The Nursery Rhymes of England

The Nursery Rhymes of England
Author: unknown
Pages: 251,104 Pages
Audio Length: 3 hr 29 min
Languages: en

Summary

Play Sample

Johnny shall have a new bonnet,

And Johnny shall go to the fair,

And Johnny shall have a blue ribbon

To tie up his bonny brown hair.

And why may not I love Johnny?

And why may not Johnny love me?

And why may not I love Johnny

As well as another body?

And here's a leg for a stocking,

And here is a leg for a shoe,

And he has a kiss for his daddy,

And two for his mammy, I trow.

And why may not I love Johnny?

And why may not Johnny love me?

And why may not I love Johnny,

As well as another body?

CXLVIII.

As I was walking o'er little Moorfields,

I saw St.Paul's a running on wheels,

With a fee, fo, fum.

Then for further frolics I'll go to France.

While Jack shall sing and his wife shall dance,

With a fee, fo fum.

CXLIX.

The north wind doth blow,

And we shall have snow,

And what will poor Robin do then?

Poor thing!

He'll sit in a barn,

And to keep himself warm,

Will hide his head under his wing.

Poor thing!

CL.

[From W. Wager's play, called 'The longer thou livest, the more foole thou art,' 4to, Lond.]

The white dove sat on the castle wall,

I bend my bow and shoot her I shall;

I put her in my glove both feathers and all;

I laid my bridle upon the shelf,

If you will any more, sing it yourself.

CLI.

Elsie Marley is grown so fine,

She won't get up to serve the swine,

But lies in bed till eight or nine,

And surely she does take her time.

And do you ken Elsie Marley, honey?

The wife who sells the barley, honey;

She won't get up to serve her swine,

And do you ken Elsie Marley, honey?

[Elsie Marley is said to have been a merry alewife who lived near Chester, and the remainder of this song relating to her will be found in the 'Chester Garland,' 12mo, n.d.The first four lines have become favourites in the nursery.]

CLII.

London bridge is broken down,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

London bridge is broken down,

With a gay lady.

How shall we build it up again?

Dance o'er my lady lee;

How shall we build it up again?

With a gay lady.

Silver and gold will be stole away,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Silver and gold will be stole away,

With a gay lady.

Build it up again with iron and steel,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Build it up with iron and steel,

With a gay lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

With a gay lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Build it up with wood and clay,

With a gay lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Wood and clay will wash away,

With a gay lady.

Build it up with stone so strong,

Dance o'er my lady lee;

Huzza!'twill last for ages long,

With a gay lady.

CLIII.

Old Father of the Pye,

I cannot sing, my lips are dry;

But when my lips are very well wet,

Then I can sing with the Heigh go Bet!

[This appears to be an old hunting song. Go bet is a very ancient sporting phrase, equivalent to go along. It occurs in Chaucer, Leg. Dido, 288.]

CLIV.

[Part of this is in a song called 'Jockey's Lamentation,' in the 'Pills to Purge Melancholy,' 1719, vol. v, p. 317.]

Tom he was a piper's son,

He learn'd to play when he was young,

But all the tunes that he could play,

Was, "Over the hills and far away;"

Over the hills, and a great way off,

And the wind will blow my top-knot off.

Now Tom with his pipe made such a noise,

That he pleas'd both the girls and boys,

And they stopp'd to hear him play,

"Over the hills and far away."

Tom with his pipe did play with such skill,

That those who heard him could never keep still;

Whenever they heard they began for to dance,

Even pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.

As Dolly was milking her cow one day,

Tom took out his pipe and began for to play;

So Doll and the cow danced "the Cheshire round,"

Till the pail was broke, and the milk ran on the ground.

He met old dame Trot with a basket of eggs,

He used his pipe, and she used her legs;

She danced about till the eggs were all broke,

She began for to fret, but he laughed at the joke.

He saw a cross fellow was beating an ass,

Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and glass;

He took out his pipe and played them a tune,

And the jackass's load was lightened full soon.

CLV.

Jacky, come give me thy fiddle,

If ever thou mean to thrive:

Nay; I'll not give my fiddle

To any man alive.

If I should give my fiddle,

They'll think that I'm gone mad;

For many a joyful day

My fiddle and I have had.

CLVI.

[The following lines are part of an old song, the whole of which may be found in 'Deuteromelia,' 1609, and also in MS. Additional, 5336, fol. 5.]

Of all the gay birds that e'er I did see,

The owl is the fairest by far to me;

For all the day long she sits on a tree,

And when the night comes away flies she.

CLVII.

I love sixpence, pretty little sixpence,

I love sixpence better than my life;

I spent a penny of it, I spent another,

And took fourpence home to my wife.

Oh, my little fourpence, pretty little fourpence,

I love fourpence better than my life;

I spent a penny of it, I spent another,

And I took twopence home to my wife.

