THERE was a little Guinea-pig,Who, being little, was not big;He always walked upon his feet,And never fasted when he eat.When from a place he ran away,He never at that place did stay;And while he ran, as I am told,He ne'er stood still for young or old.He often squeak'd and sometimes vi'lent,And when he squeak'd he ne'er was silent;Though ne'er instructed by a cat,He knew a mouse was not a rat.One day, as I am certified,He took a whim and fairly died;And, as I'm told by men of sense,He never has been living since.
The man in the wilderness asked me
THE man in the wilderness asked meHow many strawberries grew in the sea.I answered him as I thought good,As many as red herrings grew in the wood.
MY true love lives far from me,Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.Many a rich present he sends to me,Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie,Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.He sent me a goose without a bone;He sent me a cherry without a stone.Petrum, &c.He sent me a Bible no man could read;He sent me a blanket without a thread.Petrum, &c.How could there be a goose without a bone?How could there be a cherry without a stone?Petrum, &c.How could there be a Bible no man could read?How could there be a blanket without a thread?Petrum, &c.When the goose is in the egg-shell, there is no bone;When the cherry is in the blossom, there is no stone.Petrum, &c.When the Bible is in the press no man it can read;When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.Petrum, &c.
I SAW a ship a-sailing,A-sailing on the sea;And, oh! it was all ladenWith pretty things for thee!There were comfits in the cabin,And apples in the holdThe sails were made of silk,And the masts were made of gold.The four-and-twenty sailorsThat stood between the decks,Were four-and-twenty white miceWith chains about their necks.The captain was a duck,With a packet on his back;And when the ship began to move,The captain said, "Quack! quack!"
Here am I, little jumping Joan
HERE am I, little jumping Joan.When nobody's with me,I'm always alone.
O THAT I was where I would be,Then would I be where I am not!But where I am there I must be,And where I would be I cannot.
TOBACCO reek! tobacco reek!When you're well, 'twill make you sick.Tobacco reek! tobacco reek!'Twill make you well when you are sick.
THERE was an old woman, and what do you think?She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink:Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet;This tiresome old woman could never be quiet.
[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 upon the ground,I saw a pismire 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.
THERE was a man and he was mad,And he jump'd into a pea-swad;[1]The pea-swad was over-full,So he jump'd into a roaring bull;The roaring bull was over-fat,So he jump'd into a gentleman's hat;The gentleman's hat was over-fine,So he jump'd into a bottle of wine;The bottle of wine was over-dear,So he jump'd into a bottle of beer;The bottle of beer was over-thick,So he jump'd into a club-stick;The club-stick was over-narrow,So he jump'd into a wheel-barrow;The wheel-barrow began to crack,So he jump'd on to a hay-stack;The hay-stack began to blaze,So he did nothing but cough and sneeze!
[1]The pod or shell of a pea.
[1]The pod or shell of a pea.
CHARMS & LULLABIES
Cushy cow bonny, let down thy milk
CUSHY cow bonny, let down thy milk,And I will give thee a gown of silk;A gown of silk and a silver tee,If thou wilt let down thy milk to me.If you love me, pop and fly;If you hate me, lie and die.[Said to pips placed in the fire; a species of divination practised by children.
PETER PIPER picked a peck of pickled pepper;A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked;
Peter Piper
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,Where's the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?
Peter Piper
MATTHEW, Mark, Luke, and John,Guard the bed that I lay on!Four corners to my bed,Four angels round my head;One to watch, one to pray,And two to bear my soul away!
COME, butter, come,Come, butter, come!Peter stands at the gate,Waiting for a butter'd cake;Come, butter, come!
BYE, baby bunting,Daddy's gone a hunting,To get a little hare's skinTo wrap a baby bunting in.
HUSHY baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry,And I'll give you some bread and some milk by-and-by;Or perhaps you like custard, or maybe a tart,—Then to either you're welcome, with all my whole heart.
DANCE to your daddy,My little babby;Dance to your daddy,My little lamb.You shall have a fishy,In a little dishy;You shall have a fishyWhen the boat comes in.
