Gammer Gurton's Garland; Or, The Nursery Parnassus

"Gammer Gurton's Garland; Or, The Nursery Parnassus" by Joseph Ritson is a collection of nursery rhymes first published in 1784. This pioneering anthology brought beloved verses into print for the first time, including "Bye, baby bunting," "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe," and "Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross." Originally a modest chapbook containing seventy-nine rhymes, it grew through expanded editions to become one of the foundational collections of English nursery rhymes, preserving childhood verses that continue enchanting readers today.

Gammer Gurton's Garland; Or, The Nursery Parnassus, from the public domain. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #34601.