
"Corn rigs are bonny."
SHAVE A PIG
Barber, barber, shave a pig,
How many hairs will make a wig?
"Four and twenty, that's enough,"
Give the barber a pinch of snuff.
[176]
TONGS
LONG legs, crooked thighs,
Little head, and no eyes.
GOING TO ST. IVES
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?
[177]
MERRY ARE THE BELLS
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!
[178]
MORE ABOUT JACK JINGLE
NOW what do you think
Of little Jack Jingle?
Before he was married
He used to live single.
ROBIN, THE BOBBIN
Robin, the Bobbin, the bouncing Ben,
He ate more meat than fourscore men;
He ate a cow, he ate a calf,
He ate a butcher and a half;
He ate a church, he ate a steeple,
He ate the priest, and all the people!
[179]
ALL FOR WANT OF A NAIL
For want of a nail, the shoe was lost,
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost,
For want of the horse, the rider was lost,
For want of the rider, the battle was lost,
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horse-shoe nail!
[180]
CURLY LOCKS
CURLY LOCKS! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine;
But sit on a cushion, and sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
Good morrow to you, Valentine!
Curl your locks as I do mine;
Two before and three behind;
Good morrow to you, Valentine!
[181]
THE KING OF FRANCE
THE King of France went up the hill,
[183]
WITH twenty thousand men;
The King of France came down the hill,
[184]
And ne'er went up again.
[185]
THE LATEST NEWS
What is the news of the day, Good neighbour, I pray?
They say the balloon is gone up to the moon!
[186]
THE LIGHT-HEARTED FAIRY
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho, heigh ho?
He dances and sings
To the sound of his wings,
With a hey, and a heigh, and a ho!
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho, heigh ho?
His nectar he sips
From a primrose's lips,
With a hey, and a heigh, and a ho!
[187]
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-footed fairy, heigh ho, heigh ho?
His night is the noon,
And his sun is the moon,
With a hey, and a heigh, and a ho!
I LIKE LITTLE PUSSY
I LIKE little Pussy, her coat is so warm,
And if I don't hurt her she'll do me no harm;
So I'll not pull her tail, nor drive her away,
But Pussy and I very gently will play.
[188]
PUNCH AND JUDY
Punch and Judy
Fought for a pie,
Punch gave Judy
A knock in the eye.
Says Punch to Judy,
"Will you have any more?"
Says Judy to Punch,
"My eye is too sore."
[189]
THE OBSTINATE PIG
[190]
AN old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked
sixpence.
"What," said she, "shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to
market, and buy a little pig."
As she was coming home she came to a stile; but Piggy would not go
over the stile.
[191]
SHE went a little farther and she met a dog.
So she said to the dog:
"Dog, dog, bite pig!
Piggy won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the dog would not.
[192]
SHE went a little farther and she met a stick.
So she said:
"Stick, stick, beat dog!
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the stick would not.
SHE went a little farther and she met a fire.
So she said:
"Fire, fire, burn stick!
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the fire would not.
[193]
SHE went a little farther and she met some water.
"Water, water, quench fire!
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the water would not.
SHE went a little farther and she met an ox.
"Ox, ox, drink water!
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the ox would not.
[194]
SHE went a little farther and she met a butcher.
So she said:
"Butcher, butcher, kill ox!
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the butcher would not.
SHE went a little farther and she met a rope.
So she said:
"Rope, rope, hang butcher!
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;[195]
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the rope would not.
SHE went a little farther and she met a rat.
"Rat, rat, gnaw rope!
Rope won't hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
But the rat would not.
[196]
SHE went a little farther and she met a cat.
"Cat, cat, kill rat!
Rat won't gnaw rope;
Rope won't hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I sha'n't get home to-night."
The cat said: "If you will get me a saucer of milk from the cow in
yonder field I will kill the rat."
So the old woman went to the cow and said: "Cow, cow, will you give me
a saucer of milk?" 