Hush-a-bye, Baby
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, bough, cradle, and all.
RABBIT, rabbit, rabbit-pie!Come, my ladies, come and buy,Else your babies they will cry.
HEY, my kitten, my kitten,And hey, my kitten, my deary!Such a sweet pet as thisWas neither far nor neary.Here we go up, up, up,And here we go down, down, downy;And here we go backwards and forwards,And here we go round, round, roundy.
YOUNG lambs to sell!Young lambs to sell!If I'd as much money as I can tell,I never would cry, Young lambs to sell!
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.
To market, to market
To market, to market,To buy a plum bun;Home again, come again,Market is done.
Hickup, hickup, go away!Come again another day;Hickup, hickup, when I bake,I'll give to you a butter-cake.
Hickup, snicup,Rise up, right up,Three drops in the cupAre good for the hiccup.
Swan swam over the sea—Swim, swan, swim,Swan swam back again,Well swam swan.
GAFFERS & GAMMERS
There was an old woman
THERE was an old womanLived under a hill,And if she's not goneShe lives there still.
THERE was an old woman, as I've heard tell,She went to market her eggs for to sell;She went to market all on a market-day,And she fell asleep on the king's highway.There came by a pedlar whose name was Stout;He cut her petticoats all round about;He cut her petticoats up to the knees,Which made the old woman to shiver and freeze.When this little woman first did wake,She began to shiver and she began to shake;She began to wonder and she began to cry,"Oh! deary, deary me, this is none of I!"But if it be I, as I do hope it be,I've a little dog at home, and he'll know me;If it be I, he'll wag his little tail,And if it be not I, he'll loudly bark and wail."Home went the little woman all in the dark;Up got the little dog, and he began to bark;He began to bark, so she began to cry,"Oh! deary, deary me, this is none of I!"
"OLD woman, old woman, shall we go a shearing?""Speak a little louder, sir, I am very thick of hearing.""Old woman, old woman, shall I love you dearly?""Thank you, kind sir, I hear you very clearly."
THERE was an old woman toss'd up in a basketNineteen times as high as the moon;Where she was going I couldn't but ask it,For in her hand she carried a broom."Old woman, old woman, old woman," quoth I,"O whither, O whither, O whither, so high?""To brush the cobwebs off the sky!""Shall I go with thee?" "Ay, by-and-by."
A LITTLE old man and I fell out;"How shall we bring this matter about?""Bring it about as well as you can;Get you gone, you little old man!"
THERE was an old woman of LeedsWho spent all her time in good deeds;She worked for the poorTill her fingers were sore,This pious old woman of Leeds!
THERE was an old womanLived under a hill;She put a mouse in a bag,And sent it to mill.The miller declar'dBy the point of his knife,He never took tollOf a mouse in his life.
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.
SHE HAD SO MANY CHILDREN SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DOSHE HAD SO MANY CHILDREN SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
THERE was an old woman had three sons,Jerry, and James, and John:Jerry was hung, James was drowned,John was lost and never was found,And there was an end of the three sons,Jerry, and James, and John!
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."
THERE was an old woman of Norwich,Who lived upon nothing but porridge;Parading the town,She turned cloak into gown,This thrifty old woman of Norwich.
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.
THERE was an old man,And he had a calf,And that's half;He took him out of the stall,And put him on the wall;And that's all.
OLD Betty BlueLost a holiday shoe,What can old Betty do?Give her anotherTo match the other,And then she may swagger in two.
OLD Mother HubbardWent to the cupboardTo get her poor dog a bone;But when she came thereThe cupboard was bare,And so the poor dog had none.She went to the baker'sTo buy him some bread,But when she came backThe poor dog was dead.She went to the joiner'sTo buy him a coffin,But when she came backThe poor dog was laughing.She took a clean dishTo get him some tripe,But when she came backHe was smoking his pipe.She went to the fishmonger'sTo buy him some fish,And when she came backHe was licking the dish.She went to the ale-houseTo get him some beer,But when she came backThe dog sat in a chair.She went to the tavernFor white wine and red,But when she came backThe dog stood on his head.She went to the hatter'sTo buy him a hat,But when she came backHe was feeding the cat.She went to the barber'sTo buy him a wig,But when she came backHe was dancing a jig.She went to the fruiterer'sTo buy him some fruit,But when she came backHe was playing the flute.
