Chapter 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.

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."

THE OBSTINATE PIG

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.

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.

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.

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 sha'n'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 sha'n'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 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;
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.

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 sha'n'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 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CUSHY COW

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.

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

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?

The king was in his counting-house
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey;

The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes,
Down came a blackbird,
And snapped off her nose.

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.

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.

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.

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.

She sent him to market,
A live goose he bought;
"Here, Mother," says he,
"It will not go for nought."

Jack's goose and her gander
Grew very fond;
They'd both eat together,
Or swim in one pond.

Jack found one morning,
As I have been told,
His goose had laid him
An egg of pure gold.

Jack 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

LITTLE BOY BLUE

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?

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.

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!

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.

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wife, bring me my old bent bow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
That I may shoot yon carrion crow;
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

The tailor he shot and missed his mark,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
And shot his own sow quite through the heart;
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Wife, bring brandy in a spoon,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
For our old sow is in a swoon,
Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

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.