And the cow said: "If you will get me a bucket full
of water from yonder brook I will give you the milk." And the old
woman took the bucket to the brook; but the water all rushed out
through the holes in the bottom.[197] So she filled the holes up with
stones, got the water, and took it to the cow, who at once gave her
the saucer of milk. Then the old woman gave the cat the milk, and when
she had lapped up the milk—
The cat began to kill the rat;
The rat began to gnaw the rope;
The rope began to hang the butcher;
The butcher began to kill the ox;
The ox began to drink the water;
The water began to quench the fire;
The fire began to burn the stick;
The stick began to beat the dog;
The dog began to bite the pig;
The pig jumped over the stile;
And so the old woman got home that night.
[198]
BOW-WOW, SAYS THE DOG
Bow-wow, says the dog;
Mew-mew, says the cat;
Grunt, grunt, goes the hog;
And squeak, goes the rat.
Chirp, chirp, says the sparrow;
Caw, caw, says the crow;
Quack, quack, says the duck;
And what cuckoos say, you know.
So, with sparrows and cuckoos,
With rats and with dogs,
With ducks and with crows,
With cats and with hogs,
A fine song I have made,
To please you, my dear;
And if it's well sung,
'T will be charming to hear.
[199]
THE BURNY BEE
BLESS you, bless you, burny bee;
Say, when will your wedding be?
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.
DANTY BABY
Danty baby diddy,
What can mammy do wid 'e,
But sit in a lap,
And give 'un a pap?
Sing danty baby diddy.
[200]
THE DOVE AND THE WREN
THE Dove says, coo, coo, what shall I do?
I can scarce maintain two.
Pooh, pooh! says the wren, I have got ten,
And keep them all like gentlemen.
TOMMY'S CAKE
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker's man!
That I will master,
As fast as I can.
Pat it, and prick it,
And mark it with T,
And there will be enough
For Jacky and me.
[201]
THE MAN OF THESSALY
There was a man of Thessaly,
And he was wond'rous wise,
He jump'd into a quickset hedge,
And scratched 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 them back again.
[202]
CUSHY COW
[203]
Cushy 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.
THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN
THERE was an old woman, and what do you think?
She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink;
And tho' victuals and drink were the chief of her diet,
This plaguy old woman could never keep 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.
[204]
TELL-TALE-TIT
Tell-tale-tit,
Your tongue shall be slit,
And all the dogs in our town
Shall have a little bit.
ELIZABETH, ELSPETH, BETSY, AND BESS
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.
SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE
[205]
SING a song of sixpence,
Pockets full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish
To set before the king?
[206]
The king was in his counting-house
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey;
[207]
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes,
Down came a blackbird,
And snapped off her nose.
[208]
THREE CHILDREN SLIDING
Three children sliding on the ice
Upon a summer's day,
As it fell out, they all fell in,
The rest they ran away.
O! had these children been at school,
Or sliding on dry ground,
Ten thousand pounds to one penny
They had not then been drown'd.
[209]
Ye parents who have children dear,
And eke ye that have none,
If you would have them safe abroad,
Pray keep them safe at home.
[210]
RIDE AWAY, RIDE AWAY
Ride away, ride away, Johnny shall ride
And he shall have pussy-cat tied to one side;
And he shall have little dog tied to the other;
And Johnny shall ride to see his grandmother.
[211]
[212]
MOTHER GOOSE
OLD Mother Goose, when
She wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.
Mother Goose had a house,
'T was built in a wood,
Where an owl at the door
For sentinel stood.
She had a son Jack,
A plain-looking lad,
He was not very good,
Nor yet very bad.[213]
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.[214]
Jack ran to his mother,
The news for to tell,
She called 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,
As sweet as the May.
[215]
The Jew and the Squire
Came behind his back,
And began to belabour
The sides of poor Jack.
Then old Mother Goose
That instant came in,
And turned her son Jack
Into famed Harlequin.
She then with her wand
Touched the lady so fine,
And turned her at once
Into sweet Columbine.
[216]
The gold egg into
The sea was thrown then,—
When Jack jumped in,
And got the egg back again.
The Jew got the goose,
Which he vowed 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.
[217]
DEAR, DEAR!
Dear, dear! what can the matter be?
