The Nursery Rhyme Book 2 – Anonymous · Verses Across
Literature · For Children
The Nursery Rhyme Book 2The Nursery Rhyme Book (part 2)
18
Literature · For Children
The Nursery Rhyme Book 2
The Nursery Rhyme Book (part 2)
AnonymousEnglish
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!"
"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 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?" "Ay, by-and-by."
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 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!
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 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 soundly and put them to bed.
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 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."
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.
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 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.
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 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 pin-cushion,
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.
JACK, be nimble,
And, Jack, be quick;
And, Jack, jump over
The candlestick.
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.
[Children hunting bats.]
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.
[_At the conclusion, the captive is privately asked if he will have
oranges or lemons (the two leaders of the arch having previously agreed
which designation shall belong to each), and he goes behind the one he
may chance to name. When all are thus divided into two parties, they
conclude the game by trying to pull each other beyond a certain line._]
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.
[Game on a child's features.]
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.
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.
[_And so on with the others, naming the second finger "Longman," the
third finger "Ringman," and the fourth finger "Littleman." Littleman
cannot dance alone._]
[_Children stand round, and are counted one by one, by means of this
rhyme. The child upon whom the last number falls is out, for "Hide and
Seek," or any other game where a victim is required._]
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!
[A game at ball.]
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 song set to five fingers.]
1. THIS pig went to market;
2. This pig stayed 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."
[A play with the face. The child exclaims:]
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.
[Game with the hands.]
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.
"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."
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.
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!
Suitors.
WE are three brethren out of Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.
Mother.
My daughter Jane she is too young,
And has not learned her mother-tongue.
Suitors.
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.
Mother.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,
And rub thy spurs till they be bright.
Suitors.
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.
Mother.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,
And take the fairest in your sight.
Suitor.
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.
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.
[_The following is a game played thus: A string of boys and girls, each
holding by his predecessor's skirts, approaches two others, who with
joined and elevated hands form a double arch. After the dialogue, the
line passes through, and the last is caught by a sudden lowering of the
arms--if possible._]
"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."
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.
[A string of children, hand in hand, stand in a row. A child (A)
stands in front of them, as leader; two other children (B and C)
form an arch, each holding both the hands of the other.]
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.
One rush, two rush,
Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.
[A _passes by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children,
the last of whom is taken captive by_ B and C. _The verses are
repeated, until all are taken._]
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.
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.
[_The following is used by schoolboys, when two are
starting to run a race._]
ONE to make ready,
And two to prepare;
Good luck to the rider,
And away goes the mare.
[A game on the slate.]
EGGS, butter, bread,
Stick, stock, stone dead!
Stick him up, stick him down,
Stick him in the old man's crown!
WHO goes round my house this night?
None but bloody Tom!
Who steals all the sheep at night?
None but this poor one.
WHOOP, whoop, and hollow,
Good dogs won't follow,
Without the hare cries "Pee-wit."
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!
HERE stands a post.
"Who put it there?"
"A better man than you:
Touch it if you dare!"
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!
DEEDLE, deedle, dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his trousers on;
One shoe off, the other shoe on,
Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
ROSEMARY green,
And lavender blue,
Thyme and sweet marjoram,
Hyssop and rue.
BRAVE news is come to town;
Brave news is carried;
Brave news is come to town
Jemmy Dawson's married.
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.
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."
WHEN I was a bachelor I lived by myself,
And all the meat I got I put upon a shelf;
The rats and the mice did lead me such a life
That I went 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.
BLUE eye beauty,
Grey eye greedy,
Black eye blackie,
Brown eye brownie.
AS Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
Were walking out one Sunday,
Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
"To-morrow will be Monday."
OH, madam, I will give you the keys of Canterbury,
To set all the bells ringing when we shall be merry,
If you will but walk abroad with me,
If you will but walk with me.
Sir, I'll not accept of the keys of Canterbury,
To set all the bells ringing when we shall be merry;
Neither will I walk abroad with thee,
Neither will I talk with thee!
Oh, madam, I will give you a fine carved comb,
To comb out your ringlets when I am from home,
If you will but walk with me, &c.
Sir, I'll not accept, &c.
Oh, madam, I will give you a pair of shoes of cork,
One made in London, the other made in York,
If you will but walk with me, &c.
