SEE, saw, Margery DawSold her bed and lay upon straw.Was not she a dirty slut,To sell her bed and lie in the dirt!
See, saw, Margery Daw
SEE, saw, Margery Daw,Little Jackey shall have a new master;Little Jackey shall have but a penny a day,Because he can't work any faster.
[The following is used by schoolboys, when two are starting to run a race.]
ONE to make ready,And two to prepare;Good luck to the rider,And away goes the mare.
[A game on the slate.]
EGGS, butter, bread,Stick, stock, stone dead!Stick him up, stick him down,Stick him in the old man's crown!
WHO goes round my house this night?None but bloody Tom!Who steals all the sheep at night?None but this poor one.
WHOOP, whoop, and hollow,Good dogs won't follow,Without the hare cries "Pee-wit."
This is the way the ladies ride
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
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
This is the way the farmers ride:Hobbledy-hoy,Hobbledy-hoy!This is the way the farmers ride:Hobbledy hobbledy-hoy!
HERE stands a post."Who put it there?""A better man than you:Touch it if you dare!"
THERE were two blackbirdsSitting on a hill,The one nam'd Jack,The other nam'd Jill.Fly away Jack!Fly away Jill!Come again Jack!Come again Jill!
JINGLES
Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John
DEEDLE, deedle, dumpling, my son JohnWent to bed with his trousers on;One shoe off, the other shoe on,Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.
COCK-a-doodle-doo!My dame has lost her shoe;My master's lost his fiddling-stick,And don't know what to do.Cock-a-doodle-doo!What is my dame to do?Till master finds his fiddling-stick,She'll dance without her shoe.Cock-a-doodle-doo!My dame has lost her shoe,And master's found his fiddling-stick;Sing doodle-doodle-doo!Cock-a-doodle-doo!My dame will dance with you,While master fiddles his fiddling-stick,For dame and doodle-doo.Cock-a-doodle-doo!Dame has lost her shoe;Gone to bed and scratch'd her head,And can't tell what to do.
HEY DIDDLE · DIDDLE
HEY! diddle, diddle,The cat and the fiddle,The cow jumped over the moon;The little dog laugh'dTo see the sport,While the dish ran after the spoon.
PUSSICAT, wussicat, with a white foot,When is your wedding? for I'll come to 't.The beer's to brew, the bread's to bake,Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, don't be too late.
DING, dong, bell,Pussy's in the well!Who put her in?—Little Tommy Lin.Who pulled her out?—Dog with long snout.What a naughty boy was thatTo drown poor pussy-cat,Who never did any harm,But kill'd the mice in his father's barn.
DIDDLEDY, diddledy, dumpty;The cat ran up the plum-tree.I'll lay you a crownI'll fetch you down;So diddledy, diddledy, dumpty.
Fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-de-dee
FIDDLE-DE-DEE, fiddle-de-dee,The fly shall marry the humble-bee.They went to the church, and married was she:The fly has married the humble-bee.
TO market, to market, to buy a fat pig;Home again, home again, dancing a jigRide to the market to buy a fat hog;Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.
HANDY spandy, Jack-a-dandy,Loved plum-cake and sugar-candy;He bought some at a grocer's shop,And out he came, hop, hop, hop.
TWEEDLE-DUM and Tweedle-deeResolved to have a battleFor Tweedle-dum said Tweedle-deeHad spoiled his nice new rattle.Just then flew by a monstrous crowAs big as a tar-barrel,Which frightened both the heroes soThey quite forgot their quarrel.
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!
LOVE & MATRIMONY
Jack and Jill went up the hill
Jack and Jill went up the hillTo fetch a pail of water;Jack fell down and broke his crown,And Jill came tumbling after.
ROSEMARY green,And lavender blue,Thyme and sweet marjoram,Hyssop and rue.
BRAVE news is come to town;Brave news is carried;Brave news is come to townJemmy Dawson's married.
SYLVIA, sweet as morning air,Do not drive me to despair:Long have I sighed in vain,Now I am come again:Will you be mine or no, no-a-no,—Will you be mine or no?Simon, pray leave off your suit,For of your courting you'll reap no fruit.I would rather give a crownThan be married to a clown;Go for a booby, go, no-a-no,—Go, for a booby, go.
There was a little boy and a little girl
THERE was a little boy and a little girlLived 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 I was a bachelor I lived by myself,And all the meat I got I put upon a shelf;The rats and the mice did lead me such a lifeThat I went to London to get myself a wife.The streets were so broad and the lanes were so narrow,I could not get my wife home without a wheelbarrow;The wheelbarrow broke, my wife got a fall,Down tumbled wheelbarrow, little wife, and all.
BLUE eye beauty,Grey eye greedy,Black eye blackie,Brown eye brownie.
As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
AS Tommy Snooks and Bessy BrooksWere walking out one Sunday,Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,"To-morrow will be Monday."