Two old women got up in an apple-tree;
One came down,
And the other stayed till Satur-day.
THE LION AND THE UNICORN
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.
[218]
THE LITTLE MOUSE
I HAVE seen you, little mouse,
Running all about the house,
Through the hole, your little eye
In the wainscot peeping sly,
Hoping soon some crumbs to steal,
To make quite a hearty meal.
Look before you venture out,
See if pussy is about,
If she's gone, you'll quickly run
To the larder for some fun,
Round about the dishes creep,
Taking into each a peep,
To choose the daintiest that's there,
Spoiling things you do not care.
[219]
THE NUT-TREE
I HAD a little nut-tree, nothing would it bear
But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear;
The King of Spain's daughter came to see me,
And all was because of my little nut-tree.
I skipped over water, I danced over sea,
And all the birds in the air couldn't catch me.
POLLY FLINDERS
LITTLE Polly Flinders
Sat among the cinders,
Warming her ten little toes!
Her mother came and caught her,
And whipped her little daughter,
For spoiling her nice new clothes.
[220]
BRIAN O'LIN
Brian O'Lin had no breeches to wear,
So he bought him a sheep-skin and made him a pair,
With the skinny side out, and the woolly side in,
"Ah, ha, that is warm!" said Brian O'Lin.
Brian 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,
"Mischief take all!" quoth Brian O'Lin.
[221]
MARGERY DAW
SEE-SAW, Margery Daw,
Jacky shall have a new master.
He shall have but a penny a day,
Because he can't work any faster.
NONSENSE
We are all in the dumps,
For diamonds are trumps,
The kittens are gone to St. Paul's,
The babies are bit,
The moon's in a fit,
And the houses are built without walls.
ANOTHER FALLING OUT
MY little old man and I fell out;
I'll tell you what 't was all about:
I had money and he had none,
And that's the way the noise begun.
[222]
LITTLE BOY BLUE
[223]
Little Boy Blue, come, blow up your horn;
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.
Where's the little boy that looks after the sheep?
Under the haystack, fast asleep.
LITTLE TOM TUCKER
Little Tom Tucker sings for his supper.
What shall he eat? White bread and butter.
How will he cut it without e'er a knife?
How will he be married without e'er a wife?
[224]
OLD WOMAN, OLD WOMAN
OLD woman,
old woman, shall we go a-shearing?"
Speak a little louder,
sir, I'm very thick of hearing."
"Old woman, old woman,
shall I kiss you dearly?"
"Thank you, kind sir,
I hear you very clearly."
UP HILL AND DOWN DALE
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.
[225]
LUCY LOCKET
Lucy Locket
Lost her pocket,
Kitty Fisher
Found it;
Nothing in it,
Nothing in it,
But the binding
Round it.
FORTUNE-TELLING BY DAISY PETALS
He loves me, he don't!
He'll have me, he won't!
He would if he could,
But he can't, so he don't!
[226]
BABY BUNTING
BABY, baby bunting,
Father's gone a-hunting,
Mother's gone a-milking,
Sister's gone a-silking,
Brother's gone to buy a skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.
[227]
THE MOUSE RAN UP THE CLOCK
Dickory,
Dickory,
Dock!
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Dickory,
Dickory,
Dock!
[228]
ONE MISTY MOISTY MORNING
One misty, moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather,
There I met an old man clothed all in leather;
He began to compliment and I began to grin,
How do you do? how do you do? how do you do again?
[229]
THE LITTLE HUSBAND
I HAD a little husband,
No bigger than my thumb;
I put him in a pint pot,
And then I bade him drum.
I bought a little horse,
That galloped up and down;
I bridled him, and saddled him,
And sent him out of town.
I gave him a pair of garters
To tie up his little hose,
And a little silk handkerchief
To wipe his little nose.
TO THE HAYFIELD
Willy boy, Willy boy, where are you going?
I will go with you, if that I may.
I'm going to the meadow to see them a-mowing,
I'm going to help them make the hay.
[230]
THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR
JANUARY brings the snow,
Makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes, loud and shrill,
To stir the dancing daffodil.
April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daisies at our feet.
