Chapter I: Part 1

The Little Mother Goose

_Hush-a-by, baby, on the treetop
When the wind blows the cradle will rock_]

The Little Mother Goose

With numerous illustrations in full

color and black and white

By

JESSIE WILLCOX SMITH

NEW YORK

DODD, MEAD & COMPANY]

Copyright, 1912, 1913, 1914

By GOOD HOUSEKEEPING MAGAZINE

Copyright, 1914

By DODD, MEAD & COMPANY

Copyright, 1918

By DODD, MEAD & COMPANY, Inc.

_Printed in the United States of America_

_A List of the Rhymes_

A, B, C, tumble down D 165

A carrion crow sat on an oak 136

A cat came fiddling out of a barn 49

A diller, a dollar 173

A duck and a drake 9

Aena, deena, dina, duss 73

A frog he would a-wooing go 147

A glass of milk and a slice of bread 138

A good child, a good child 31

A hill full, a hole full 79

All of a row 6

A long-tailed pig, or a short-tailed pig 97

An old woman lived in Nottingham town 47

A red sky at night 30

A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose 93

As high as a castle 27

As I was going o'er London Bridge 116

As I was going to St. Ives 2

As I was going up and down 107

As I was going up Pippin Hill 15

As the days grow longer 50

As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks 3

A sunshine shower 105

A sunshiny shower 135

A swarm of bees in May 48

At the siege of Belleisle 65

Awake, arise, pull out your eyes 87

A was an archer 166

A water there is 53

Baa, baa, black sheep 26

Bat, bat, come under my hat 52

Bell horses, bell horses, what time of day 122

Birds of a feather flock together 137

Blow, wind, blow! and go, mill, go! 145

Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea 109

Bossy-cow, bossy-cow, where do you lie? 108

Bow-wow-wow 3

Brow brinky 129

Bryan O'Lin and his wife 47

Bryan O'Lin had no breeches to wear 23

Burnie bee, burnie bee 53

Butterfly, butterfly, whence do you come? 94

Buz, quoth the blue fly 57

Bye, baby bunting 3

Cantaloupes! Cantaloupes! What is the price? 1

Charley Warley had a cow 90

Christmas comes but once a year 135

Clap, clap handies 65

Cock a doodle doo 103

Cocks crow in the morn 21

Come hither, sweet robin 131

Come, let's to bed! 66

Come, my dear children 74

Come to the window 117

Come when you're called 29

Cross Patch 90

Cry, baby, cry 79

Curly locks! Curly locks! wilt thou be mine? 49

Currahoo, curr dhoo 1

Daffy-Down-Dilly 25

Dance to your daddy 105

Darby and Joan were dress'd in black 85

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John 42

Dickory, dickory, dock 67

Ding, dong, bell 14-103

Ding, dong, darrow 21

Doctor Faustus was a good man 91

Doctor Foster went to Gloster 169

Dogs in the garden, catch 'em, Towser 23

Donkey, donkey, old and gray 58

Draw a pail of water 54

Eggs, butter, cheese, bread 27

Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy and Bess 63

Elsie Marley has grown so fine 18

Father, may I go to war? 127

F for a fig 176

For every evil under the sun 107

Friday night's dream on Saturday told 39

Georgey Porgey, pudding and pie 55

God bless the master of this house 132

Good horses, bad horses 57

Goosey, goosey, gander 118

Great A, little a, Bouncing B 101

Great A, little A 10

Handy Spandy, Jack-a-dandy 45

Hark! hark! the dogs do bark 107

Hector Protector was dressed all in green 58

Heigh, diddle, diddle 100

Here am I, little jumping Joan 62

Here sits the Lord Mayor 19

Here's Sulky Sue 158

Here stands a post 9

Here we go round the mulberry bush 134

Hickery Dickery 6 and 7 106

Hickory Dickory, sackory down 50

Hickety, pickety, my black hen 95

Higher than a house 17

Hink minx! the old witch winks 32

Hiram Gordon, where's your pa? 144

Hot cross buns 76

How many miles is it to Babylon? 104

Hub-a-dub-dub 122

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall 76

Hush-a-bye, baby, Daddy is near 125

Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree-top 1

Hush, baby, my doll 46

I am a gold lock 81

I bought a dozen new-laid eggs 107

I do not like thee, Dr. Fell 89

If all the seas were one sea 106

If all the world was apple-pie 119

If all the world were water 123

If ifs and ands 79

I had a little husband 118

I had a little nut-tree 35

I had a little pony 84

I had four brothers over the sea 155

I have a little sister 139

I'll tell you a story 9

I like little pussy, her coat is so warm 69

I love you well, my little brother 133

In fir tar is 57

Intery, mintery, cutery, corn 55

I saw a peacock with a fiery tail 61

It costs little Gossip her income for shoes 157

It's raining, it's pouring 169

I went to the wood and got it 85

I went up one pair of stairs 146

I will sing you a song 109

I won't be my father's Jack 50

Jack and Jill went up the hill 80