Sir, I'll not accept, &c.
Madam, I will give you a sweet silver bell,
To ring up your maidens when you are not well,
If you will but walk with me, &c.
Sir, I'll not accept, &c.
Oh, my man John, what can the matter be?
I love the lady and the lady loves not me!
Neither will she walk abroad with me,
Neither will she talk with me.
Oh, master dear, do not despair,
The lady she shall be, shall be your only dear;
And she will walk and talk with thee,
And she will walk with thee!
Oh, madam, I will give you the keys of my chest,
To count my gold and silver when I am gone to rest,
If you will but walk abroad with me,
If you will but talk with me.
Oh, sir, I will accept of the keys of your chest,
To count your gold and silver when you are gone to rest,
And I will walk abroad with thee,
And I will talk with thee!
JACK in the pulpit, out and in,
Sold his wife for a minikin pin.
JACK SPRAT could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean:
And so, betwixt them both, you see,
They lick'd the platter clean.
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.
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?"
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.
AS 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.
HERE comes a lusty wooer,
My a dildin, my a daldin;
Here comes a lusty wooer,
Lily bright and shine a'.
"Pray, who do you woo,
My a dildin, my a daldin?
Pray, who do you woo,
Lily bright and shine a'?"
"For your fairest daughter,
My a dildin, my a daldin;
For your fairest daughter,
Lily bright and shine a'."
"Then there she is for you,
My a dildin, my a daldin;
Then there she is for you,
Lily bright and shine a'."
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 heighly gaily gamberally,
Higgledy piggledy, niggledy, niggledy,
Gallop a dreary dun.
I HAD a little husband,
No bigger than my thumb;
I put him in a pint pot,
And there I bid 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 some garters
To garter up his hose,
And a little handkerchief
To wipe his pretty nose.
DID you see my wife, did you see, did you see,
Did you see my wife looking for me?
She wears a straw bonnet, with white ribbands on it,
And dimity petticoats over her knee.
I DOUBT, I doubt, my fire is out;
My little wife isn't at home;
I'll saddle my dog, and I'll bridle my cat,
And I'll go fetch my little wife home.
LOVE your own, kiss your own,
Love your own mother, hinny,
For if she was dead and gone,
You'd ne'er get such another, hinny.
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!
GEORGEY PORGEY, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the girls come out to play,
Georgey Porgey runs away.
THERE was a lady loved a swine:
"Honey," quoth she,
"Pig-hog, wilt thou be mine?"
"Grunt," quoth he.
"I'll build thee a silver stye,
Honey," quoth she;
"And in it thou shall lie;"
"Grunt," quoth he.
"Pinned with a silver pin,
Honey," quoth she,
"That you may go out and in;"
"Grunt," quoth he.
"Wilt thou now have me,
Honey," quoth she;
"Grunt, grunt, grunt," quoth he,
And went his way.
"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."
I HAD a little dog, and they called him Buff;
I sent him to the shop for a hap'orth of snuff;
But he lost the bag, and spill'd the snuff:
"So take that cuff--and that's enough."
BURNIE bee, burnie bee,
Tell me when your wedding be?
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.
SOME little mice sat in a barn to spin;
Pussy came by, and popped her head in;
"Shall I come in and cut your threads off?"
"Oh no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off?"
ALL of a row,
Bend the bow,
Shot at a pigeon,
And killed a crow.
GREY goose and gander,
Waft your wings together,
And carry the good king's daughter
Over the one strand river.
PUSSY-CAT, pussy-cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to look at the queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
I frighten'd a little mouse under the chair.
CUCKOO, Cuckoo,
What do you do?
"In April
I open my bill;
In May
I sing night and day;
In June
I change my tune;
In July
Away I fly;
In August
Away I must."
HICKETY, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.
THE cock doth crow,
To let you know,
If you be wise,
'Tis time to rise.
ROBERT BARNES, fellow fine,
Can you shoe this horse of mine?
"Yes, good sir, that I can,
As well as any other man:
There's a nail, and there's a prod,
And now, good sir, your horse is shod."
[Bird boy's song.]
EAT, birds, eat, and make no waste;
I lie here and make no haste:
If my master chance to come,
You must fly, and I must run.