[231]
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy dams.
June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hands with posies.
Hot July brings cooling showers
Apricots, and gillyflowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.
[232]
Warm September brings the fruit;
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
Fresh October brings the pheasant;
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.
Dull November brings the blast;
Then the leaves are whirling fast.
Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.
[233]
THE LITTLE MOPPET
I HAD a little moppet,
I put it in my pocket,
And fed it with corn and hay,
There came a proud beggar
And swore he would have her,
And stole my little moppet away.
SIMON BRODIE'S COW
SIMON Brodie had a cow;
He lost his cow and could not find her;
When he had done what man could do,
The cow came home and her tail behind her.
[234]
A CARRION CROW
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.
[235]
[236]
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,
[237]
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.
[238]
NANNY ETTICOAT
LITTLE Nanny Etticoat,
In a white petticoat
And a red nose;
The longer she stands
The shorter she grows.
GOOD-FRIDAY SONG
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.
[239]
I SAW A SHIP A SAILING
[240]
I SAW a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea;
And it was full of pretty things
For baby and for me.
There were sweetmeats 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.
[241]
The captain was a duck,
With a packet on his back;
And when the ship began to move,
The captain cried, "Quack, quack!"
[242]
ONE, TWO.
One, two,
Buckle my shoe;
Three, four,
Knock at 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;[243]
Fifteen, sixteen,
Maids in the kitchen;
Seventeen, eighteen,
Maids a-waiting;
Nineteen, twenty,
My plate's empty.
[244]
LITTLE ROBIN REDBREAST
Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree;
Up went Pussy cat and down went he.
Down came Pussy cat, and away Robin ran;
Says little Robin Redbreast: "Catch me if you can."
DIDDLE DIDDLE DUMPLING
DIDDLE diddle dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his breeches on,
One stocking off, and one stocking on;
Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.
MARY, MARY
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells,
and cockle shells,
And pretty maids
all of a row.
[245]
JACK JINGLE
JACK JINGLE went 'prentice
To make a horse-shoe,
He wasted the iron
Till it would not do.
His master came in,
And began for to rail;
Says Jack, "the shoe's spoiled,
But 't will still make a nail."
He tried at the nail,
But, chancing to miss,
Says, "If it won't make a nail,
It shall yet make a hiss."
Then into the water
Threw the hot iron, smack!
"Hiss!" quoth the iron;
"I thought so," says Jack.
[246]
BETTY WINKLE'S PIG
Little Betty Winkle she had a little pig.
It was a little pig, not very big;
When he was alive he lived in Clover,
But now he's dead, and that's all over.
Johnny Winkle he
Sat down and cried;
Betty Winkle she
Lay down and died;
So there was an end of one, two, and three,
Johnny Winkle he,
Betty Winkle she,
And Piggy Wiggie!
THREE BRETHREN OUT OF SPAIN
[248]
[247]
"We are three brethren out of Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane."
"My daughter Jane she is too young;
She has no skill in a flattering tongue."
"Be she young, or be she old,
It's for her gold she must be sold;
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We'll call again another day."
[249]
"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 land 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."
WHAT CARE I?
What care I how black I be?
Twenty pounds shall marry me.
If twenty won't, forty shall,
For I'm my mother's bouncing girl.
[250]
THE THREE KITTENS
THREE little kittens lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, Mother dear,
We very much fear
That we have lost our mittens!"
"Lost your mittens!
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!
No, you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!"
[251]
The three little kittens found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, Mother dear,
See here, see here,
See, we have found our mittens!"
"Put on your mittens,
You silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r!"
"Oh, let us have the pie!
Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r!"
[252]
The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
"Oh, Mother dear,
We greatly fear
That we have soiled our mittens!"
"Soiled your mittens!
You naughty kittens!"
Then they began to sigh,
Mi-ow, mi-ow, mi-ow!
Then they began to sigh,
Mi-ow, mi-ow, mi-ow!
[253]
The three little kittens washed their mittens,
And hung them up to dry;
"Oh, Mother dear,
Do you not hear
That we have washed our mittens!"
"Washed your mittens!
Oh, you're good kittens!