Oh, my little twopence, my pretty little twopence,

I love twopence better than my life;

I spent a penny of it, I spent another,

And I took nothing home to my wife.

Oh, my little nothing, my pretty little nothing,

What will nothing buy for my wife?

I have nothing, I spend nothing,

I love nothing better than my wife.

CLVIII.

Merry are the bells, and merry would they ring,

Merry was myself, and merry could I sing;

With a merry ding-dong, happy, gay, and free,

And a merry sing-song, happy let us be!

Waddle goes your gait, and hollow are your hose,

Noddle goes your pate, and purple is your nose;

Merry is your sing-song, happy, gay, and free,

With a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

Merry have we met, and merry have we been,

Merry let us part, and merry meet again;

With our merry sing-song, happy, gay, and free,

And a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

CLIX.

My maid Mary

She minds her dairy,

While I go a hoing and mowing each morn,

Merrily run the reel

And the little spinning wheel

Whilst I am singing and mowing my corn.

CLX.

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

One a penny, two a penny

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

If ye have no daughters,

Give them to your sons.

CLXI.

Wooley Foster has gone to sea,

With silver buckles at his knee,

When he comes back he'll marry me,—

Bonny Wooley Foster!

Wooley Foster has a cow,

Black and white about the mow,

Open the gates and let her through,

Wooley Foster's ain cow!

Wooley Foster has a hen,

Cockle button, cockle ben,

She lay eggs for gentlemen,

But none for Wooley Foster!

CLXII.

[The following catch is found in Ben Jonson's 'Masque of Oberon,' and is a most common nursery song at the present day.]

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 he.

CLXIII.

As I was going up the hill,

I met with Jack the piper,

And all the tunes that he could play

Was "Tie up your petticoats tighter."

I tied them once, I tied them twice,

I tied them three times over;

And all the songs that he could sing

Was "Carry me safe to Dover."

CLXIV.

There were two birds sat on a stone,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;

One flew away, and then there was one,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;

The other flew after, and then there was none,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;

And so the poor stone was left all alone,

Fa, la, la, la, lal, de!

CLXV.

How does my lady's garden grow?

How does my lady's garden grow?

With cockle shells, and silver bells,

And pretty maids all of a row.

CLXVI.

There was a jolly miller

Lived on the river Dee:

He worked and sung from morn till night,

No lark so blithe as he,

And this the burden of his song

For ever used to be—

I jump mejerrime jee!

I care for nobody—no!not I,

Since nobody cares for me.

CLXVII.

As I was going along, long, long,

A singing a comical song, song, song,

The lane that I went was so long, long, long,

And the song that I sung was as long, long, long,

And so I went singing along.

CLXVIII.

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.

Will you be constant, my pretty maid?

That I can't promise you, sir, she said.

Then I won't marry you, my pretty maid!

Nobody asked you, sir!she said.

CLXIX.

[Song on the bells of Derby on foot-ball morning, a custom now discontinued:]

Pancakes and fritters,

Say All Saints and St.Peters;

When will the ball come,

Say the bells of St.Alkmun;

At two they will throw,

Says Saint Werabo;

O!very well,

Says little Michel.

CLXX.

I have been to market, my lady, my lady;

Then you've not been to the fair, says pussy, says pussy;

I bought me a rabbit, my lady, my lady;

Then you did not buy a hare, says pussy, says pussy;

I roasted it, my lady, my lady;

Then you did not boil it, says pussy, says pussy;

I eat it, my lady, my lady;

And I'll eat you, says pussy, says pussy.

CLXXI.

My father left me three acres of land,

Sing ivy, sing ivy;

My father left me three acres of land,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

I ploughed it with a ram's horn,

Sing ivy, sing ivy;

And sowed it all over with one pepper corn,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

I harrowed it with a bramble bush,

Sing ivy, sing ivy;

And reaped it with my little penknife,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

I got the mice to carry it to the barn,

Sing ivy, &c.

And thrashed it with a goose's quill,

Sing holly, &c.

I got the cat to carry it to the mill,

Sing ivy, &c.

The miller he swore he would have her paw,

And the cat she swore she would scratch his face,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!

CLXXII.

[The original of the following is to be found in 'Deuteromelia, or the second part of Musicks Melodie,' 4to, Lond. 1609, where the music is also given.]

Three blind mice, see how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife,

Who cut off their tails with the carving-knife,

Did you ever see such fools in your life?

Three blind mice.

CLXXIII.

[The music to the following song, with different words, is given in 'Melismata,' 4to, Lond.1611.See also the 'Pills to Purge Melancholy,' 1719, vol.i, p.14.The well-known song, 'A frog he would a wooing go,' appears to have been borrowed from this.See Dauney's 'Ancient Scottish Melodies,' 1838, p.53.The story is of old date, and in 1580 there was licensed 'A most strange weddinge of the frogge and the mouse,' as appears from the books of the Stationers' Company, quoted in Warton's Hist.Engl, Poet., ed.1840, vol.iii, p.360.]