"HIE, hie," says Anthony,
"Puss in the pantry,
Gnawing, gnawing
A mutton mutton-bone;
See now she tumbles it,
See now she mumbles it,
See how she tosses
The mutton mutton-bone."
FOUR and twenty tailors went to kill a snail;
The best man among 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.
THE cuckoo's a fine bird:
He sings as he flies;
He brings us good tidings;
He tells us no lies.
He sucks little birds' eggs
To make his voice clear;
And when he sings "Cuckoo!"
The summer is near.
"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."
THERE was a piper, he'd a cow,
And he'd no hay to give her;
He took his pipes and played a tune:
"Consider, old cow, consider!"
The cow considered very well,
For she gave the piper a penny,
That he might play the tune again,
Of "Corn rigs are bonnie."
A PIE sate on a pear-tree,
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
A pie sate on a pear-tree.
Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
Once so merrily hopp'd she,
Twice so merrily hopp'd she,
Thrice so merrily hopp'd she.
Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
ONCE I saw a little bird
Come hop, hop, hop;
So I cried, "Little bird,
Will you stop, stop, stop?"
And was going to the window,
To say, "How do you do?"
But he shook his little tail,
And far away he flew.
THE winds they did blow;
The leaves they did wag;
Along came a beggar boy,
And put me in his bag.
He took me up to London;
A lady did me buy,
Put me in a silver cage,
And hung me up on high,
With apples by the fire,
And nuts for to crack,
Besides a little feather bed
To rest my little back.
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 pretty Jenny Wren;
And when he got unto the end,
Then he began again.
BETTY PRINGLE had a little pig,
Not very little and not very big;
When he was alive he lived in clover;
But now he's dead, and that's all over.
So Billy Pringle he laid down and cried,
And Betty Pringle she laid down and died;
So there was an end of one, two, and three:
Billy Pringle he,
Betty Pringle she,
And the piggy wiggy.
A LONG-TAIL'D pig, or a short-tail'd pig,
Or a pig without e'er a tail,
A sow-pig, or a boar-pig,
Or a pig with a curly tail.
A LITTLE cock-sparrow sat on a green tree (tris),
And he cherruped, he cherruped, so merry was he (tris);
A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he cherruped, he cherruped, so merry was he.
A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow (tris),
Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow (tris);
A naughty, &c.
Determined, &c.
"This little cock-sparrow shall make me a stew (tris),
And his giblets shall make me a little pie too" (tris);
"Oh, no," said the sparrow, "I won't make a stew;"
So he flapped his wings, and away he flew.
LITTLE Robin Red-Breast
Sat upon a rail:
Niddle-naddle went his head!
Wiggle-waggle went his tail.
Dame, what makes your ducks to die?
What the pize ails 'em? what the pize ails 'em?
They kick up their heels, and there they lie;
What the pize ails 'em now?
Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
Dame, what makes your ducks to die?
What a pize ails 'em? what a pize ails 'em?
Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
Dame, what ails your ducks to die?
Eating o' polly-wigs, eating o' polly-wigs.
Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
IN the month of February,
When green leaves begin to spring,
Little lambs do skip like fairies,
Birds do couple, build, and sing.
PUSSY cat sits by the fire;
How did she come there?
In walks the little dog,
Says, "Pussy! are you there?"
"How do you do, Mistress Pussy?
Mistress Pussy, how d'ye do?"
"I thank you kindly, little dog,
I fare as well as you!"
THERE was a little boy went into a barn,
And lay down on some hay;
An owl came out and flew about,
And the little boy ran away.
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!"
BOW, wow, wow,
Whose dog art thou?
"Little Tom Tinker's dog,
Bow, wow, wow."
LEG over leg,
As the dog went to Dover;
When he came to a stile,
Jump he went over.
I LOVE 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.
[Imitated from a pigeon.]
CURR dhoo, curr dhoo,
Love me, and I'll love you!
LADY bird, lady bird, fly away home;
Thy house is on fire, thy children all gone--
All but one, and her name is Ann,
And she crept under the pudding-pan.
PUSSY sits behind 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."
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."
Little Robin-Redbreast jump'd upon a wall;
Pussy cat jump'd after him, and almost got a fall;
Little Robin chirp'd and sang, and what did Pussy say?