He was dancing a jig
She went to the tailor'sTo buy him a coat,But when she came backHe was riding a goat.She went to the cobbler'sTo buy him some shoes,But when she came backHe was reading the news.She went to the sempstressTo buy him some linen,But when she came backThe dog was spinning.She went to the hosier'sTo buy him some hose,But when she came backHe was dress'd in his clothes.The dame made a curtsey,The dog made a bow;The dame said, "Your servant,"The dog said, "Bow, wow."
GAMES
There were three jovial Welshmen
THERE were three jovial Welshmen,As I have heard them say,And they would go a-huntingUpon St. David's day.All the day they hunted,And nothing could they findBut a ship a-sailing,A-sailing with the wind.One said it was a ship;The other he said nay;The third said it was a house,With the chimney blown away.And all the night they hunted,And nothing could they findBut the moon a-gliding,A-gliding with the wind.One said it was the moon;The other he said nay;The third said it was a cheese,And half o't cut away.And all the day they hunted,And nothing could they findBut a hedgehog in a bramble-bush,And that they left behind.The first said it was a hedgehog;The second he said nay;The third it was a pin-cushion,And the pins stuck in wrong way.And all the night they hunted,And nothing could they findBut a hare in a turnip field,And that they left behind.The first said it was a hare;The second he said nay;The third said it was a calf,And the cow had run away.And all the day they hunted,And nothing could they findBut an owl in a holly-tree,And that they left behind.One said it was an owl;The other he said nay;The third said 'twas an old man,And his beard growing grey.
JACK, be nimble,And, Jack, be quick;And, Jack, jump overThe candlestick.
QUEEN ANNE, Queen Anne, you sit in the sun,As fair as a lily, as white as a wand.I send you three letters, and pray read one;You must read one, if you can't read all;So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.
[Children hunting bats.]
BAT, bat (clap hands),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.
[At the conclusion, the captive is privately asked if he will have oranges or lemons (the two leaders of the arch having previously agreed which designation shall belong to each), and he goes behind the one he may chance to name. When all are thus divided into two parties, they conclude the game by trying to pull each other beyond a certain line.]
GAY go up and gay go down,To ring the bells of London town.Bull's eyes and targets,Say the bells of St. Marg'ret's.Brickbats and tiles,Say the bells of St. Giles'.Halfpence and farthings,Say the bells of St. Martin's.Oranges and lemons,Say the bells of St. Clement's.Pancakes and fritters,Say the bells of St. Peter's.Two sticks and an apple,Say the bells at Whitechapel.Old Father Baldpate,Say the slow bells at Aldgate.You owe me ten shillings,Say the bells at St. Helen's.Pokers and tongs,Say the bells at St. John's.Kettles and pans,Say the bells at St. Ann's.When will you pay me?Say the bells at Old Bailey.When I grow rich,Say the bells at Shoreditch.Pray when will that be?Say the bells of Stepney.I am sure I don't know,Says the great bell at Bow.Here comes a candle to light you to bed,And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
[Game on a child's features.]
HERE sits the Lord Mayor;Here sit his two men;Here sits the cock;Here sits the hen;Here sit the little chickens;Here they run in,Chinchopper, chinchopper,Chinchopper, chin![Forehead.[Eyes.[Right cheek.[Left cheek.[Tip of nose.[Mouth.[Chuck the chin.
HERE sits the Lord Mayor;Here sit his two men;Here sits the cock;Here sits the hen;Here sit the little chickens;Here they run in,Chinchopper, chinchopper,Chinchopper, chin!
DANCE, Thumbkin, dance;Dance, ye merrymen, every one;For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,Thumbkin, he can dance alone;Dance, Foreman, dance,Dance, ye merrymen, every one;But, Foreman, he can dance alone,Foreman, he can dance alone.[Keep the thumb in motion.[All the fingers in motion.[The thumb only moving.[Ditto.[The first finger moving.[The whole moving.