Jack, be nimble; Jack, be quick 84

Jack Spratt could eat no fat 97

Jack Spratt had a cat 10

Jack Spratt's pig 125

Jerry Hall, he is so small 39

Jockey was a piper's son 40

John, come sell thy fiddle 14

Joseph Smith bought a rake 27

Ladies and gentlemen, come to supper 152

Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home 87

Lady-bug, lady-bug 48

Lazy Tom, with jacket blue 53

Little Betty Blue 39

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep 16

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn 8

Little Cock Robin peeped out of his cabin 32

Little drops of water 31

Little girl, little girl, where have you been? 33

Little Jack Horner 100

Little King Boggen he built a fine hall 173

Little lad, little lad 32

Little maid, little maid 50

Little maid, pretty maid 34

Little Miss Donnet 41

Little Miss Lily 47

Little Miss Muffet 32

Little Nancy Etticote 30

Little Poll Parrot 41

Little Polly Flinders 119

Little Robin Red-breast sat upon a rail 29

Little Tommy Grace 43

Little Tommy Tittlemouse 77

Little Tommy Tucker 99

Little Tom Twig 132

Love your own, kiss your own 40

Lucy Locket lost her pocket 24

Made in London 31

Make three-fourths of a cross 71

Margaret wrote a letter 11

Margery Mutton-pie and Johnny Bopeep 82

Mary had a little lamb 68

Mary had a pretty bird 86

Mary, Mary, quite contrary 73

Merry are the bells 130

Miss Jane had a bag 93

Monday's bairn is fair of face 139

Multiplication is vexation 60

My little old man and I fell out 77

My maid Mary, she minds the dairy 5

My mother, and your mother 71

My pussy-cat has got the gout 129

My story's ended 28

Nancy Dawson has grown so fine 128

Needles and pins 169

Nose, nose, jolly red nose 108

Now go to sleep, my little son 104

Of all the gay birds that e'er I did see 114

Oh, dear, What can the matter be? Johnny's so long 62

Old Father Grey Beard 40

Old Grimes is dead 128

Old King Cole was a merry old soul 175

Old Mother Hubbard 162

One, he loves; two, he loves 46

One for the money 96

One misty, moisty morning 37

One, two, buckle my shoe 51

One, two, three, four, Mary at the cottage door 114

One, two, three, four, five, catching fishes all alive 114

1, 2, 3, 4, 5! I caught a hare alive 67

On Saturday night it shall be my whole care 25

Over the water and under the water 15

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake 2

Pease-porridge hot 4-158

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater 57

Peter Piper picked a peck 129

Peter White will ne'er go right 165

Phoebe rode a nanny-goat 13

Pickeleem, pickeleem pummis-stone 35

Pit, pat, well-a-day 31

Pitty Patty Polt 27

Play, play every day 29

Please to remember 5

Polly, put the kettle on 13

Polly, Dolly, Kate and Molly 12

Poor Dog Bright 6

Pussy Cat Mole 88

Pussy-Cat, pussy-cat, where have you been? 109

Pussy sits beside the fire 37

Rain, rain, go away 65

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady 89

Ride a cock-horse to Shrewsbury Cross 44

Riddle-me, riddle-me, riddle-me-ree 91

Ring-a-round-a roses 40

Ring the bell! 4

Robert Barnes, fellow fine 94

Robin and Richard were two pretty men 101

Robin the Bobbin, the big-bellied Ben 138

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green 74

Rosemary green, and lavender blue 44

Rowley Powley, pudding and pie 175

Rub-a-dub-dub 5

See a pin and pick it up 83

See-saw Jack in the hedge 29

See-saw, Margery Daw, Jacky shall have a new master 101

See-saw, Margery Daw, Jenny shall have a new master 9

See-saw, sacaradown, sacaradown 25

Shoe the colt 36

Shoe the horse and shoe the mare 27

Sing a song of sixpence 70

Sing, sing! What shall I sing? 10

Smiling girls, rosy boys 129

Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger 157

Solomon Grundy 76

Some little mice sat in a barn to spin 20

Speak when you're spoken to 137

St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain 114

Swan, swam over the sea 107

Taffy was a Welshman 145

Tell-tale-tit! 99

Ten little Injuns standing in a line 124

The calf, the goose, the bee 69

The cock doth crow 6

The cock's on the housetop blowing his horn 33

The cuckoo's a fine bird 74

The dove says, "Coo, coo, what shall I do?" 6

The girl in the lane, that couldn't speak plain 34

The greedy man is he who sits 45

The King of France went up the hill 7

The lion and the unicorn 174

The man in the moon came tumbling down 121

The man in the moon looked out of the moon 93

The man in the wilderness asked me 92

The North wind doth blow 152

The old woman must stand at the tub 54

The Queen of Hearts 146

The rose is red, the violet is blue 20

The two gray kits 17

The winds they did blow 78

There dwelt an old woman at Exeter 85