Pussy cat said "Mew," and Robin jump'd away.
MARY had a pretty bird
With feathers bright and yellow--
Slender legs--upon my word--
He was a pretty fellow.
I HAD a little hen, the prettiest ever seen;
She washed me the dishes, and kept the house clean;
She went to the mill to fetch me some flour;
She brought it home in less than an hour;
She baked me my bread, she brew'd me my ale;
She sat by the fire, and told many a fine tale.
HIGGLEY PIGGLEY,
My black hen,
She lays eggs
For gentlemen;
Sometimes nine,
And sometimes ten.
Higgley Piggley,
My black hen!
COME, take up your hats, and away let us haste
To the Butterfly's ball, and the Grasshopper's feast;
The trumpeter, Gad-fly, has summoned the crew,
And the revels are now only waiting for you.
On the smooth-shaven grass, by the side of a wood,
Beneath a broad oak which for ages had stood,
See the children of earth, and the tenants of air,
To an evening's amusement together repair.
And there came the Beetle, so blind and so black,
Who carried the Emmet, his friend, on his back;
And there came the Gnat and the Dragon-fly too,
With all their relations, green, orange, and blue.
And there came the Moth, with her plumage of down,
And the Hornet with jacket of yellow and brown;
And with him the Wasp, his companion, did bring;
But they promised that evening to lay by their sting.
Then the sly little Dormouse peeped out of his hole,
And led to the feast his blind cousin the Mole;
And the Snail, with her horns peeping out of her shell,
Came, fatigued with the distance, the length of an ell.
A mushroom the table, and on it was spread
A water-dock leaf, which their table-cloth made.
The viands were various, to each of their taste,
And the Bee brought the honey to sweeten the feast.
With steps most majestic the Snail did advance,
And he promised the gazers a minuet to dance;
But they all laughed so loud that he drew in his head,
And went in his own little chamber to bed.
Then, as evening gave way to the shadows of night,
Their watchman, the Glow-worm, come out with his light.
So home let us hasten, while yet we can see,
For no watchman is waiting for you or for me.
BAH, bah, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
"Yes, marry, have I,
Three bags full:
One for my master,
And one for my dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane."
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?"
"He's under the hay-cock fast asleep."
"Will you wake him?" "No, not I;
For if I do, he'll be sure to cry."
GOD bless the master of this house,
The mistress bless also,
And all the little children
That round the table go;
And all your kin and kinsmen,
That dwell both far and near;
I wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.
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."
GOOSEY, goosey, gander,
Where shall I wander?
Upstairs, downstairs,
And in my lady's chamber.
There I meet an old man
That would not say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him downstairs.
JENNY WREN fell sick,
Upon a merry time;
In came Robin-Redbreast
And brought her sops and wine.
"Eat well of the sops, Jenny,
Drink well of the wine."
"Thank you, Robin, kindly,
You shall be mine."
Jenny she got well,
And stood upon her feet,
And told Robin plainly
She loved him not a bit.
Robin, being angry,
Hopped upon a twig,
Saying, "Out upon you. Fie upon you.
Bold-faced jig."
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.
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 slashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.
A FARMER went trotting
Upon his grey 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;
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
THIS is the house that Jack built.
2. This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
3. This is the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
4. This is the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
5. This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
6. This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
That toss'd the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
7. This is the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
8. This is the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
9. This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kiss'd the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
10. This is the cock that crow'd in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kiss'd the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
11. This is the farmer sowing his corn,
That kept the cock that crow'd in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
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 the pig would not go
over the stile.
She went a little farther, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog--
"Dog, dog, bite pig!
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I shan't get home to-night."
But the dog would not.
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 shan'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 shan't get home to-night."
But the fire would not.
She went a little farther, and she met some water. So she said--
"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 shan't get home to-night."
But the water would not.
She went a little farther, and she met an ox. So she said--
"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 shan't get home to-night."
But the ox would not.
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 shan'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;
Pig won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night."
But the rope would not.
She went a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said--
"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 shan't get home to-night."
But the rat would not.
She went a little farther, and she met a cat. So she said--
"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 shan't get home to-night."
The cat said, "If you will give me a saucer of milk, I will kill the
rat."