OH, madam, I will give you the keys of Canterbury,To set all the bells ringing when we shall be merry,If you will but walk abroad with me,If you will but walk with me.Sir, I'll not accept of the keys of Canterbury,To set all the bells ringing when we shall be merry;Neither will I walk abroad with thee,Neither will I talk with thee!Oh, madam, I will give you a fine carved comb,To comb out your ringlets when I am from home,If you will but walk with me, &c.Sir, I'll not accept, &c.Oh, madam, I will give you a pair of shoes of cork,One made in London, the other made in York,If you will but walk with me, &c.Sir, I'll not accept, &c.Madam, I will give you a sweet silver bell,To ring up your maidens when you are not well,If you will but walk with me, &c.Sir, I'll not accept, &c.Oh, my man John, what can the matter be?I love the lady and the lady loves not me!Neither will she walk abroad with me,Neither will she talk with me.Oh, master dear, do not despair,The lady she shall be, shall be your only dear;And she will walk and talk with thee,And she will walk with thee!Oh, madam, I will give you the keys of my chest,To count my gold and silver when I am gone to rest,If you will but walk abroad with me,If you will but talk with me.Oh, sir, I will accept of the keys of your chest,To count your gold and silver when you are gone to rest,And I will walk abroad with thee,And I will talk with thee!
JACK in the pulpit, out and in,Sold his wife for a minikin pin.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
JACK SPRAT could eat no fat,His wife could eat no lean:
They lick'd the platter clean
And so, betwixt them both, you see,They lick'd the platter clean.
BESSY BELL and Mary Gray,They were two bonny lasses;They built their house upon the lea,And covered it with rashes.Bessy kept the garden gate,And Mary kept the pantry;Bessy always had to wait,While Mary lived in plenty.
THERE was a little man,And he woo'd a little maid,And he said, "Little maid, will you wed, wed, wed?I have little more to say,Than will you, yea or nay,For least said is soonest mended-ded, ded, ded."The little maid replied,Some say a little sighed,"But what shall we have for to eat, eat, eat?Will the love that you're so rich inMake a fire in the kitchen?Or the little god of love turn the spit, spit, spit?"
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.
As I was going up Pippen-hill
AS I was going up Pippen-hill,Pippen-hill was dirtyThere I met a pretty miss,And she dropt me a curtsey.
Little miss, pretty miss,Blessings light upon you!If I had half-a-crown a dayI'd spend it all on you.
HERE comes a lusty wooer,My a dildin, my a daldin;Here comes a lusty wooer,Lily bright and shine a'."Pray, who do you woo,My a dildin, my a daldin?Pray, who do you woo,Lily bright and shine a'?""For your fairest daughter,My a dildin, my a daldin;For your fairest daughter,Lily bright and shine a'.""Then there she is for you,My a dildin, my a daldin;Then there she is for you,Lily bright and shine a'."
HERE COMES A LUSTY WOOERHERE COMES A LUSTY WOOER
MASTER I have, and I am his man,Gallop a dreary dun;Master I have, and I am his man,And I'll get a wife as fast as I can;With a heighly gaily gamberally,Higgledy piggledy, niggledy, niggledy,Gallop a dreary dun.
I HAD a little husband,No bigger than my thumb;I put him in a pint pot,And there I bid him drum.I bought a little horse,That galloped up and down;I bridled him, and saddled him,And sent him out of town.I gave him some gartersTo garter up his hose,And a little handkerchiefTo wipe his pretty nose.
DID you see my wife, did you see, did you see,Did you see my wife looking for me?She wears a straw bonnet, with white ribbands on it,And dimity petticoats over her knee.
I DOUBT, I doubt, my fire is out;My little wife isn't at home;I'll saddle my dog, and I'll bridle my cat,And I'll go fetch my little wife home.
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.
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!
GEORGEY PORGEY, pudding and pie,Kissed the girls and made them cry;When the girls come out to play,Georgey Porgey runs away.
THERE was a lady loved a swine:"Honey," quoth she,"Pig-hog, wilt thou be mine?""Grunt," quoth he."I'll build thee a silver stye,Honey," quoth she;"And in it thou shall lie;""Grunt," quoth he."Pinned with a silver pin,Honey," quoth she,"That you may go out and in;""Grunt," quoth he."Wilt thou now have me,Honey," quoth she;"Grunt, grunt, grunt," quoth he,And went his way.
WHERE have you been all the day,My boy Willy?""I've been all the dayCourting of a lady gay:But, oh! she's too youngTo be taken from her mammy.""What work can she do,My boy Willy?Can she bake and can she brew,My boy Willy?""She can brew and she can bake,And she can make our wedding-cake:But, oh! she's too youngTo be taken from her mammy.""What age may she be? What age may she be?My boy Willy?""Twice two, twice seven,Twice ten, twice eleven:But, oh! she's too youngTo be taken from her mammy."