There was a crooked man 71

There was a little boy and a little girl 31

There was a little girl who had a little curl 45

There was a little girl who wore a little hood 23

There was a little green house 79

There was a little man and he had a little gun 116

There was a little one-eyed gunner 80

There was a man in our town and he was wondrous wise 63

There was an old crow 29

There was an old woman, and what do you think 28

There was an old woman, as I've heard tell 153

There was an old woman and nothing she had 117

There was an old woman called Nothing-at-all 73

There was an old woman had three cows 44

There was an old woman, her name it was Peg 38

There was an old woman in Surrey 43

There was an old woman lived under a hill,
and if she's not gone 19

There was an old woman lived under a hill,
she put a mouse in a bag 14

There was an old woman of Harrow, 87

There was an old woman of Leeds, 82

There was an old woman tossed up in a basket 75

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe 88

There was an owl lived in an oak 127

There was a rat for want of stairs 62

There once were two cats of Kilkenny 115

There's a neat little clock 96

There were two blackbirds 52

Thirty days hath September 83

This is the house that Jack built 140

This is the way the ladies ride 126

This little pig went to market 7

This pig went to the barn 115

Three Blind Mice 64

Three children sliding on the ice 102

Three little kittens they lost their mittens 159

Three wise men of Gotham 71

Tit, tat, toe 56

To market, to market a gallop, a trot 173

To market, to market, to buy a plum cake 22

Tommy Trot, a man of laws 95

Tom, Tom, the Piper's son,
he learnt to play when he was young, 20

Tom, Tom, the Piper's son, stole a pig 123

Toss up my darling 9

Trip and go, heave and ho 10

Tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee 122

Twinkle, twinkle, little star 120

Two little dogs 65

Up at Piccadilly, oh! 67

Up hill and down dale 67

Upon my word and honor 172

Was ever heard such noise and clamor 60

Wash the dishes 36

Wasn't it funny 58

Wear you a hat, or wear you a crown 52

Wee Willie Winkie 56

What do they call you? 73

What God never sees 53

What is the rhyme for porringer 82

When I was a bachelor, I lived by myself 98

When I was taken from the fair body 13

When Jacky's a very good boy 133

When little Fred went to bed 59

When the days begin to lengthen 1

Where are you going, my pretty maid? 72

Whistle, daughter, whistle 38

Who comes here? 59

Who killed Cock Robin? 170

"Will you walk into my parlor?" 110

Willy boy, Willy boy 79

Yankee Doodle went to town 174

* * * * *

_See saw, Margery Daw,
Jenny shall have a new master_]

Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough bends, the cradle will fall.
Down will come baby, cradle, and all.

Currahoo, curr dhoo,
Love me, and I'll love you!
[Imitate a Pigeon]

When the days begin to lengthen
The cold begins to strengthen.

Cantaloupes! Cantaloupes! What is the price?
Eight for a dollar, and all very nice.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man!
Make me a cake as fast as you can:
Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T,
And there will be enough for Baby and me.

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?
[One]

Bye, baby, bunting,
Daddy's gone a-hunting,
To get a little rabbit skin
To wrap his baby bunting in.

As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
Were walking out one Sunday,
Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
"To-morrow will be Monday."

Bow-wow-wow,
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tucker's dog,
Bow-wow-wow.

Pease-porridge hot,
Pease-porridge cold,
Pease-porridge in the pot
Nine days old.
Spell me _that_ in four letters.
I will.
T-H-A-T.

Ring the bell!
Knock at the door!
Lift up the latch!
And walk in!

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!

Please to remember
The Fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason, and plot;
I know no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

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,
While I am singing and mowing my corn.

Poor Dog Bright
Ran off with all his might,
Because the cat was after him--
Poor Dog Bright!

Poor Cat Fright
Ran off with all her might,
Because the dog was after her--
Poor Cat Fright!

All of a row,
Bend the bow,
Shot at a pigeon,
And killed a crow.

The cock doth crow,
To let you know,
If you be well,
'Tis time to rise.

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."

This little pig went to market.
This little pig stayed home.
This little pig had roast meat.
This little pig had none.
This little pig went to the barn door
And cried week, week, for more.

