Chapter 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.

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!

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.

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.

DICKERY, DICKERY, DARE

Dickery, dickery, dare,
The pig flew up in the air;
The man in brown soon brought him down,
Dickery, dickery, dare.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.