Chapter I: Love Sixpence

I love sixpence, a jolly, jolly sixpence,
I love sixpence as my life;
I spent a penny of it, I spent a penny of it,
I took a penny home to my wife.

Oh, my little fourpence, a jolly, jolly fourpence,
I love fourpence as my life;
I spent twopence of it, I spent twopence of it,
And I took twopence home to my wife.

BYE, BABY BUNTING

Bye, baby bunting, Father's gone a-hunting, Mother's gone a-milking, Sister's gone a-silking, And brother's gone to buy a skin To wrap the baby bunting in.

TOM, TOM, THE PIPER'S SON

Tom, Tom, the piper's son, Stole a pig, and away he run, The pig was eat, And Tom was beat, And Tom ran crying down the street.

COMICAL FOLK

In a cottage in Fife
Lived a man and his wife
Who, believe me, were comical folk;
For, to people's surprise,
They both saw with their eyes,
And their tongues moved whenever they spoke!

When they were asleep,
I'm told, that to keep
Their eyes open they could not contrive;
They both walked on their feet,
And 'twas thought what they eat
Helped, with drinking, to keep them alive!

COCK-CROW

Cocks crow 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.

TOMMY SNOOKS

As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
Were walking out one Sunday,
Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
"Wilt marry me on Monday?"

THE THREE SONS

There was an old woman had three sons, Jerry and James and John, Jerry was hanged, James was drowned, John was lost and never was found; And there was an end of her three sons, Jerry and James and John!

THE BLACKSMITH

"Robert Barnes, my 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, Now, good sir, your horse is shod."

TWO GRAY KITS

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 Bolin.

ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE

One, two, Buckle my shoe; Three, four, Knock at the door; Five, six, Pick up sticks; Seven, eight, Lay them straight; Nine, ten, A good, fat hen; Eleven, twelve, Dig and delve; Thirteen, fourteen, Maids a-courting; Fifteen, sixteen, Maids in the kitchen; Seventeen, eighteen, Maids a-waiting; Nineteen, twenty, My plate's empty.

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!

Cock-a-doodle-do! My dame has lost her shoe, My master's lost his fiddle-stick And knows not what to do.

Cock-a-doodle-do! What is my dame to do? Till master finds his fiddle-stick, She'll dance without her shoe.

PAIRS OR PEARS

Twelve pairs hanging high, Twelve knights riding by, Each knight took a pear, And yet left a dozen there.

BELLEISLE

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

OLD KING COLE

Old King Cole
Was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three!
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he.
"Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee," went the fiddlers.
Oh, there's none so rare
As can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

SEE, SEE

See, see! What shall I see? A horse's head where his tail should be.

DAPPLE-GRAY

I had a little pony,
His name was 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.

A WELL

As round as an apple, as deep as a cup, And all the king's horses can't fill it up.

COFFEE AND TEA

Molly, my sister and I fell out, And what do you think it was all about? She loved coffee and I loved tea, And that was the reason we couldn't agree.

PUSSY-CAT MEW

Pussy-cat Mew jumped 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.

THE LITTLE GIRL WITH A CURL

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.

DREAMS

Friday night's dream, on Saturday told, Is sure to come true, be it never so old.

A COCK AND BULL STORY

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.

FOR BABY

You shall have an apple, YOU shall have a plum, You shall have a rattle, When papa comes home.

MYSELF

As I walked by myself, And talked to myself, Myself said unto me: "Look to thyself, Take care of thyself, For nobody cares for thee."

I answered myself, And said to myself In the selfsame repartee: "Look to thyself, Or not look to thyself, The selfsame thing will be."

OVER THE WATER

Over the water, and over the sea, And over the water to Charley, I'll have none of your nasty beef, Nor I'll have none of your barley; But I'll have some of your very best flour To make a white cake for my Charley.

CANDLE-SAVING

To make your candles last for aye, You wives and maids give ear-O! To put them out's the only way, Says honest John Boldero.

FEARS AND TEARS

Tommy's tears and Mary's fears Will make them old before their years.