The King of France went up the hill
With twenty thousand men;
The King of France came down the hill,
And ne'er went up again.

Little boy blue, come blow 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 a-sleep.
Will you wake him? No, not I;
For if I do, he'll be sure to cry.

See saw, Margery Daw,
Jenny shall have a new master;
She shall have but a penny a-day,
Because she can't work any faster.

A duck and a drake,
And a halfpenny cake,
With a penny to pay the old baker.
A hop and a scotch
Is another notch,
Slitherum, slatherum, take her.

Here stands a post,--
Who put it there?
A better man than you:
Touch it if you dare?

I'll tell you a story,
About John-a-Nory:
And now my story's begun.
I'll tell you another,
About Jack and his brother,
And now my story's done.

Toss up my darling, toss him up high,
Don't let his head, though, hit the blue sky.

Trip and go, heave and ho!
Up and down, to and fro;
From the town to the grove,
Two and two, let us rove,
A-maying, a-playing;
Love hath no gainsaying!
So merrily trip and go!
So merrily trip and go!

Sing, sing!--What shall I sing?
The cat's run away with the pudding-bag string!

Great A, little A,
This is pancake day;
Toss the ball high,
Throw the ball low,
Those that come after
May sing Heigh-ho!

Jack Sprat
Had a cat,
It had but one ear;
It went to buy butter
When butter was dear.

Margaret wrote a letter,
Sealed it with her finger,
Threw it in the dam
For the dusty miller.

Dusty was his coat,
Dusty was the siller,
Dusty was the kiss
I'd from the dusty miller.

If I had my pockets
Full of gold and siller,
I would give it all
To _my dusty miller_.

Polly, Dolly, Kate and Molly,
All are filled with pride and folly.

Polly tattles,
Dolly wriggles,
Katy rattles,
Molly giggles;

Whoe'er knew such constant rattling,
Wriggling, giggling, noise, and tattling.

When I was taken from the fair body,
They then cut off my head,
And thus my shape was altered.
It's I that make peace between King and ring,
And many a true lover glad.
All this I do, and ten times more,
And more I could do still;
But nothing can I do
Without my guider's will.
[A quill pen]

Polly put the kettle on,
Susy took it off;
Aunt Jemima's little girl
Has got the whooping cough.

Phoebe rode a nanny goat,
Susy broke her leg,
Father took his wedding coat
And hung it on a peg.

There was an old woman
Lived under a hill;
She put a mouse in a bag,
And sent it to the mill.

The miller declar'd
By the point of his knife,
He never took toll
Of a mouse in his life.

"John, come sell thy fiddle,
And buy thy wife a gown."
"No, I'll not sell my fiddle,
For ne'er a wife in town."

Ding, dong, bell,
Pussy's in the well!
Who put her in?
Little Johnny Green;
Who pulled her out,
Big Tom Stout;
What a naughty boy was that
To try and drown poor pussy cat,
Who never did any harm,
And killed the mice in his father's barn.

As I was going up Pippen Hill,
Pippen Hill was dirty;
There I met a pretty Miss,
And she dropped me a curtsy.

Little Miss, pretty Miss,
Blessing light upon you;
If I had half a crown a-day,
I'd spend it all upon you.

Over the water,
And under the water,
And always with its head down.
[Icicle]

_Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them_]

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:
But when she awoke she found it a joke,
For still they all were fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found 'em indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they'd left their tails behind 'em.

It happened one day, as Bo-Peep did stray
Unto a meadow hard by,
There she espied their tails, side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.

Higher than a house, higher than a tree,
Oh, whatever can it be?
[A Star]

The two gray kits
And the gray kits' mother
All went over
The bridge together.
The bridge broke down,
They all fell in;
May the rats go with you,
Says Tom Robin.

Elsie Marley has grown so fine,
She won't get up to serve the swine;
But lies in bed till eight or nine,
And surely she does take her time.

[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 _top of nose_
Here they run in _mouth_
Chinchopper, chinchopper,
Chinchopper, chin! _chuck the chin_

There was an old woman she lived under a hill,
And if she's not gone, she lives there still.
Baked apples she sold, and cranberry pies,
And she's the old woman that never told lies.

The rose is red, the violet is blue,
The gillyflower is sweet and so are you:
These are the words you bade me say
For a pair of new gloves on Easter-day.

Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
He learnt to play when he was young.
He with his pipe made such a noise,
That he pleased all the girls and boys.

Some little mice sat in a barn to spin,
Pussy came by, and she popped her head in;
"Shall I come in and cut your threads off?"
"Oh, no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off."

Cock crows 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.

Ding, dong, darrow,
The cat and the sparrow;
The little dog has burnt his tail,
And he shall be hanged to-morrow.