So 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.
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.
WILLY boy, Willy boy, where are you going?
I'll go with you, if I may.
"I'm going to the meadow to see them a mowing;
I'm going to help them, make hay."
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.
HINK, minx! the old witch winks,
The fat begins to fry:
There's nobody at home but little jumping Joan,
Father, mother, and I.
HANNAH BANTRY in the pantry,
Eating a mutton bone;
How she gnawed it, how she clawed it,
When she found she was alone!
LITTLE Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating of curds and whey;
There came a spider,
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
WHAT are little boys made of, made of;
What are little boys made of?
"Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
And that's what little boys are made of, made of."
What are little girls made of, made of, made of;
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice, and all that's nice;
And that's what little girls are made of, made of."
WHAT'S the news of the day,
Good neighbour, I pray?
"They say the balloon
Is gone up to the moon."
KING'S SUTTON is a pretty town,
And lies all in a valley;
There is a pretty ring of bells,
Besides a bowling-alley:
Wine and liquor in good store,
Pretty maidens plenty;
Can a man desire more?
There ain't such a town in twenty.
COME, let's to bed,
Says Sleepy-head;
"Tarry a while," says Slow;
"Put on the pot,"
Says Greedy-gut,
"Let's sup before we go."
Girls and boys, come out to play;
The moon doth shine as bright as day;
Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,
And come with your playfellows into the street.
Come with a whoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will or not at all.
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A halfpenny roll will serve us all.
You find milk, and I'll find flour,
And we'll have a pudding in half-an-hour.
HOW many days has my baby to play?
Saturday, Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
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.
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.
MY little old man and I fell out;
I'll tell you what 'twas all about:
I had money, and he had none,
And that's the way the row begun.
DAFFY-DOWN-DILLY has come up to town
In a yellow petticoat and a green gown.
DARBY and Joan were dress'd in black,
Sword and buckle behind their back;
Foot for foot, and knee for knee,
Turn about Darby's company.
IF all the seas were one sea,
What a great sea that would be!
And if all the trees were one tree,
What a great tree that would be!
And if all the axes were one axe,
What a great axe that would be!
And if all the men were one man,
What a great man he would be!
And if the great man took the great axe,
And cut down the great tree,
And let it fall into the great sea,
What a splish splash that would be!
RAIN, rain, go away;
Come again another day;
Little Arthur wants to play.
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.
LITTLE Tom Tucker
Sings for his supper;
What shall he eat?
White bread and butter.
How shall he cut it,
Without e'er a knife?
How will he be married
Without e'er a wife?
WHO comes here?
"A grenadier."
"What do you want?"
"A pot of beer."
"Where is your money?"
"I've forgot."
"Get you gone,
You drunken sot!"
TO market, to market, to buy a plum-cake;
Back again, back again, baby is late;
To market, to market, to buy a plum-bun,
Back again, back again, market is done.
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.
A MAN went a hunting at Reigate,
And wished to leap over a high gate;
Says the owner, "Go round,
With your gun and your hound,
For you never shall leap over my gate."
THERE was a little nobby colt,
His name was Nobby Gray;
His head was made of pouce straw,
His tail was made of hay.
He could ramble, he could trot,
He could carry a mustard-pot,
Round the town of Woodstock,
Hey, Jenny, hey!
WE'RE 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.
THE origin of the right nursery rhymes is, of course, popular, like the
origin of ballads, tales (Maerchen), riddles, proverbs, and, indeed, of
literature in general. They are probably, in England, of no great
antiquity, except in certain cases, where they supply the words to some
child's ballet, some dance game. A game may be of prehistoric
antiquity, as appears in the rudimentary forms of backgammon, Pachin
and Patullo, common to Asia, and to the Aztecs, as Dr. Tylor has
demonstrated. The child's game--
"Buck, buck,
How many fingers do I hold up?"
was known in ancient Rome as bucca, though it would be audacious to
infer that it arrived in Britain since the Norman Conquest. Hop-scotch
is also exceedingly ancient, and the curious will find the theories of
its origin in Mr. Gomme's learned work on Children's Dances and Songs,
published by the Folk-Lore Society. Dr. Nicholson's book on the
Folk-Lore of Children in Sutherland, still unpublished when I write, may
also be consulted. One of the songs collected by Dr. Nicholson was
copied down by a Danish traveller in London during the reign of Charles
II. Robert Chambers's "Popular Rhymes of Scotland" is also a treasure of
this kind of antiquities. It is probable that the Lowland rhymes have
occasionally Gaelic counterparts, as the nursery tales certainly have,
but I am unacquainted with any researches on this topic by Celtic
scholars.