THE KILKENNY CATS

There were once two cats of Kilkenny. Each thought there was one cat too many; So they fought and they fit, And they scratched and they bit, Till, excepting their nails, And the tips of their tails, Instead of two cats, there weren't any.

OLD GRIMES

Old Grimes is dead, that good old man,
We ne'er shall see him more;
He used to wear a long brown coat
All buttoned down before.

A WEEK OF BIRTHDAYS

Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living, But the child that's born on the Sabbath day Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

A CHIMNEY

Black within and red without; Four corners round about.

LADYBIRD

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.

THE MAN WHO HAD NAUGHT

There was a man and he had naught,
And robbers came to rob him;
He crept up to the chimney pot,
And then they thought they had him.

But he got down on t'other side,
And then they could not find him;
He ran fourteen miles in fifteen days,
And never looked behind him.

THE TAILORS AND THE SNAIL

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.

AROUND THE GREEN GRAVEL

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.

INTERY, MINTERY

Intery, mintery, cutery corn, Apple seed and apple thorn; Wire, brier, limber-lock, Five geese in a flock, Sit and sing by a spring, O-u-t, and in again.

CAESAR'S SONG

Bow-wow-wow!
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog,
Bow-wow-wow!

AS I WAS GOING ALONG

As I was going along, along, A-singing a comical song, song, song, The lane that I went was so long, long, long, And the song that I sang was so long, long, long, And so I went singing along.

HECTOR PROTECTOR

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.

BILLY, BILLY

"Billy, Billy, come and play, While the sun shines bright as day."

"Yes, my Polly, so I will, For I love to please you still."

"Billy, Billy, have you seen Sam and Betsy on the green?"

"Yes, my Poll, I saw them pass, Skipping o'er the new-mown grass."

"Billy, Billy, come along, And I will sing a pretty song."

ROCK-A-BYE, BABY

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.

THE MAN IN THE WILDERNESS

The man in the wilderness
Asked me
How many strawberries
Grew in the sea.
I answered him
As I thought good,
As many as red herrings
Grew in the wood.

LITTLE JACK HORNER

Little Jack Horner Sat in the corner, Eating of Christmas pie: He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, And said, "What a good boy am I!"

THE BIRD SCARER

Away, birds, away! Take a little and leave a little, And do not come again; For if you do, I will shoot you through, And there will be an end of you.

MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY

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

BESSY BELL AND MARY GRAY

Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
They were two bonny lasses;
They built their house upon the lea,
And covered it with rushes.

Bessy kept the garden gate,
And Mary kept the pantry;
Bessy always had to wait,
While Mary lived in plenty.

NEEDLES AND PINS

Needles and pins, needles and pins, When a man marries his trouble begins.

PUSSY-CAT AND THE DUMPLINGS

Pussy-cat ate the dumplings, the dumplings,
Pussy-cat ate the dumplings.
Mamma stood by, and cried, "Oh, fie!
Why did you eat the dumplings?"

DANCE, THUMBKIN DANCE

Dance, Thumbkin, dance;
(_keep the thumb in motion_
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(_all the fingers in motion_
For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,
(_the thumb alone moving_
Thumbkin, he can dance alone.
(_the thumb alone moving_
Dance, Foreman, dance,
(_the first finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(_all moving_
But Foreman, he can dance alone,
(_the first finger moving_
Foreman, he can dance alone.
(_the first finger moving_
Dance, Longman, dance,
(_the second finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(_all moving_
For Longman, he can dance alone,
(_the second finger moving_
Longman, he can dance alone.
(_the second finger moving_
Dance, Ringman, dance,
(_the third finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, dance.
(_all moving_
But Ringman cannot dance alone,
(_the third finger moving_
Ringman, he cannot dance alone.
(_the third finger moving_
Dance, Littleman, dance,
(_the fourth finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, dance.
(_all moving_
But Littleman, he can dance alone,
(_the fourth finger moving_
Littleman, he can dance alone.
(_the fourth finger moving_

MARY'S CANARY

Mary had a pretty bird,
Feathers bright and yellow,
Slender legs--upon my word
He was a pretty fellow!

The sweetest note he always sung,
Which much delighted Mary.
She often, where the cage was hung,
Sat hearing her canary.