To market, to market, to buy a plum cake,
Home again, home again, market is late;
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

There was a little girl who wore a little hood,
And a curl down the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

Bryan O'Lin had no breeches to wear,
So he bought him a sheepskin and made him a pair.
With the skinny side out, and the woolly side in,
"Ah, ha, that is warm!" said Bryan O'Lin.

Dogs in the garden, catch 'em, Towser;
Cows in the cornfield, run, boys, run;
Cats in the cream-pot, run, girls, run, girls;
Fire on the mountains, run, boys, run.

Lucy Locket lost her pocket,
Kitty Fisher found it:
Not a penny in it,
But a ribbon 'round it.

_One foot up, the other foot down,
And that is the way to London town_]

See-saw, sacaradown, sacaradown.
Which is the way to London town?
One foot up, and the other foot down,
That is the way to London town.

On Saturday night, it shall be 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.

Daffy-down-dilly has come up to town
In a fine petticoat and a green gown.

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full:

One for the master,
One for the dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane.

Pitty Patty Polt,
Shoe the wild colt;
Here a nail,
And there a nail,
Pitty Patty Polt.

As high as a castle,
As weak as a wastle;
And all the king's horses
Cannot pull it down.
[Smoke]

Eggs, butter, cheese, bread,
Stick, stock, stone, dead.
Stick him up, stick him down,
Stick him in the old man's crown.

Joseph Smith bought a rake,
And sold it for some corn;
He lived a week on johnny cake,
And now he's dead and gone.

Shoe the horse, and shoe the mare,
But let the little colt go bare.

There was an Old Woman,
And what do you think?
She lived upon nothing but
Victuals and drink;
And though victuals and drink
Were the chief of her diet,
This little Old Woman
Could never be quiet.

My story's ended, spoon is bended;
If you don't like it,
Go to the next door,
And get it mended.

Come when you're called,
Do what you're bid;
Shut the door after you,
Never be chid.

There was an old crow
Sat upon a clod;
There's an end of my song,
That's odd!

Little Robin Red-breast
Sat upon a rail,
Needle, naddle, went his head,
Wiggle, waggle, went his tail.

Play, play every day,
Harry throws his time away.
He must work and he must read,
And then he'll be a man indeed.

See-saw-Jack in the hedge,
Which is the way to London Bridge?

Little Nancy Etticote,
In a white petticoat,
With a red nose;
The longer she stands,
The shorter she grows.
[A Candle]

A red sky at night
Is the shepherd's delight.
A red sky in the morning
Is the shepherd's warning.

There was a little boy and a little girl
Lived in our 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!"

A good child, a good child,
As I suppose you be;
Never laugh nor smile,
At the tickling of your knee.

Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean,
And the pleasant land.

Made in London,
Sold at New York,
Stops a bottle,
And is a cork.

Pit, pat, well-a-day,
Little Robin flew away;
Where can little Robin be?
Gone into the cherry-tree.

_Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating of curds and whey_]

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.

Little lad, little lad,
Where wast thou born?
Far off in Lancashire,
Under a thorn;
Where they sup sour milk
From a ram's horn.

Hink minx! the old witch winks,
The fat begins to fry:
There's nobody home but jumping Joan,
Father, Mother, and I.

Little Cock Robin peeped out of his cabin
To see the cold winter come in.
Tit for tat, what matter for that?
He'll hide his head under his wing!

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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 visit 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.

Pickeleem, pickeleem, pummis-stone!
What is the news, my beautiful one?
My pet doll-baby, Frances Maria,
Suddenly fainted, and fell in the fire;
The clock on the mantle gave the alarm,
But all we could save was one china arm.

Wash the dishes, wipe the dishes,
Ring the bell for tea;
Three good wishes, three good kisses,
I will give to thee.

Shoe the colt,
Shoe the colt,
Shoe the wild mare;
Here a nail,
There a nail,
Yet she goes bare.

Pussy sits beside the fire. How can she be fair?
In walks a little doggy--Pussy, are you there?
So, so, Mistress Pussy, how do you do?
Thank you, thank you, little dog,
I'm very well just now.

One misty, moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment, and I began to grin.
How do you do, and how do you do?
And how do you do again?

There was an old woman, her name it was Peg;
Her head was of wood, and she wore a cork leg.
The neighbors all pitched her into the water,
Her leg was drown'd first, and her head follow'd a'ter.

Whistle, daughter, whistle; whistle, daughter dear.
I cannot whistle, mammy, I cannot whistle clear.
Whistle, daughter, whistle, whistle for a pound.
I cannot whistle, mammy, I cannot make a sound.

