Leg over leg,As the dog went to Dover,When he came to a stile,Jump he went over.
Going over a stile
Ladybird, Ladybird,Fly away home,Your house is on fire,Your children will burn.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,I caught a hare alive;6, 7, 8, 9, 10,I let her go again.
This is the way the ladies go—Nim, nim, nim.This is the way the gentlemen go—Trot, trot, trot.This is the way the hunters go—Gallop, gallop, gallop.
two men"THERE WAS AN OLD MAN OF TOBAGO."
There was an old man of Tobago,Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago;Till, much to his bliss,
Man eating mutton
His physician said this—"To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go."
Little Miss MuffettShe sat on a tuffett,Eating of curds and whey;There came a little spider,Who sat down beside her,And frightened Miss Muffett away.
Miss Muffett running away
As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks,Were walking out one Sunday,Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,Wilt marry me on Monday?
Tommy and Bessie
The cat sat asleep by the side of the fire,The mistress snored loud as a pig,Jack took up his fiddle by Jenny's desire,And struck up a bit of a jig.
Girl in hat
Here am I,Little jumping Joan,When nobody's with me,I'm always alone.
GOOD DOBBIN.
Oh!thank you, good Dobbin, you've been a long track,And have carried papa all the way on your back;You shall have some nice oats, faithful Dobbin, indeed,For you've brought papa home to his darling with speed.The howling wind blew, and the pelting rain beat,And the thick mud has covered his legs and his feet,But yet on he galloped in spite of the rain,And has brought papa home to his darling again.The sun it was setting a long while ago,And papa could not see the road where he should go,But Dobbin kept on through the desolate wild,And has brought papa home again safe to his child.Now go to the stable, the night is so raw,Go, Dobbin, and rest your old bones on the straw;Don't stand any longer out here in the rain,For you've brought papa home to his darling again.
John Gilpin riding away"AWAY WENT GILPIN, AND AWAY WENT POSTBOY AT HIS HEELS."
THE DIVERTINGHISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN.
SHOWING HOW HE WENT FARTHER THAN HE INTENDED,AND CAME SAFE HOME AGAIN.
John Gilpinwas a citizenOf credit and renown,A train-band captain eke was he,Of famous London town.John Gilpin's spouse said to her dear,"Though wedded we have beenThese twice ten tedious years, yet weNo holiday have seen."To-morrow is our wedding-day,And we will then repairUnto the "Bell" at Edmonton,All in a chaise and pair."My sister, and my sister's child,Myself, and children three,Will fill the chaise; so you must rideOn horseback after we."He soon replied, "I do admireOf womankind but one,And you are she, my dearest dear,Therefore it shall be done."I am a linendraper bold,As all the world doth know,And my good friend the calenderWill lend his horse to go."Quoth Mrs. Gilpin, "That's well said;And for that wine is dear,We will be furnished with our own,Which is both bright and clear."John Gilpin kissed his loving wife;O'erjoyed was he to find,That though on pleasure she was bent,She had a frugal mind.