THE LITTLE BIRD

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.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Birds of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
And so will I have mine.

THE DUSTY MILLER

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.

A STAR

Higher than a house, higher than a tree. Oh! whatever can that be?

THE GREEDY MAN

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

THE TEN O'CLOCK SCHOLAR

A diller, a dollar, a ten o'clock scholar!
What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
But now you come at noon.

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO

Oh, my pretty cock, oh, my handsome cock,
I pray you, do not crow before day,
And your comb shall be made of the very beaten gold,
And your wings of the silver so gray.

AN ICICLE

Lives in winter,
Dies in summer,
And grows with its roots upward!

A SHIP'S NAIL

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

THE OLD WOMAN OF LEEDS

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!

THE BOY IN THE BARN

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.

SUNSHINE

Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more, On the King's kitchen door, All the King's horses, And all the King's men, Couldn't drive Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more, Off the King's kitchen door.

WILLY, WILLY

Willy, Willy Wilkin Kissed the maids a-milking, Fa, la, la! And with his merry daffing He set them all a-laughing, Ha, ha, ha!

TONGS

Long legs, crooked thighs, Little head, and no eyes.

JACK JINGLE

Little Jack Jingle, He used to live single; But when he got tired of this kind of life, He left off being single and lived with his wife. Now what do you think of little Jack Jingle? Before he was married he used to live single.

THE QUARREL

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.

THE PUMPKIN-EATER

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.

SHOEING

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

BETTY BLUE

Little Betty Blue
Lost her holiday shoe;
What shall little Betty do?
Give her another
To match the other
And then she'll walk upon two.

THAT'S ALL

There was an old woman sat spinning, And that's the first beginning;

She had a calf, And that's half;

She took it by the tail, And threw it over the wall, And that's all!

BEDTIME

The Man in the Moon looked out of the moon,
Looked out of the moon and said,
"'Tis time for all children, on the earth
To think about getting to bed!"

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!

MY LITTLE MAID

High diddle doubt, my candle's out
My little maid is not at home;
Saddle my hog and bridle my dog,
And fetch my little maid home.

FOR WANT OF A NAIL

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; For want of the shoe, the horse was lost; For want of the horse, the rider was lost; For want of the rider, the battle was lost; For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost, And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

PEASE PORRIDGE

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.

RING A RING O' ROSES

Ring a ring o' roses, A pocketful of posies. Tisha! Tisha! We all fall down.

THE CROOKED SIXPENCE

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence beside a crooked stile; He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse, And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

THIS IS THE WAY

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!

DUCKS AND DRAKES

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.

THE DONKEY

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.

IF

If all the world were apple pie,
And all the sea were ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What should we have for drink?

THE BELLS

"You owe me five shillings," Say the bells of St. Helen's. "When will you pay me?" Say the bells of Old Bailey. "When I grow rich," Say the bells of Shoreditch. "When will that be?" Say the bells of Stepney. "I do not know," Says the great Bell of Bow. "Two sticks in an apple," Ring the bells of Whitechapel. "Halfpence and farthings," Say the bells of St. Martin's. "Kettles and pans," Say the bells of St. Ann's. "Brickbats and tiles," Say the bells of St. Giles. "Old shoes and slippers," Say the bells of St. Peter's. "Pokers and tongs," Say the bells of St. John's.

LITTLE GIRL AND QUEEN

"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 KING OF FRANCE

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.

PETER PIPER

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

ONE TO TEN

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

AN EQUAL

Read my riddle, I pray. What God never sees, What the king seldom sees, What we see every day.

THE TARTS

The Queen of Hearts,
She made some tarts,
All on a summer's day;
The Knave of Hearts,
He stole the tarts,
And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts
Called for the tarts,
And beat the Knave full sore;
The Knave of Hearts
Brought back the tarts,
And vowed he'd steal no more.

COME, LET'S TO BED

"To bed! To bed!"
Says Sleepy-head;
"Tarry awhile," says Slow;
"Put on the pan,"
Says Greedy Nan;
"We'll sup before we go."

LITTLE MAID

"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."

WHAT ARE LITTLE BOYS MADE OF?

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."

What are little girls 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."