Little Betty Blue,
Lost her holiday shoe.
What will poor Betty do?
Why, give her another,
To match the other,
And then she will walk in two.

Jerry Hall, he is so small,
A rat could eat him, hat and all.

Friday night's dream, on Saturday told,
Is sure to come true, be it ever so old.

_Ring-a-ring-a roses,
A pocket full of posies_]

Ring-a-round-a roses,
A pocket full of posies;
Hush--hush--hush--
We'll all tumble down.

Old father Grey Beard,
Without tooth or tongue;
If you'll give me your finger,
I'll give you my thumb.

Jockey was a piper's son,
And he fell in love when he was young,
And the only tune 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.

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.

Little Poll Parrot
Sat in her garret,
Eating toast and tea;
A little brown mouse
Jumped into the house,
And stole it all away.

Little Miss Donnet
Wears a huge bonnet;
And hoops half as wide
As the mouth of the Clyde.

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his stockings on;
One shoe off, and one shoe on,
Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.

There was an old woman in Surrey,
Who was morn, noon and night in a hurry;
Called her husband a fool,
Drove the children to school,
The worrying old woman of Surrey.

Little Tommy Grace had a pain in his face,
So bad he could not learn a letter;
When in came Dicky Long,
Singing such a funny song,
That Tommy laughed, and found his face much better.

There was an old woman had three cows,
Rosy, and Colin, and Dun;
Rosy and Colin were sold at the fair,
And Dun broke his head in a fit of despair;
And there was the end of her three cows,
Rosy, and Colin, and Dun.

Ride a cock-horse to Shrewsbury 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.

Rosemary green, and lavender blue,
Thyme and sweet marjorum, hyssop and rue.

Handy Spandy, Jack a-dandy,
Loves plum-cake and sugar-candy;
He bought some at a grocer's shop,
And out he came, hop-hop-hop.

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.

The greedy man is he who sits
And bites bits out of plates,
Or else takes up an almanac
And gobbles all the dates.

One, he loves; two, he loves;
Three, he loves, they say;
Four, he loves with all his heart;
Five, he casts away.
Six, he loves; seven, she loves;
Eight, they both love.
Nine, he comes; ten, he tarries;
Eleven, he courts; twelve, he marries.

Hush, baby, my doll, I pray you, don't cry,
And I'll give you some bread, and some milk by-and-bye;
Or, perhaps, you like custard, or, maybe, a tart,
Then to either you are welcome, with all my heart.

An old woman lived in Nottingham town,
Who owned a small house, and painted it brown;
And yet this old woman grew crazy with fright,
Lest some one should burn her house in the night.

Bryan O'Lin and his wife, and wife's mother,
They all went over the bridge together:
The bridge broke down, and they all fell in,--
The deuce go with all! said Bryan O'Lin.

Little Miss Lily, you're dreadfully silly
To wear such a very long skirt:
If you take my advice, you would hold it up nice
And not let it trail in the dirt.

Lady-bug, lady-bug,
Fly away home,
Your house is on fire,
Your children will burn.

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.

_Curly locks! Curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine_]

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!

A cat came fiddling out of a barn.
With a pair of bag-pipes under her arm:
She could sing nothing but fiddle cum fee,
The mouse has married the bumble-bee;
Pipe, cat--dance, mouse,
We'll have a wedding at our good house.

I won't be my father's Jack,
I won't be my mother's Jill,
I will be the fiddler's wife,
And have music when I will.
T'other little tune,
T'other little tune,
Prythee, love, play me
T'other little tune.

Little maid, little maid,
Whither goest thou?
Down in the meadow
To milk my cow.

As the days grow longer
The storms grow stronger.

Hickory, dickory, sackory down
How many miles to Richmond town?
Turn to the left and turn to the right,
And you may get there by Saturday night.

One, two, buckle my shoe;
Three, four, shut 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;
Fifteen, sixteen, maids a-kissing;
Seventeen, eighteen, maids a-waiting;
Nineteen, twenty, my stomach's empty.

Wear you a hat, or wear you a crown,
All that goes up must surely come down.

There were two blackbirds
Sitting on a hill.
The one named Jack,
And the other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack!
Fly away, Jill!
Come again, Jack!
Come again, Jill!

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.

What God never sees,
What the King seldom sees,
What we see every day:
Read my riddle, I pray.
[An Equal]

Lazy Tom, with jacket blue,
Stole his father's gouty shoe;
The worst of harm we can wish him,
Is, his gouty shoe may fit him.

Burnie bee, burnie bee,
Tell me when your wedding be?
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.

A water there is, I must pass,
A broader water never was;
And yet of all waters I ever did see,
To pass over with less jeopardy.
[The Dew]

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 dressed in green,
Slumping grass and parsley,
Marigold leaves and daisies.
One rush! Two rush!
Pray thee, fine lady, come under my rush.