But I smell a rat close by.
Hush! hush! mee-ow, mee-ow."
"We smell a rat close by,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!"
THE LADY AND THE SWINE
[254]
[255]
There was a lady loved a swine,
Honey, quoth she,
Pig-hog, wilt thou be mine?
"Hoogh," quoth he.
I'll build thee a silver stye,
Honey, quoth she;
And in it thou shalt lie;
"Hoogh!" quoth he.
Pinned with a silver pin,
Honey, quoth she,
That thou mayst go out and in;
"Hoogh!" quoth he.
Wilt thou now have me,
Honey? quoth she;
"Hoogh, hoogh, hoogh!" quoth he,
And went his way.
[256]
THE JOLLY MILLER
THERE was a jolly miller once
Lived on the River Dee.
He worked and sang from morn till night,
No lark so blithe as he;
And this the burden of his song
For ever used to be:
"I care for nobody! no, not I!
And nobody cares for me!"
FEETIKINS
FEETIKIN, feetikin,
When will ye gang?"
"When the nichts turn short,
And the days turn lang,
I'll toddle and gang,
Toddle and gang!"
[257]
TOM THE PIPER'S SON
Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
He learned to play when he was young,
But all the tune 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 pleased both the girls and boys,
And they stopped 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 stand still;
Whenever they heard they began for to dance,
Even pigs on their hind-legs would after him prance.[258]
As Dolly was milking the 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 jack-ass's load was lightened full soon.
[259]
DOCTOR FELL
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell;
The reason why I cannot tell.
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell.
THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER
PLEASE to remember
The fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy, Guy, Guy,
Stick him up on high,
Put him on the bonfire,
And there let him die.
[260]
BILLY, BILLY
BILLY, Billy, come and play,
While the sun shines bright as day."
"Yes, my Polly, so I will,
For I love to please you still."
"Billy, Billy, have you seen
Sam and Betsy on the green?"
"Yes, my Poll, I saw them pass,
Skipping o'er the new-mown grass."
"Billy, Billy, come along,
And I will sing a pretty song."
"O then, Polly, I'll make haste,
Not one moment will I waste,
But will come and hear you sing,
And my fiddle I will bring."
MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on!
Four corners to my bed,
Five angels there lie spread;
Two at my head,
Two at my feet,
One at my heart
My soul to keep.
[261]
JOHNNY
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's a foot 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?
[262]
SING, SING!
Sing, sing! what shall I sing?
The cat's run away with the pudding-bag string.
Do, do, what shall I do?
The cat has bit it quite in two.
[263]
PETER PIPER
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?
NANCY DAWSON
Nancy Dawson was so fine
She wouldn't get up to serve the swine,
She lies in bed till eight or nine,
So its oh! poor Nancy Dawson.
And do you ken Nancy Dawson, honey?
The wife who sells the barley, honey?
She won't get up to feed her swine,
And do you ken Nancy Dawson, honey?
LONDON BRIDGE
[264]
[265]
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.[266]
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! 't will last for ages long,
With a gay lady.
[267]
MASTER I HAVE
Master I have, and I am his man,
Gallop a dreary dun;
Master I have, and I am his man,
And I'll get a wife as fast as I can;
With a heighty gaily gamberally,
Higgledy, piggledy, niggledy, niggledy,
Gallop a dreary dun.
ROCK-A-BY, BABY
ROCK-A-BY, 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.
[268]
THE FARMER AND HIS DAUGHTER
A FARMER went trotting upon his gray mare,
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
With his daughter behind him so rosy and fair,
Lumpety, lumpety, lump!
A raven cried "croak" and they all tumbled down,
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
The mare broke her knees, and the farmer his crown,
Lumpety, lumpety, lump!
The mischievous raven flew laughing away,
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
And vowed he would serve them the same the next day,
Lumpety, lumpety, lump!
A STRANGE SIGHT
[269]
Upon St. Paul's steeple stands a tree,
As full of apples as may be;
The little boys of London Town,
They run with hooks and pull them down;
And then they run from hedge to hedge,
Until they come to London Bridge.