BANDY LEGS

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.

THE GIRL AND THE BIRDS

When I was a little girl, about seven years old, I hadn't got a petticoat, to cover me from the cold. So I went into Darlington, that pretty little town, And there I bought a petticoat, a cloak, and a gown. I went into the woods and built me a kirk, And all the birds of the air, they helped me to work. The hawk with his long claws pulled down the stone, The dove with her rough bill brought me them home. The parrot was the clergyman, the peacock was the clerk, The bullfinch played the organ,--we made merry work.

A PIG

As I went to Bonner,
I met a pig
Without a wig
Upon my word and honor.

JENNY WREN

As little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by her 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.

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?

WHERE ARE YOU GOING, MY PRETTY MAID

"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. "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.

THE OLD WOMAN OF GLOUCESTER

There was an old woman of Gloucester, Whose parrot two guineas it cost her, But its tongue never ceasing, Was vastly displeasing To the talkative woman of Gloucester.

MULTIPLICATION IS VEXATION

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

LITTLE KING BOGGEN

Little King Boggen, he built a fine hall, Pie-crust and pastry-crust, that was the wall; The windows were made of black puddings and white, And slated with pan-cakes,--you ne'er saw the like!

WHISTLE

"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."

BELL HORSES

Bell horses, bell horses, what time of day? One o'clock, two o'clock, three and away.

TAFFY

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief, Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef; I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not home; Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow-bone.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not in; Taffy came to my house and stole a silver pin; I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed, I took up the marrow-bone and flung it at his head.

THE 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 keep himself warm, And hide his head under his wing, Poor thing!

THE OLD WOMAN OF HARROW

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.

YOUNG ROGER AND DOLLY

Young Roger came tapping at Dolly's window,
Thumpaty, thumpaty, thump!

He asked for admittance; she answered him "No!"
Frumpaty, frumpaty, frump!

"No, no, Roger, no! as you came you may go!"
Stumpaty, stumpaty, stump!

THE PIPER AND HIS COW

There was a piper had a cow,
And he had naught to give her;
He pulled out his pipes and played her a tune,
And bade the cow consider.

The cow considered very well,
And gave the piper a penny,
And bade him play the other tune,
"Corn rigs are bonny."

THE MAN OF DERBY

A little old man of Derby, How do you think he served me? He took away my bread and cheese, And that is how he served me.

THE COACHMAN

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.

THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN

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.

A THORN

I went to the wood and got it; I sat me down to look for it And brought it home because I couldn't find it.

THE OLD WOMAN OF SURREY

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.

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.

BOY AND GIRL

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

When I was a bachelor
I lived by myself;
And all the bread and cheese I got
I laid up on the shelf.

The rats and the mice
They made such a strife,
I was forced to go to London
To buy me a wife.

The streets were so bad,
And the lanes were so narrow,
I was forced to bring my wife home
In a wheelbarrow.

The wheelbarrow broke,
And my wife had a fall;
Down came wheelbarrow,
Little wife and all.

SING, SING

Sing, sing, what shall I sing? Cat's run away with the pudding-string! Do, do, what shall I do? The cat has bitten it quite in two.

LONDON BRIDGE

London Bridge is broken down, Dance over my Lady Lee; London Bridge is broken down, With a gay lady.

How shall we build it up again? Dance over my Lady Lee; How shall we build it up again? With a gay lady.

Build it up with silver and gold, Dance over my Lady Lee; Build it up with silver and gold, With a gay lady.

Silver and gold will be stole away, Dance over my Lady Lee; Silver and gold will be stole away, With a gay lady.

Build it up with iron and steel, Dance over my Lady Lee; Build it up with iron and steel, With a gay lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow, Dance over my Lady Lee; Iron and steel will bend and bow, With a gay lady.

Build it up with wood and clay, Dance over my Lady Lee; Build it up with wood and clay, With a gay lady.

Wood and clay will wash away, Dance over my Lady Lee; Wood and clay will wash away, With a gay lady.

Build it up with stone so strong, Dance over my Lady Lee; Huzza! 'twill last for ages long, With a gay lady.

MARCH WINDS

March winds and April showers Bring forth May flowers.