The old woman must stand at the tub, tub, tub,
The dirty clothes to rub, rub, rub;
But when they are clean, and fit to be seen,
She'll dress like a lady, and dance on the green.

Georgey Porgey, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the girls come out to play,
Georgey Porgey runs away.

Intery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed, and apple thorn;
Wine, brier, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock,
One flew east, one flew west,
And one flew over the goose's nest.

Tit, tat, toe,
My first go,
Three jolly butcher boys
All in a row;
Stick one up,
Stick one down,
Stick one on the old man's crown.

Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Up-stairs and down-stairs,
In his night gown;
Rapping at the window,
Crying at the lock,
"Are the children in their beds,
For now it's ten o'clock?"

_Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her_]

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.

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater;
Had another and didn't love her;
Peter learned to read and spell,
And then he loved her very well.

[The following lines are sung by children when starting for a race]

Good horses, bad horses,
What is the time of day?
Three o'clock, four o'clock,
Now fare you away.

[Say quick]

In fir tar is.
In oak none is.
In mud eel is.
In clay none is.
Goat eat ivy.
Mare eat oats.

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 me.

Wasn't it funny? hear it all people!
Little Tom Thum has swallowed a steeple!
How did he do it?
I'll tell you, my son:
'Twas made of white sugar--and easily done!

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.

Donkey, donkey, old and gray,
Ope your mouth, and gently bray;
Lift your ears and blow your horn,
To wake the world this sleepy morn.

When little Fred went to bed,
He always said his prayers;
He kissed mamma, and then papa,
And straightway went up-stairs.

Who comes here?
"A grenadier."
What do you want?
"A pot of beer."
Where is your money?
"I've forgot."
Get you gone,
You can't have a drop.

Multiplication is vexation,
Division is as bad;
The Rule of Three doth puzzle me,
And Fractions drive me mad.

Was ever heard such noise and clamor!
The hatchet's jealous of the hammer!

[Mind your Punctuation]

I saw a peacock with a fiery tail,
I saw a blazing comet drop down hail,
I saw a cloud wrapped with ivy round,
I saw an oak creep on the ground,
I saw a snail swallow up a whale,
I saw the sea brimful of ale,
I saw a Venice glass full fifteen feet deep,
I saw a well full of men's tears that weep,
I saw red eyes all of a flaming fire,
I saw a house bigger than the moon and higher,
I saw the sun at twelve o'clock at night,
I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight.

Here am I, little jumping Joan,
When nobody's with me, I'm always alone.

There was a rat, for want of stairs,
Went down a rope to say his prayers.

Oh dear, what can the matter be
Johnny's so long at the fair,
He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbons
To tie up my bonny brown hair.

There was a man in our town,
And he was wondrous wise;
He jumped into a bramble bush,
And scratch'd out both his eyes;

And when he saw his eyes were out,
With all his might and main,
He jump'd into another bush,
And scratch'd them in again.

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.

Three Blind Mice,
See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife;
Did ever you hear such a thing in your life
As three blind mice?

_Rain, rain, go away;
Come again another day_]

Rain, rain, go away;
Come again another day;
Little Johnny wants to play.

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.

At the siege of Belleisle,
I was there all the while,
All the while, all the while,
At the siege of Belleisle.

Two little dogs
Sat by the fire,
Over a fender of coal-dust;
Said one little dog
To the other little dog,
If you don't talk, why, I must.

"Come, let's to bed,"
Says Sleepy-head;
"Tarry a while," says Slow.

"Put on the pot,"
Says the Greedy one,
"Let's sup before we go."

Up at Piccadilly, oh!
The coachman takes his stand,
And when he meets a pretty girl
He takes her by the hand;
Whip away forever, oh!
Drive away so clever, oh!
All the way to Bristol, oh!
He drives her four-in-hand.

Dickery, dickery, dock;
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck One,
The mouse ran down,
Dickery, dickery, dock.

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.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
I caught a hare alive
6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
I let him go again.

Mary had a little lamb with fleece as white as snow,
And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day, that was against the rule.
It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so," the eager children cry,
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know!" the teacher did reply.

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.

The calf, the goose, the bee,
The world is ruled by these three.
[Parchment, pens, and wax]

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket 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 parlor,
Eating bread and honey.

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

Three wise men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl;
If the bowl had been stronger,
My song had been longer.

Make three-fourths of a cross,
And a circle complete;
And let two semicircles
On a perpendicular meet;
Next add a triangle
That stands on two feet;
Next two semicircles,
And a circle complete.
[TOBACCO]

My mother and your mother
Went over the way;
Said my mother to your mother,
"It's chop-a-nose day."