In Mr. Halliwell's Collection, from which this volume is abridged, no
manuscript authority goes further back than the reign of Henry VIII.,
though King Arthur and Robin Hood are mentioned. The obscure Scottish
taunt, levelled at Edward I. when besieging Berwick, is much in the
manner of a nursery rhyme:--
"Kyng Edward,
When thu havest Berwic,
Pike thee!
When thu havest geton,
Dike thee!"
This, as Sir Herbert Maxwell says, "seems deficient in salt," but was
felt to be irritating by the greatest of the Plantagenets. The jingles
on the King of France, against the Scots in the time of James I.,
against the Tory, or Irish rapparee, and about the Gunpowder Plot, are
of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The Great
Rebellion supplies "Hector Protector" and "The Parliament soldiers are
gone to the king;" "Over the water and over the sea" (or lee) is a
parody of a Jacobite ditty of 1748, and refers genially to that love of
ale and wine which Prince Charles displayed as early as he showed
military courage, at the age of fourteen, when he distinguished himself
at the siege of Gaeta. His grandfather, James II., lives in "The rhyme
for porringer;" his father in "Jim and George were two great lords."
Tout finit par des chansons.
Of non-historical jingles, Mr. Halliwell found traces in MSS. as old as
the fifteenth century. But it would be a very rare accident that led to
their being written down when nobody dreamed of studying Folk-Lore with
solemnity. "Thirty days hath September" occurs in the "Return from
Parnassus," of Shakspeare's date, and a few snatches, like "When I was a
little boy," occur in Shakspeare himself, just as a German version of
"My Minnie me slew" comes in Goethe's Faust. Indeed, the scraps of
magical versified spells in Maerchen are entirely of the character of
nursery rhymes, and are of dateless antiquity. The rhyme of "Dr.
Faustus" may be nearly as old as the mediaeval legend dramatised by
Marlowe. The Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists put nursery rhymes in
the mouths of characters; a few jingles creep into the Miscellanies,
such as "The Pills to purge Melancholy." Among these (1719) is "Tom the
piper's son," who played "Over the hills and far away," a song often
adapted to Jacobite uses. In 1719, when the Spanish plan of aid to James
III. collapsed, pipers must have been melancholy enough.
Melismata (1611) already knows the "Frog who lived in a well," and in
Deuteromelia (1609) occurs the "Three blind mice." On the Riddles, or
Devinettes, chapters might be, and have been written. They go back to
Samson's time, at least, and are as widely distributed as proverbs, even
among Wolufs and Fijians. The most recent discussion is in Mr. Max
Mueller's "Contributions to the Science of Mythology" (1897). For using
"charms," like "Come, butter, come," many an old woman was burned by
the wisdom of our ancestors. Such versified charms, _deducunt carmima
lunam, are the karakias_ of the Maoris, and the mantras of Indian
superstition. The magical papyri of ancient Egypt are full of them. In
our own rhyme, "Hiccup," regarded as a personal kind of fiend
("Animism"), is charmed away by a promise of a butter-cake. There is a
collection of such things in Reginald Scot's "Discovery of Witchcraft."
Thus our old nursery rhymes are smooth stones from the brook of time,
worn round by constant friction of tongues long silent. We cannot hope
to make new nursery rhymes, any more than we can write new fairy tales.