Man getting on horse
The morning came, the chaise was brought,But yet was not allowedTo drive up to the door, lest allShould say that she was proud.So three doors off the chaise was stayed,Where they did all get in;Six precious souls, and all agogTo dash through thick and thin.Smack went the whip, round went the wheels,Were never folks so glad!The stones did rattle underneath,As if Cheapside were mad.John Gilpin at his horse's sideSeized fast the flowing mane,And up he got, in haste to ride,But soon came down again.For saddletree scarce reached had he,His journey to begin,When, turning round his head, he sawThree customers come in.So down he came; for loss of time,Although it grieved him sore,Yet loss of pence, full well he knew,Would trouble him much more.'Twas long before the customersWere suited to their mind,When Betty screaming came downstairs,"The wine is left behind!""Good lack!" quoth he, "yet bring it me,My leathern belt likewise,In which I bear my trusty swordWhen I do exercise."Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul!)Had two stone bottles found,To hold the liquor that she loved,And keep it safe and sound.Each bottle had a curling ear,Through which the belt he drew,And hung a bottle on each side,To make his balance true.Then over all, that he might beEquipped from top to toe,His long red cloak, well brushed and neat,He manfully did throw.Now see him mounted once againUpon his nimble steed,Full slowly pacing o'er the stones,With caution and good heed.But finding soon a smoother roadBeneath his well-shod feet,The snorting beast began to trot,Which galled him in his seat."So, fair and softly!" John he cried,But John he cried in vain;That trot became a gallop soon,In spite of curb and rein.So stooping down, as needs he mustWho cannot sit upright,He grasped the mane with both his hands,And eke with all his might.His horse, who never in that sortHad handled been before,What thing upon his back had got,Did wonder more and more.Away went Gilpin, neck or nought;Away went hat and wig;
man on horse's cloak flying up
He little dreamt, when he set out,Of running such a rig.The wind did blow, the cloak did flyLike streamer long and gay,Till, loop and button failing both,At last it flew away.Then might all people well discernThe bottles he had slung;A bottle swinging at each side,As hath been said or sung.The dogs did bark, the children screamed,Up flew the windows all;And every soul cried out, "Well done!"As loud as he could bawl.Away went Gilpin—who but he?His fame soon spread around:"He carries weight! he rides a race!'Tis for a thousand pound!"And still as fast as he drew near,'Twas wonderful to viewHow in a trice the turnpike-menTheir gates wide open threw.And now, as he went bowing downHis reeking head full low,The bottles twain behind his backWere shattered at a blow.Down ran the wine into the road,Most piteous to be seen,Which made the horses flanks to smokeAs they had basted been.But still he seemed to carry weight,With leathern girdle braced;For all might see the bottle-necksStill dangling at his waist.Thus all through merry IslingtonThese gambols he did play,Until he came unto the WashOf Edmonton so gay;And there he threw the wash aboutOn both sides of the way,Just like unto a trundling mop,Or a wild goose at play.At Edmonton his loving wifeFrom the balcony spiedHer tender husband, wondering muchTo see how he did ride."Stop, stop, John Gilpin!—Here's the house!"They all at once did cry;"The dinner waits, and we are tired;"Said Gilpin—"So am I!"But yet his horse was not a whitInclined to tarry there;For why?—his owner had a houseFull ten miles off, at Ware.So like an arrow swift he flew,Shot by an archer strong;So did he fly—which brings me toThe middle of my song.Away went Gilpin out of breathAnd sore against his will,Till at his friend the calender's,His horse at last stood still.The calender, amazed to seeHis neighbour in such trim,Laid down his pipe, flew to the gate,And thus accosted him:
man on horseback bareheaded
"What news? what news? your tidings tell;Tell me you must and shall—Say why bareheaded you are come,Or why you come at all?"Now Gilpin had a pleasant wit,And loved a timely joke;And thus unto the calenderIn merry guise he spoke:"I came because your horse would come:And, if I well forebode,My hat and wig will soon be here,They are upon the road."The calender, right glad to findHis friend in merry pin,Returned him not a single word,But to the house went in;Whence straight he came with hat and wig,A wig that flowed behind,A hat not much the worse for wear,Each comely in its kind.He held them up, and in his turnThus showed his ready wit,"My head is twice as big as yours,They therefore needs must fit."But let me scrape the dirt away,That hangs upon your face;
horse rearing up at signpost
And stop and eat, for well you mayBe in a hungry case."Said John, "It is my wedding-day,And all the world would stareIf wife should dine at Edmonton,And I should dine at Ware."So turning to his horse, he said,"I am in haste to dine;'Twas for your pleasure you came here,You shall go back for mine."Ah! luckless speech, and bootless boast!For which he paid full dear;For while he spake, a braying assDid sing most loud and clear;Whereat his horse did snort, as heHad heard a lion roar,And galloped off with all his might,As he had done before.Away went Gilpin, and awayWent Gilpin's hat and wig:He lost them sooner than at first,For why—they were too big.Now Mistress Gilpin, when she sawHer husband posting downInto the country far away,She pulled out half-a-crown;
horse running
And thus unto the youth she saidThat drove them to the "Bell,""This shall be yours when you bring backMy husband safe and well."The youth did ride, and soon did meetJohn coming back amain;Whom in a trice he tried to stop,By catching at his rein;But not performing what he meant,And gladly would have done,The frighted steed he frighted more,And made him faster run.Away went Gilpin, and awayWent postboy at his heels,The postboy's horse right glad to missThe lumbering of the wheels.Six gentlemen upon the road,Thus seeing Gilpin fly,With postboy scampering in the rear,They raised the hue and cry."Stop thief! stop thief! a highwayman!"Not one of them was mute;And all and each that passed that wayDid join in the pursuit.And now the turnpike-gates againFlew open in short space;
man off horse looking sore
The toll-men thinking, as before,That Gilpin rode a race.And so he did, and won it too,For he got first to town;Nor stopped till where he had got up,He did again get down.Now let us sing, Long live the King,And Gilpin, long live he;And when he next doth ride abroad,May I be there to see.