[270]
I'LL TRY
Two Robin Redbreasts built their nest
Within a hollow tree;
The hen sat quietly at home,
The cock sang merrily;
And all the little ones said:
"Wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee."
One day the sun was warm and bright,
And shining in the sky,
Cock Robin said: "My little dears,
'Tis time you learned to fly;"
And all the little young ones said:
"I'll try, I'll try, I'll try."
I know a child, and who she is
I'll tell you by and by,
When Mamma says "Do this," or "that,"
She says "What for?" and "Why?"
She'd be a better child by far
If she would say "I'll try."
[271]
THE FOX AND THE GOOSE
THE fox and his wife they had a great strife,
They never ate mustard in all their whole life;
They ate their meat without fork or knife,
And loved to be picking a bone, e-ho!
[272]
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 into yonder wee town, e-ho!"[273]
The fox when he came to the farmer's gate,
Whom should he see but the farmer's drake;
"I love you well for your master's sake,
And long to be picking your bones, 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!"
The farmer's wife she jumped out of bed,
And out of the window she popped her head;
"Oh, husband! oh, husband! the geese are all dead,
For the fox has been through the town, e-ho!"
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 through the town, the town, e-ho!
[274]
When he got to the top of the hill,
He blew his trumpet both loud and shrill,
For joy that he was in safety still,
And had got away through the town, e-ho!
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 fine meat from the town, e-ho!"
[275]
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
WHERE are you going to, my pretty maid?"
"I'm going a-milking, sir," she said.
[276]
"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.
"What is your fortune, my pretty maid?"
"My face is my fortune, sir," she said.
"Then I can't marry you, my pretty maid!"
"Nobody asked you, sir," she said.
THE DIVISION OF LABOUR
The cock's on the housetop, blowing his horn;
The bull's in the barn, a-threshing of corn;
The maids in the meadows are making of hay;
The ducks in the river are swimming away.
[277]
KING PIPPIN'S HALL
KING PIPPIN built a fine new hall,
Pastry and pie-crust were the wall;
Windows made of black pudding and white,
Slates were pancakes, you ne'er saw the like.
IF
If all the world were apple-pie,
And all the water ink,
What should we do for bread and cheese?
What should we do for drink?
COFFEE AND TEA
MOLLY, my sister, and I fell out,
And what do you think it was about?
She loved coffee and I loved tea,
And that was the reason we couldn't agree.
[278]
A WONDERFUL THING
AS I went to Bonner,
I met a pig
Without a wig,
Upon my word and honour.
[279]
MY BOY TAMMIE
WHERE have you been all day,
My boy Tammie?"
"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 Tammie?
Can she bake and can she brew,
My boy Tammie?"
"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 Tammie?"
"Twice two, twice seven,
Twice ten, twice eleven;
But oh, she's too young
To be taken from her mammy!"
[280]
THE LITTLE MAN WITH A GUN
There was a little man, and he had a little gun,
And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead;
He went to the brook, and saw a little duck,
And shot it right through the head, head, head.
He carried it home to his old wife Joan,
And bade her a fire to make, make, make,
To roast the little duck he had shot in the brook,
And he'd go and fetch the drake, drake, drake.
The drake was a-swimming, with his curly tail;
The little man made it his mark, mark, mark.
He let off his gun, but he fired too soon,
And the drake flew away with a quack, quack, quack.
[281]
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride;
If turnips were watches, I would wear one by my side.
CLAP HANDIES
Clap, clap handies,
Mammie's wee, wee ain;
Clap, clap handies,
Daddie's comin' hame;
Hame till his bonny wee bit laddie;
Clap, clap handies,
My wee, wee ain.
[282]
TAFFY WAS A WELSHMAN
[283]
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, Taff 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 the beef bone and flung it at his head.
[284]
THERE WAS A MAN
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 looked behind him.
JACK'S FIDDLE
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.