There was a crooked man,
And he went a crooked mile,
And he found a crooked sixpence
Against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat,
Which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together
In a little crooked house.

"Where are you going, my pretty maid?"
"I'm going a-milking, sir," she said.

"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.

"Say, will you marry me, my pretty maid?"
"Yes, if you please, kind 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.

_Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?_]

Mary, Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

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.

Aena, deena, dina, duss,
Kattle, weela, wila, wuss,
Spit, spot, must be done,
Twiddlum, twaddlum, twenty-one.
O-u-t spells out!

"What do they call you?"
"Patchy Dolly."
"Where were you born?"
"In the cow's horn."
"Where were you bred?"
"In the cow's head."
"Where will you die?"
"In the cow's eye."

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.

Come, my dear children,
Up is the sun,
Birds are all singing,
And morn has begun.

Up from the bed, Miss,
Out on the lea;
The horses are waiting
For you and for me!

Rock-a-bye, 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.

There was an old woman tossed up in a basket,
Ninety times as high as the moon:
And where she was going, I couldn't but ask her,
For in her hand she carried a broom.

"Old woman, old woman, old woman," quoth I,
"Whither, O whither, O whither so high?"
"To sweep the cobwebs off the sky!"
"Shall I go with you?" "Aye, by-and-by."

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.

Hot cross buns,
Hot cross buns,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
If your daughters
Don't like 'em,
Give them to your sons,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses, and all the king's men,
Cannot put Humpty-Dumpty together again.
[An Egg]

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 noise begun.

Little Tommy Tittlemouse
Lived in a little house;
He caught fishes
In other men's ditches.

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.

There was a little green house,
And in the little green house
There was a little brown house,
And in the little brown house
There was a little yellow house,
And in the little yellow house
There was a little white house,
And in the little white house
There was a little heart.
[A Walnut]

Cry, baby, cry,
Put your finger in your eye,
And tell your mother it wasn't I.

Willy boy, Willy boy,
Where are you going?
I will go with you, if I may.
I am going to the meadows,
To see them mowing,
I am going to see them make hay.

A hill full--a hole full,
Yet you cannot catch a bowl full.
[Mist]

If ifs and ands
Were pots and pans,
There would be no need for tinkers!

_Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after_]

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.

Up Jack got and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper;
Dame Jill had the job to plaster his knob,
With vinegar and brown paper.

There was a little one-eyed gunner,
Who kill'd all the birds that died last summer.

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.

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!

Margery Mutton-pie and Johnny Bopeep,
They met together in Gracechurch-Street;
In and out, in and out, over the way,
Oh! says Johnny, 'tis chop-nose day.

What is the rhyme for porringer?
The King he had a daughter fair.
And gave the Prince of Orange her.

See a pin and pick it up,
All the day you'll have good luck.
See a pin and let it lay,
Bad luck you'll have all the day.

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one--
Except February, alone,
Which has four and twenty-four,
And every fourth year, one day more.

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,
And Jack jump over the candlestick.

I had a little pony
I call'd him Dapple Gray,
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.

I went to the wood and got it;
I sat me down and looked at it;
The more I looked at it the less I liked it,
And I brought it home because I couldn't help it.
[A Thorn]

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.

There dwelt an old woman at Exeter;
When visitors came it sore vexed her;
So for fear they should eat,
She locked up all her meat,
This stingy old woman of Exeter.

Mary had a pretty bird,--
Feathers bright and yellow;
Slender legs, upon my word,
He was a pretty fellow--
The sweetest notes he always sung,
Which much delighted Mary;
And near the cage she'd ever sit,
To hear her own canary.

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!
Your house is on fire, your children all gone,
All but one, and her name is Ann,
And she crept under the pudding pan.

Awake, arise, pull out your eyes,
And hear what time of day;
And when you have done,
Pull out your tongue,
And see what you can say.

There was an old woman of Harrow,
Who visited in a wheelbarrow;
And her servant before,
Knocked loud at each door,
To announce the old woman of Harrow.

_There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do_]

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 around, and sent them to bed.

Pussy Cat Mole,
Jump'd 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.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

I do not like thee, Dr. Fell,
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Dr. Fell.

Cross Patch,
Draw the latch,
Sit by the fire and spin;
Take a cup,
And drink it up,
And call your neighbors in.

Charley Warley had a cow,
Black and white about the brow,
Open the gate and let her through,
Charley Warley's old cow!

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!

Riddle-me riddle-me riddle-me-ree,
Perhaps you can tell what this riddle may be:
As deep as a house, as round as a cup,
And all the king's horses can't draw it up.
[A Well]