NATURAL HISTORY
I had a little dog
I HAD a little dog, and they called him Buff;I sent him to the shop for a hap'orth of snuff;But he lost the bag, and spill'd the snuff:"So take that cuff—and that's enough."
BURNIE bee, burnie bee,Tell me when your wedding be?If it be to-morrow day,Take your wings and fly away.
SOME little mice sat in a barn to spin;Pussy came by, and popped her head in;"Shall I come in and cut your threads off?""Oh no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off?"
ALL of a row,Bend the bow,Shot at a pigeon,And killed a crow.
GREY goose and gander,Waft your wings together,And carry the good king's daughterOver the one strand river.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
PUSSY-CAT, pussy-cat, where have you been?I've been to London to look at the queen.Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?I frighten'd a little mouse under the chair.
CUCKOO, Cuckoo,What do you do?"In AprilI open my bill;In MayI sing night and day;In JuneI change my tune;In JulyAway I fly;In AugustAway I must."
HICKETY, pickety, my black hen,She lays eggs for gentlemen;Gentlemen come every dayTo see what my black hen doth lay.
THE cock doth crow,To let you know,If you be wise,'Tis time to rise.
ROBERT BARNES, 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,And now, good sir, your horse is shod."
[Bird boy's song.]
EAT, birds, eat, and make no waste;I lie here and make no haste:If my master chance to come,You must fly, and I must run.
"HIE, hie," says Anthony,"Puss in the pantry,Gnawing, gnawingA mutton mutton-bone;See now she tumbles it,See now she mumbles it,See how she tossesThe mutton mutton-bone."
Four and twenty tailors went to kill a 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.
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' eggsTo make his voice clear;And when he sings "Cuckoo!"The summer is near.
"CROAK!" said the Toad, "I'm hungry, I think;To-day I've had nothing to eat or to drink;I'll crawl to a garden and jump through the pales,And there I'll dine nicely on slugs and on snails.""Ho, ho!" quoth the Frog, "is that what you mean?Then I'll hop away to the next meadow stream;There I will drink, and eat worms and slugs too,And then I shall have a good dinner like you."
There was a piper, he'd a cow
THERE was a piper, he'd a cow,And he'd no hay to give her;He took his pipes and played a tune:"Consider, old cow, consider!"The cow considered very well,For she gave the piper a penny,That he might play the tune again,Of "Corn rigs are bonnie."
A PIE sate on a pear-tree,A pie sate on a pear-tree,A pie sate on a pear-tree.Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!Once so merrily hopp'd she,Twice so merrily hopp'd she,Thrice so merrily hopp'd she.Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
ONCE I saw a little birdCome 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.
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 bedTo rest my little back.
COCK ROBIN got up earlyAt the break of day,And went to Jenny's window,To sing a roundelay.He sang Cock Robin's loveTo the pretty Jenny Wren;And when he got unto the end,Then he began again.
BETTY PRINGLE had a little pig,Not very little and not very big;When he was alive he lived in clover;But now he's dead, and that's all over.So Billy Pringle he laid down and cried,And Betty Pringle she laid down and died;So there was an end of one, two, and three:Billy Pringle he,Betty Pringle she,And the piggy wiggy.
A long-tail'd pig, or a short-tail'd pig
A LONG-TAIL'D pig, or a short-tail'd pig,Or a pig without e'er a tail,A sow-pig, or a boar-pig,Or a pig with a curly tail.
A LITTLE cock-sparrow sat on a green tree (tris),And he cherruped, he cherruped, so merry was he (tris);A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree,And he cherruped, he cherruped, so merry was he.A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow (tris),Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow (tris);A naughty, &c.Determined, &c."This little cock-sparrow shall make me a stew (tris),And his giblets shall make me a little pie too" (tris);"Oh, no," said the sparrow, "Iwon'tmake a stew;"So he flapped his wings, and away he flew.
LITTLE Robin Red-BreastSat upon a rail:Niddle-naddle went his head!Wiggle-waggle went his tail.
Dame, what makes your ducks to die?
DAME, what makes your ducks to die?What the pize ails 'em? what the pize ails 'em?They kick up their heels, and there they lie;What the pize ails 'em now?Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!Dame, what makes your ducks to die?What a pize ails 'em? what a pize ails 'em?Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!Dame, what ails your ducks to die?Eating o' polly-wigs, eating o' polly-wigs.Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
IN the month of February,When green leaves begin to spring,Little lambs do skip like fairies,Birds do couple, build, and sing.
PUSSY cat sits by the fire;How did she come there?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!"
THERE was 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.
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!"
Bow, wow, wow
BOW, wow, wow,Whose dog art thou?"Little Tom Tinker's dog,Bow, wow, wow."
LEG over leg,As the dog went to Dover;When he came to a stile,Jump he went over.
I love little pussy
I LOVE 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.
[Imitated from a pigeon.]
CURR dhoo, curr dhoo,Love me, and I'll love you!
Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home