DANCE, Thumbkin, dance;Dance, ye merrymen, every one;For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,Thumbkin, he can dance alone;Dance, Foreman, dance,Dance, ye merrymen, every one;But, Foreman, he can dance alone,Foreman, he can dance alone.
[And so on with the others, naming the second finger "Longman," the third finger "Ringman," and the fourth finger "Littleman." Littleman cannot dance alone.]
[Children stand round, and are counted one by one, by means of this rhyme. The child upon whom the last number falls is out, for "Hide and Seek," or any other game where a victim is required.]
HICKORY (1), Dickory (2), Dock (3),The mouse ran up the clock (4);The clock struck one (5);The mouse was gone (6);O(7), u(8), t(9), spellsout!
[A game at ball.]
CUCKOO, cherry-tree,Catch a bird, and give it to me;Let the tree be high or low,Let it hail, rain, or snow.
[A song set to five fingers.]
1.THIS pig went to market;2. This pig stayed at home;3. This pig had a bit of meat,4. And this pig had none;5. This pig said, "Wee, wee, wee!I can't find my way home."
THE FIVE PIGSTHE FIVE PIGS
[A play with the face. The child exclaims:]
RING the bell!Knock at the door!Draw the latch!And walk in![Giving a lock of its hair a pull.[Tapping its forehead.[Pulling up its nose.[Opening its mouth and putting in its finger.
RING the bell!Knock at the door!Draw the latch!And walk in!
[Game with the hands.]
PEASE-PUDDING hot,Pease-pudding cold,Pease-pudding in the pot,Nine days old.Some like it hot,Some like it cold,Some like it in the pot,Nine days old.
IS John Smith within?"—"Yes, that he is.""Can he set a shoe?"—"Ay, marry, two,Here a nail, there a nail,Tick, tack, too."
1.IWENT up one pair of stairs.2. Just like me.1. I went up two pair of stairs.2. Just like me.1. I went into a room.2. Just like me.1. I looked out of a window.2. Just like me.1. And there I saw a monkey.2. Just like me.
1.IAM 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!
Suitors.
WE are three brethren out of Spain,Come to court your daughter Jane.
Mother.
My daughter Jane she is too young,And has not learned her mother-tongue.
Suitors.
Be she young, or be she old,For her beauty she must be sold.So fare you well, my lady gay,We'll call again another day.
Mother.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,And rub thy spurs till they be bright.
Suitors.
Of my spurs take you no thought,For in this town they were not bought;So fare you well, my lady gay,We'll call again another day.
Mother.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,And take the fairest in your sight.
Suitor.
The fairest maid that I can see,Is pretty Nancy—come to me.Here comes your daughter safe and sound,Every pocket with a thousand pound,Every finger with a gay gold ring.Please to take your daughter in.
RIDE a cock-horse to Banbury 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.
RIDE a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,To see what Tommy can buy;A penny white loaf, a penny white cake,And a twopenny apple-pie.
How many miles to Babylon?
[The following is a game played thus: A string of boys and girls, each holding by his predecessor's skirts, approaches two others, who with joined and elevated hands form a double arch. After the dialogue, the line passes through, and the last is caught by a sudden lowering of the arms—if possible.]
HOW many miles is it to Babylon?"—"Threescore miles and ten.""Can I get there by candle-light?"—"Yes, and back again!If your heels are nimble and light,You may get there by candle-light."
RIDE a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,To see an old lady upon a white horse;Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,And so she makes music wherever she goes.
[A string of children, hand in hand, stand in a row. A child(a)stands in front of them, as leader; two other children(bandc)form an arch, each holding both the hands of the other.]
A.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 dress'd in green,Stamping grass and parsley,Marigold leaves and daisies.One rush, two rush,Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.
[apasses by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children, the last of whom is taken captive bybandc.The verses are repeated, until all are taken.]
SEE-SAW sacradown,Which is the way to London town?One foot up and the other down,And that is the way to London town.