Page
A CARRION crow sat on an oak 103
A diller, a dollar 49
A farmer went trotting 246
A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree 230
A little old man and I fell out 157
A long-tail'd pig, or a short-tail'd pig 229
A man of words and not of deeds 79
A man went a hunting at Reigate 273
A pie sat on a pear-tree 227
A sunshiny shower 82
A swarm of bees in May 82
A was an apple-pie 46
A was an Archer, and shot at a frog 45
All of a row 220
Around the green gravel the grass grows green 268
Arthur O'Bower has broken his band 124
As I walked by myself 38
As I was going by Charing Cross 37
As I was going o'er Westminster Bridge 132
As I was going to sell my eggs 268
As I was going to St. Ives 131
As I was going up Pippen-hill 209
As I went through the garden gap 132
As soft as silk, as white as milk 124
As the days lengthen 83
As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks 203
BAH, bah, black sheep 240
Barber, barber, shave a pig 271
Bat, bat 172
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray 207
Betty Pringle had a little pig 229
Birch and green holly, boys 44
Black we are but much admired 130
Blow, wind, blow! and go, mill, go! 273
Blue eye beauty 202
Bounce Buckram, velvet's dear 79
Bow, wow, wow 233
Brave news is come to town 200
Bryan O'Lin, and his wife, and wife's mother 63
Burnie bee, burnie bee 220
Bye, baby bunting 148
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! 192
Cock Robin got up early 228
Cold and raw the north wind doth blow 117
Come, butter, come 147
Come, let's to bed 266
Come, take up your hats, and away let us haste 239
Come when you're called 44
"Croak!" said the Toad, "I'm hungry, I think" 225
Cross patch 51
Cuckoo, cherry-tree 176
Cuckoo, Cuckoo 222
Curly locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine? 214
Curr dhoo, curr dhoo 235
Cushy cow bonny, let down thy milk 145
DAFFY-DOWN-DILLY has come up to town 269
Dame, get up and bake your pies 117
Dame, what makes your ducks to die? 231
Dance, Thumbkin, dance 175
Dance to your daddy 148
Darby and Joan were dress'd in black 270
Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John 191
Did you see my wife, did you see, did you see? 214
Diddledy, diddledy, dumpty 194
Ding, dong, bell 194
Doctor Faustus was a good man 48
Doctor Foster went to Glo'ster 65
Draw a pail of water 184
EARLY to bed, and early to rise 83
Eat, birds, eat, and make no waste 223
Eggs butter, bread 186
Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy, and Bess 133
Elsie Marley is grown so fine 94
FIDDLE-DE-DEE, fiddle-de-dee 195
Flour of England, fruit of Spain 128
For every evil under the sun 82
For want of a nail, the shoe was lost 84
Formed long ago, yet made to-day 131
Four and twenty tailors went to kill a snail 224
Friday night's dream 83
GAY go up and gay go down 172
Georgey Porgey, pudding and pie 215
Girls and boys, come out to play 267
God bless the master of this house 242
Goosey, goosey, gander 243
Great A, little a 43
Grey goose and gander 220
HANDY Spandy, Jack-a-dandy 196
Hannah Bantry in the pantry 264
He that would thrive 81
Hector Protector was dressed all in green 37
Here am I, little jumping Joan 140
Here comes a lusty wooer 210
Here sits the Lord Mayor 175
Here stands a post 188
Hey! diddle, diddle 193
Hey, my kitten, my kitten 150
Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more 124
Hickety, pickety, my black hen 222
Hickory, Dickory, Dock 176
Hickup, hickup, go away! 152
Hickup, snicup 152
"Hie, hie," says Anthony 223
Higgledy piggledy 128
Higgley Piggley 238
High diddle ding 37
Hink, minx! the old witch winks 264
Hot-cross Buns 105
How many days has my baby to play? 268
How many miles is it to Babylon? 183
Humpty Dumpty sate on a wall 129
Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree top 149
Hushy baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry 148
I AM a gold lock 180
I doubt, I doubt, my fire is out 214
I had a little dog, and they called him Buff 219
I had a little hen, the prettiest ever seen 237
I had a little husband 213
I had a little nut-tree, nothing would it bear 35
I had a little pony 245
I have a little sister, they call her Peep, Peep 128
I love little pussy, her coat is so warm 234
I love my love with an A, because he's Agreeable 51
I love sixpence, pretty little sixpence 99
I saw a peacock with a fiery tail 141
I saw a ship a-sailing 139
I saw three ships come sailing by 118
I went to the wood and got it 123
