Chapter 3
This is the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the priest all shaven and shorn, That married the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cock that crowed in the morn, That waked the priest all shaven and shorn, That married the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the farmer sowing the corn, That kept the cock that crowed in the morn, That waked the priest all shaven and shorn, That married the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
SATURDAY, SUNDAY
On Saturday night Shall be all my care To powder my locks And curl my hair.
On Sunday morning My love will come in. When he will marry me With a gold ring.
LITTLE JENNY WREN
Little Jenny Wren fell sick, Upon a time; In came Robin Redbreast And brought her cake and wine.
"Eat well of my cake, Jenny, Drink well of my wine." "Thank you, Robin, kindly, You shall be mine."
Jenny she got well, And stood upon her feet, And told Robin plainly She loved him not a bit.
Robin being angry, Hopped upon a twig, Saying, "Out upon you! Fie upon you! Bold-faced jig!"
THE OLD WOMAN AND THE PEDLAR
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 the little old woman first did wake, She began to shiver and she began to shake; She began to wonder and she began to cry, "Lauk a mercy on me, this can't be I!
"But if it be I, as I 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, "Lauk a mercy on me, this is none of I!"
BOBBY SNOOKS
Little Bobby Snooks was fond of his books, And loved by his usher and master; But naughty Jack Spry, he got a black eye, And carries his nose in a plaster.
THE LITTLE MOPPET
I had a little moppet, I put it in my pocket, And fed it with corn and hay. There came a proud beggar. And swore he should have her; And stole my little moppet away.
I SAW A SHIP A-SAILING
I saw a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea; And, oh! it was all laden With pretty things for thee!
There were comfits in the cabin, And apples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were made of gold.
The four-and-twenty sailors That stood between the decks, Were four-and-twenty white mice With 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!"
A WALNUT
As soft as silk, as white as milk, As bitter as gall, a strong wall, And a green coat covers me all.
THE MAN IN THE MOON
The Man in the Moon came tumbling down, And asked the way to Norwich; He went by the south, and burnt his mouth With eating cold pease porridge.
ONE, HE LOVES
One, 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.
BAT, BAT
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.
HARK! HARK!
Hark, hark! the dogs do bark! Beggars are coming to town: Some in jags, and some in rags, And some in velvet gown.
THE HART
The hart he loves the high wood, The hare she loves the hill; The Knight he loves his bright sword, The Lady--loves her will.
MY LOVE
Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the market? A peck of meal upon her back, A babby in her basket; Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the market?
THE MAN OF BOMBAY
There was a fat man of Bombay, Who was smoking one sunshiny day; When a bird called a snipe Flew away with his pipe, Which vexed the fat man of Bombay.
POOR OLD ROBINSON CRUSOE!
Poor old Robinson Crusoe! Poor old Robinson Crusoe! They made him a coat Of an old Nanny goat. I wonder why they should do so! With a ring-a-ting-tang, And a ring-a-ting-tang, Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
A SIEVE
A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose, A hundred eyes and never a nose!
MY MAID MARY
My maid Mary she minds the dairy, While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn; Gaily run the reel and the little spinning wheel, While I am singing and mowing my corn.
A DIFFICULT RHYME
What is the rhyme for porringer? The king he had a daughter fair, And gave the Prince of Orange her.
PRETTY JOHN WATTS
Pretty John Watts, We are troubled with rats. Will you drive them out of the house? We have mice, too, in plenty, That feast in the pantry, But let them stay And nibble away, What harm in a little brown mouse?
GOOD ADVICE
Come when you're called, Do what you're bid, Shut the door after you, And never be chid.
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