THE BALLOON

"What is the news of the day, Good neighbor, I pray?" "They say the balloon Is gone up to the moon!"

A CHERRY

As I went through the garden gap, Who should I meet but Dick Red-cap! A stick in his hand, a stone in his throat,-- If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat.

THE LOST SHOE

Doodle doodle doo, The Princess lost her shoe: Her Highness hopped,-- The fiddler stopped, Not knowing what to do.

HOT CODLINS

There was a little woman, as I've been told, Who was not very young, nor yet very old; Now this little woman her living got By selling codlins, hot, hot, hot!

SWAN

Swan, swan, over the sea;
Swim, swan, swim!
Swan, swan, back again;
Well swum, swan!

THREE STRAWS

Three straws on a staff Would make a baby cry and laugh.

THE MAN OF TOBAGO

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."

DING, DONG, BELL

Ding, dong, bell, Pussy's in the well! Who put her in? Little Tommy Lin.

Who pulled her out? Little Johnny Stout. What a naughty boy was that, To try to drown poor pussy-cat. Who never did him any harm, But killed the mice in his father's barn!

A SUNSHINY SHOWER

A sunshiny shower Won't last half an hour.

THE FARMER AND THE RAVEN

A farmer went trotting upon his gray 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,
Lumpety, lumpety lump!

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, Please to put a penny in an old man's hat; If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, If you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you.

WILLY BOY

"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 to make the hay."

POLLY AND SUKEY

Polly, put the kettle on, Polly, put the kettle on, Polly, put the kettle on, And let's drink tea.

Sukey, take it off again, Sukey, take it off again, Sukey, take it off again, They're all gone away.

THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF POOR COCK ROBIN

Who killed Cock Robin? "I," said the sparrow, "With my little bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin."

Who saw him die? "I," said the fly, "With my little eye, I saw him die."

Who caught his blood? "I," said the fish, "With my little dish, I caught his blood."

Who'll make his shroud? "I," said the beetle, "With my thread and needle. I'll make his shroud."

Who'll carry the torch? "I," said the linnet, "I'll come in a minute, I'll carry the torch."

Who'll be the clerk? "I," said the lark, "If it's not in the dark, I'll be the clerk."

Who'll dig his grave? "I," said the owl, "With my spade and trowel I'll dig his grave."

Who'll be the parson? "I," said the rook, "With my little book, I'll be the parson."

Who'll be chief mourner? "I," said the dove, "I mourn for my love, I'll be chief mourner."

Who'll sing a psalm? "I," said the thrush, "As I sit in a bush. I'll sing a psalm."

Who'll carry the coffin? "I," said the kite, "If it's not in the night, I'll carry the coffin."

Who'll toll the bell? "I," said the bull, "Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."

All the birds of the air Fell sighing and sobbing, When they heard the bell toll For poor Cock Robin.

THE MOUSE AND THE CLOCK

Hickory, dickory, dock! The mouse ran up the clock; The clock struck one, And down he run, Hickory, dickory, dock!

HOT-CROSS BUNS

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.

BOBBY SHAFTOE

Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea, With silver buckles on his knee: He'll come back and marry me, Pretty Bobby Shaftoe! Bobby Shaftoe's fat and fair, Combing down his yellow hair; He's my love for evermore, Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.

THE BUNCH OF BLUE RIBBONS

Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Johnny's so long at the fair.

He promised he'd buy me a bunch of blue ribbons, He promised he'd buy me a bunch of blue ribbons, He promised he'd buy me a bunch of blue ribbons, To tie up my bonny brown hair.

THE WOMAN OF EXETER

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.

SNEEZING

If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter; Sneeze on a Thursday, something better. Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow; Sneeze on a Saturday, joy to-morrow.

PUSSY-CAT BY THE FIRE

Pussy-cat sits by the fire;
How can she be fair?
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!"

WHEN THE SNOW IS ON THE GROUND

The little robin grieves
When the snow is on the ground,
For the trees have no leaves,
And no berries can be found.

The air is cold, the worms are hid;
For robin here what can be done?
Let's strow around some crumbs of bread,
And then he'll live till snow is gone.