I went up one pair of stairs 180
I would if I cou'd 134
If all the seas were one sea 270
If all the world was apple-pie 135
If I'd as much money as I could spend 112
If ifs and ands 44
If wishes were horses 78
If you love me, pop and fly 146
If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger 80
I'll sing you a song 114
I'll tell you a story 58
In fir tar is 51
In marble walls as white as milk 127
In the month of February 232
Is John Smith within? 179
JACK and Jill went up the hill 199
Jack, be nimble 171
Jack in the pulpit, out and in 206
Jack Sprat could eat no fat 206
Jacky, come give me thy fiddle 113
Jenny Wren fell sick 244
Jim and George were two great lords 40
John Cook had a little grey mare; he, haw, hum! 114
Johnny shall have a new bonnet 93
KING'S SUTTON is a pretty town 266
LADY bird, lady bird, fly away home 235
Leg over leg 234
Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep 92
Little boy blue, come, blow up your horn 241
Little girl, little girl, where have you been? 242
Little Jack Horner sat in a corner 74
Little Miss Muffet 264
Little Nancy Etticoat 130
Little Polly Flinders 114
Little Robin-Redbreast 230
Little Robin-Redbreast sat upon a tree 236
Little Tom Tucker 272
Little Tommy Tittlemouse 73
London Bridge is broken down 98
Long legs, crooked thighs 124
Love your own, kiss your own 214
MARCH winds and April showers 84
Mary had a pretty bird 236
Master I have, and I am his man 213
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 147
Merry are the bells, and merry would they ring 104
Mistress Mary, quite contrary 50
Monday's bairn is fair of face 84
Multiplication is vexation 47
My dear, do you know 56
My father he died, but I can't tell you how 90
My lady Wind, my lady Wind 71
My little old man and I fell out 268
My maid Mary 112
My true love lives far from me 138
NATURE requires five 78
Needles and pins, needles and pins 79
O THAT I was where I would be 140
Oh, madam, I will give you the keys of Canterbury 204
Old Abram Brown is dead and gone 70
Old Betty Blue 162
Old King Cole 31
Old Mother Goose, when 67
Old Mother Hubbard 163
Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye 130
Old woman, old woman, shall we go a-shearing? 157
Once I saw a little bird 227
One misty moisty morning 87
One to make ready 186
One, two 52
Over the water, and over the sea 36
PAT-A-CAKE, pat-a-cake, baker's man! 47
Pease-pudding hot 179
Peter Piper picked a peck 146
Peter White will ne'er go right 136
Please to remember 35
Polly put the kettle on 92
Poor old Robinson Crusoe 38
Punch and Judy 71
Pussicat, wussicat, with a white foot 194
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been? 221
Pussy-cat sits by the fire 232
Pussy sits behind the fire 236
QUEEN ANNE, Queen Anne, you sit in the sun 172
RABBIT, rabbit, rabbit-pie 149
Rain, rain, go away 270
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross (1) 182
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross (2) 182
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross 184
Ride away, ride away, Johnny shall ride 116
Ring the bell 179
Robert Barnes, fellow fine 223
Robin and Richard were two pretty men 66
Robin the Bobbin, the big-bellied Ben 66
Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green 150
Rosemary green 200
Rub a dub dub 196
SAYS t'auld man tit oak tree 91
See a pin and pick it up 78
See, saw, Margery Daw (1) 185
See, saw, Margery Daw (2) 185
See saw, sack-a-day 40
See-saw sacradown 184
Simple Simon met a pieman 58
Sing a song of sixpence 93
Solomon Grundy 74
Some little mice sat in a barn to spin 220
St. Swithin's day, if thou dost rain 78
Swan swam over the sea 152
Sylvia, sweet as morning air 200
TAFFY was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief 72
Tell tale, tit 44
The art of good driving's a paradox quite 83
The cock doth crow 222
The cuckoo's a fine bird 225
The dove says "Coo, coo, what shall I do?" 233
The fair maid who, the first of May 83
The fox and his wife they had a great strife 88
The girl in the lane, that couldn't speak plain 264
The hart he loves the high wood 244
The King of France, and four thousand men 35
The King of France went up the hill 35
The lion and the unicorn 62
The man in the moon 55
The man in the wilderness asked me 137
The north wind doth blow 100
The old woman and her pig 253
The Queen of Hearts 116
The winds they did blow 228
There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile 57