girl looking out window
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,How I wonder what you are!Up above the world so high.Like a diamond in the sky.When the blazing sun is gone,When he nothing shines upon,Then you show your little light,Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.Then the traveller in the darkThanks you for your tiny spark:How could he see where to go,If you did not twinkle so?In the dark blue sky you keep,Often through my curtains peep,For you never shut your eye,Till the sun is in the sky.As your bright and tiny sparkLights the traveller in the dark,Though I know not what you are,Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Charley, Charley, stole the barleyOut of the baker's shop;The baker came out, and gave him a clout,And made poor Charley hop.
cat in the cupboard
A, B, C, tumble down D,The cat's in the cupboard and can't see me.
Four girls in a row at a nest
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.
Woman talking to girl
Up hill and down dale,Butter is made in every vale;And if Nancy CookIs a good girl,She shall have a spouse,And make butter anon,Before her old grandmotherGrows a young man.
boy riding stick horse
To market, to market, a gallop, a trot,To buy some meat to put in the pot;Threepence a quarter, fourpence a side,If it hadn't been killed it must have died.
Apple-pie, pudding, and pancake,All begins with A.
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.
Man and woman
Music: Georgie Porgie
[Transcriber's Note: You can play this music (MIDI file) by clickinghere.]
Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,Kiss'd the girls and made them cry.When the girls came out to play,Georgie Porgie ran away.
I love little Pussy, her coat is so warm,And if I don't hurt her, she'll do me no harm.I'll sit by the fire, and give her some food,And Pussy will love me, because I am good.
girl petting cat
Taffy stealingTaffy was a Welshman,Taffy was a thief,Taffy came to my house,And stole a leg of beef.I went to Taffy's house,Taffy was not at home;Taffy came to my houseAnd stole a marrow-bone.I went to Taffy's house,Taffy was in bed;I took the marrow-bone,And broke Taffy's head.
farmer and daughter on mare"A FARMER WENT TROTTING UPON HIS GREY MARE."
A farmer went trotting upon his grey 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!
raven disrupts ride
The mischievous raven flew laughing away,Bumpety, bumpety, bump!And vowed he would serve them the same the next day,Lumpety, lumpety, lump!
Betty Blue
Little Betty BlueLost her holiday shoe,What can little Betty do?Give her anotherTo match the other,And then she may walk in two.
Hush-a-bye, baby, lie still with thy daddy,Thy mammy is gone to the mill,To get some meal to bake a cake,So pray, my dear baby, lie still.
You shall have an apple,You shall have a plum,You shall have a rattle-basket,When papa comes home.
A MAN OF WORDS AND NOT OFDEEDS.
A manof words and not of deedsIs like a garden full of weeds;And when the weeds begin to grow,It's like a garden full of snow;And when the snow begins to fall,It's like a bird upon the wall;And when the bird away does fly,It's like an eagle in the sky;And when the sky begins to roar,It's like a lion at the door;And when the door begins to crack,It's like a stick across your back;And when your back begins to smart,It's like a penknife in your heart;And when your heart begins to bleed,You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed.
Dog
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.
Man bowing to lady
As I was going up Pippin Hill,Pippin Hill was dirty,There I met a pretty miss,And she dropped me a curtsey.
woman rocking baby
Early to bed, and early to rise,Is the way to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.
man and woman talking on roadway
Old woman, old woman, shall we go a-shearing?Speak a little louder, sir, I am very thick o' hearing.Old woman, old woman, shall I kiss you dearly?Thank you, kind sir, I hear very clearly.
The Cuckoo's a bonny bird,She sings as she flies,She brings us good tidings,And tells us no lies.She sucks little birds' eggs,To make her voice clear,And never cries "Cuckoo!"Till spring-time of the year.
child asking baker for cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man,Bake me a cake as fast as you can;Prick it and pat it, and mark it with G;And put it in the oven for Teddy and me.
