IHAD a little nut-tree, nothing would it bearBut 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.
girl readingSHOE 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.Betty BlueFRIDAY night's dream, on Saturday told,Is sure to come true, be it ever so old.
FRIDAY night's dream, on Saturday told,Is sure to come true, be it ever so old.
Ring-a-ring-a roses
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 playWas, "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 ParrotSat in her garret,Eating toast and tea;A little brown mouseJumped into the house,And stole it all away.LITTLE Miss DonnetWears a huge bonnet;And hoops half as wideAs the mouth of the Clyde.Poll Parrot
My son John
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 curlRight 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 sitsAnd bites bits out of plates,Or else takes up an almanacAnd gobbles all the dates.The girl with the curl
Daisy girlONE, 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 sillyTo wear such a very long skirt:If you take my advice, you would hold it up niceAnd not let it trail in the dirt.
Ladybug girlLADY-BUG, lady-bug,Fly away home,Your house is on fire,Your children will burn.ASWARM of bees in MayIs worth a load of hay;A swarm of bees in JuneIs worth a silver spoon;A swarm of bees in JulyIs not worth a fly.
Curly locks! Curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
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 yetfeedthe swine;But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,And feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream!ACAT 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.
IWON'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 meT'other little tune.LITTLE maid, little maid,Whither goest thou?Down in the meadowTo milk my cow.AS the days grow longerThe storms grow stronger.
HICKORY, dickory, sackory downHow 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.Buckle my shoe
WEAR you a hat, or wear you a crown,All that goes up must surely come down.blackbirdsTHERE were two blackbirdsSitting 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.
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]BURNIE bee, burnie bee,Tell me when yourweddingbe?If it be to-morrow day,Take your wings and fly away.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.AWATER 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 waterFor 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.Girl crying
Wee Willie WinkieTIT, tat, toe,My first go,Three jolly butcher boysAll in a row;Stick one up,Stick one down,Stick one on the old man's crown.WEE Willie WinkieRuns 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
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 whenstarting 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.
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.Little Fred
Rule of three
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]ISAW 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.
Jumping JoanHERE 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 beJohnny's so long at the fair,He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbonsTo 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.
Farmer's wifemouse1THREE 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 lifeAs three blind mice?mouse2
Rain, rain, go away
Rain, rain, go away;Come again another day
RAIN, rain, go away;Come again another day;Little Johnny wants to play.AT the siege of Belleisle,I was there all the while,All the while, all the while,At the siege of Belleisle.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.TWO little dogsSat by the fire,Over a fender of coal-dust;Said one little dogTo 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.
Sleepyhead, Slow and Greedy
"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 girlHe 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.UP hill and down dale;Butter is made in every vale;And if that Nancy CookIs a good girl,She shall have a spouse,And make butter anon,Before her old grandmotherGrows a young man.DICKERY, dickery, dock;The mouse ran up the clock;The clock struck One,The mouse ran down,Dickery, dickery, dock.1, 2, 3, 4, 5!I caught a hare alive6, 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.
ILIKE 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 IVery gently will play.THE calf, the goose, the bee,The world is ruled by these three.[Parchment, pens, and wax]be nice
blackbird pieWhen the pie was opened,The birds began to sing;Was not that a dainty dishTo 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.SING a song of sixpence,A pocket full of rye;Four-and-twenty blackbirdsBaked in a pie.The maid was in the garden,Hanging out the clothes;Down came a blackbird,And pecked off her nose.
THREE wise men of GothamWent 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 semicirclesOn a perpendicular meet;Next add a triangleThat stands on two feet;Next two semicircles,And a circle complete.[TOBACCO]MY mother and your motherWent 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 sixpenceAgainst a crooked stile;He bought a crooked cat,Which caught a crooked mouse,And they all lived togetherIn a little crooked house.
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."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
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.AENA, deena, dina, duss,Kattle, weela, wila, wuss,Spit, spot, must be done,Twiddlum, twaddlum, twenty-one.O-u-t spells out!THERE was an old womanCalled Nothing-at-all,Who rejoiced in a dwellingExceedingly small:A man stretched his mouthTo its utmost extent,And down at one gulpHouse and old woman went."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 waitingFor 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.
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.