[285]
A WAS AN ARCHER
[286]
A was an Archer, and shot at a Frog
B was a Butcher, and kept a Bull-dog
C was a Captain, all covered with Lace
D was a Drunkard, and had a Red Face
[287]
E was an Esquire, with insolent 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 loved to Bouse
[288]
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
[289]
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
[290]
T was a Tinker, and mended a Pot
U was a 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 silly old Fool
[292]
THREE SHIPS
I SAW three ships come sailing by,
Sailing by, sailing by,
I saw three ships come sailing by,
On New-Year's day in the morning.
And what do you think was in them then,
In them then, in them then?
And what do you think was in them then,
On New-Year's day in the morning?
Three pretty girls were in them then,
In them then, in them then,
Three pretty girls were in them then,
On New-Year's day in the morning.
And one could whistle, and one could sing,
And one could play on the violin,
Such joy there was at my wedding,
On New-Year's day in the morning.
THE CROOKED SONG
[293]
THERE was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence beside a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.
A, B, C
A, B, C, tumble down D,
The cat's in the cupboard
And can't see me.
[294]
COMICAL FOLK
IN a cottage in Fife
Lived a man and his wife,
Who, believe me, were comical folk;
For, to people's surprise,
They both saw with their eyes,
And their tongues moved whenever they spoke.
When they were asleep,
I'm told—that to keep
Their eyes open they could not contrive;
They both walked on their feet,
And 't was thought what they eat
Helped, with drinking, to keep them alive.
[295]
DING, DONG, BELL
Ding, dong, bell, the cat is in the well!
Who put her in? Little Johnny Green.
[296]Who pulled her out?
Little Tommy Stout.
What a naughty boy was that,
To try to drown poor pussy cat,
Who never did him any harm,
But killed the mice in his father's barn!
BOBBY SNOOKS
LITTLE BOBBY SNOOKS was fond of his books,
And loved by his usher and master;
But naughty Jack Spry, he got a black eye,
And carries his nose in a plaster.
[297]
SIX LITTLE MICE
Six little mice sat down to spin,
Pussy passed by, and she peeped in.
"What are you at, my little men?"
"Making coats for gentlemen."
"Shall I come in and bite off your threads?"
"No, no, Miss Pussy, you'll bite off our heads."
"Oh, no, I'll not, I'll help you spin."
"That may be so, but you don't come in."
[298]
WING, WANG, WADDLE, OH
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 buble, 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 wing, wang, waddle, oh,
Jack sing saddle, oh,
Blowsey boys buble, oh,
Under the broom.
I sold my cow, and I bought me a calf;
I'd fain have made a fortune but lost the best half;[299]
With my wing, wang, waddle, oh,
Jack sing saddle, oh,
Blowsey boys buble, oh,
Under the broom.
I sold my calf, and I bought me a cat;
A pretty thing she was, in my chimney corner sat;
With my wing, wang, waddle, oh,
Jack sing saddle oh,
Blowsey boys buble, oh,
Under the broom.
I sold my cat and bought me a mouse;
He carried fire in his tail, and burnt down my house;
With my wing, wang, waddle, oh,
Jack sing saddle, oh,
Blowsey boys buble, oh,
Under the broom.
THE HART
THE hart he loves the high wood,
The hare she loves the hill;
The Knight he loves his bright sword,
The Lady—loves her will.
[300]
OLD CHAIRS TO MEND
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.
SEE, SEE!
See, see! what shall I see?
A horse's head where his tail should be!
[301]
OLD MOTHER HUBBARD
Mother Hubbard's old dog Tray,
If this account be true,
Had not an equal, I dare say,
Come tell me, what think you?
[302]
OLD Mother Hubbard
Went to her cupboard,
To give her poor dog a bone;
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,
When she came back
The dog was dead!
She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin;
When she came back
The dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
When she came back
He was smoking his pipe.
She went to the ale-house
To get him some beer;
When she came back
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.
She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding the cat.
[305]
She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig;
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor's
To buy him a coat;
When she came back
He was riding a goat.
[306]
She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
He was reading the news.
She went to the sempster's
To buy him some linen;
When she came back
The dog was spinning.
She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose;
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant,"
The dog said, "Bow-wow!"
[307]
TO BABYLON
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.
MY BLACK HEN
Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.
[308]
I'LL TELL YOU A STORY
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.