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?"
woman sitting at table sewing, man reading paper
Needles and pins, needles and pins,When a man marries his trouble begins.
Woman comforting crying child
For every evil under the sun,There is a remedy, or there is none.If there be one, try and find it;If there be none, never mind it.
boy falling down
Three children sliding on the ice,All on a summer's day,As it fell out they all fell in,The rest they ran away.Now had these children been at home,Or sliding on dry ground,Ten thousand pounds to one pennyThey had not all been drowned.You parents all that children have,And you, too, that have none,If you would have them safe abroad,Pray keep them safe at home.
THE WONDERFUL DERBY RAM.
AsI was going to Derby all on a market day,I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay;Upon hay, upon hay, upon hay;I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay.This ram was fat behind, sir, this ram was fat before;This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed he was no more;No more, no more, no more;This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed he was no more.The horns that grew on his head, sir, they were so wondrous high,As I've been plainly told, sir, they reached up to the sky;The sky, the sky, the sky;As I've been plainly told, sir, they reached up to the sky.The tail that grew from his back, sir, was six yards and an ell;And it was sent to Derby to toll the market bell;The bell, the bell, the bell;And it was sent to Derby to toll the market bell.
Woman wtth toddler on her lap and two more children on the floor
My Lady Wind, my Lady Wind,Went round about the house, to findA chink to get her foot in;She tried the keyhole in the door,She tried the crevice in the floor,And drove the chimney soot in.And then one night when it was dark,She blew up such a tiny spark,That all the house was pothered;From it she raised up such a flameAs flamed away to Belting Lane,And White Cross folks were smothered.And thus when once, my little dears,A whisper reaches itching ears,The same will come, you'll find;Take my advice, restrain your tongue,Remember what old Nurse has sungOf busy Lady Wind.
Man and dog
Bow-wow-wow!Whose dog art thou?Little Tom Tucker's dog.Bow-wow-wow!
Mother holding a child
Let us go to the woods, says this pig.What to do there? says this pig.To seek mamma, says this pig.What to do with her? says this pig.To kiss her, to kiss her, says this pig.
JENNY SHALL HAVE A NEW BONNET.
Jennyshall have a new bonnet,And Jenny shall go to the fair,And Jenny shall have a blue ribbonTo tie up her bonny brown hair.And why may not I love Jenny?And why may not Jenny love me?And why may not I love Jenny,As well as another body?And here's a leg for a stocking,And here is a leg for a shoe,And she has a kiss for her daddy,And two for her mammy, I trow.And why may not I love Jenny?And why may not Jenny love me?And why may not I love Jenny,As well as another body?
Girl talking to smaller girl
Nievie, nievie, nicknack,Which hand will ye tak'?Tak' the right, or tak' the wrang,I'll beguile ye, if I can.
Girl running to mother with Punch peeking in the door
Oh, mother, I'm to be married to Mr. Punchinello;To Mr. Pun, to Mr. Chin, to Mr. Nel, to Mr. Lo,Mr. Pun, Mr. Chin, Mr. Nel, Mr. Lo, to Mr. Punchinello.
mother and child under umbrella
Rain, rain, go to Spain,And never come back again.
Man fallen off of horse
Up hill spare me,Down hill 'ware me,On level ground spare me not,And in the stable forget me not.
man holding son
When little Fred went to bed,He always said his prayers;He kissed mamma, and then papa,And straightway went upstairs.
Bless you, bless you, bonny bee:Say, when will your wedding be?If it be to-morrow day,Take your wings and fly away.
Jack and pig
Jack Sprat's pig,He was not very little,Nor yet very big;He was not very lean,He was not very fat,He'll do well for a grunt,Says little Jack Sprat.
under an umbrella
Rain, rain,Go away,Come againApril day;Little JohnnyWants to play.
A little cock sparrow sat on a tree,Looking as happy as happy could be,Till a boy came by with his bow and arrow,Says he, I will shoot the little cock sparrow.His body will make me a nice little stew,And his giblets will make me a little pie, too.Says the little cock sparrow, I'll be shot if I stay,So he clapped his wings, and flew away.
boy looking at bird in tree