There was a frog liv'd in a well,

Kitty alone, Kitty alone;

There was a frog liv'd in a well,

Kitty alone, and I!

There was a frog liv'd in a well,

And a farce* mouse in a mill,   [*merry

Cock me cary, Kitty alone,

Kitty alone, and I.

This frog he would a wooing ride,

Kitty alone, &c.

This frog he would a wooing ride,

And on a snail he got astride,

Cock me cary, &c.

He rode till he came to my Lady Mouse hall,

Kitty alone, &c.

He rode till he came to my Lady Mouse hall,

And there he did both knock and call,

Cock me cary, &c.

Quoth he, Miss Mouse, I'm come to thee,

Kitty alone, &c.

Quoth he, Miss Mouse, I'm come to thee,

To see if thou canst fancy me,

Cock me cary, &c.

Quoth she, answer I'll give you none,

Kitty alone, &c.

Quoth she, answer I'll give you none,

Until my uncle Rat come home,

Cock me cary, &c.

And when her uncle Rat came home,

Kitty alone, &c.

And when her uncle Rat came home,

Who's been here since I've been gone?

Cock me cary, &c.

Sir, there's been a worthy gentleman,

Kitty alone, &c.

Sir, there's been a worthy gentleman,

That's been here since you've been gone,

Cock me cary, &c.

The frog he came whistling through the brook,

Kitty alone, &c.

The frog he came whistling through the brook,

And there he met with a dainty duck,

Cock me cary, &c.

This duck she swallow'd him up with a pluck,

Kitty alone, Kitty alone;

This duck she swallow'd him up with a pluck,

So there's an end of my history book.

Cock me cary, Kitty alone,

Kitty alone and I.

CLXXIV.

There was a man in our toone, in our toone, in our toone,

There was a man in our toone, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, an old razor, an old razor,

And he played upon an old razor, with my fiddle fiddle fe fum fo.

And his hat it was made of the good roast beef, the good roast beef, the good roast beef,

And his hat it was made of the good roast beef, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, &c.

And his coat it was made of the good fat tripe, the good fat tripe, the good fat tripe,

And his coat it was made of the good fat tripe, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, &c.

And his breeks were made of the bawbie baps, the bawbie baps, the bawbie baps,

And his breeks were made of the bawbie baps, and his name was Billy Pod;

And he played upon an old razor, &c.

And there was a man in tither toone, in tither toone, in tither toone,

And there was a man in tither toone, and his name was Edrin Drum;

And he played upon an old laadle, an old laadle, an old laadle,

And he played upon an old laadle, with my fiddle fiddle fe fum fo.

And he eat up all the good roast beef, the good roast beef, &c.&c.

And he eat up all the good fat tripe, the good fat tripe, &c.&c.

And he eat up all the bawbie baps, &c.and his name was Edrin Drum.

CLXXV.

John Cook had a little grey mare; he, haw, hum!

Her back stood up, and her bones they were bare; he, haw, hum!

John Cook was riding up Shuter's bank; he, haw, hum!

And there his nag did kick and prank; he, haw, hum!

John Cook was riding up Shuter's hill; he, haw, hum!

His mare fell down, and she made her will; he, haw, hum!

The bridle and saddle were laid on the shelf; he, haw, hum!

If you want any more you may sing it yourself; he, haw, hum!

CLXXVI.

A carrion crow sat on an oak,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,

Watching a tailor shape his cloak;

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Wife, bring me my old bent bow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,

That I may shoot yon carrion crow;

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

The tailor he shot and missed his mark,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do;

And shot his own sow quite through the heart;

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Wife, bring brandy in a spoon;

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,

For our old sow is in a swoon,

Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

CLXXVII.

[Another version from MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 17, written in the time of Charles I.]

Hic hoc, the carrion crow,

For I have shot something too low:

I have quite missed my mark,

And shot the poor sow to the heart;

Wife, bring treacle in a spoon,

Or else the poor sow's heart will down.

CLXXVIII.

[Song of a little boy while passing his hour of solitude in a corn-field.]

Awa' 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 is an end of you.

CLXXIX.

If I'd as much money as I could spend,

I never would cry old chairs to mend;

Old chairs to mend, old chairs to mend;

I never would cry old chairs to mend.

If I'd as much money as I could tell,

I never would cry old clothes to sell;

Old clothes to sell, old clothes to sell;

I never would cry old clothes to sell.

CLXXX.

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.

CLXXXI.

I'll sing you a song,

Though not very long,

Yet I think it as pretty as any,

Put your hand in your purse,

You'll never be worse,

And give the poor singer a penny.

CLXXXII.

Dame, get up and bake your pies,

Bake your pies, bake your pies;

Dame, get up and bake your pies,

On Christmas-day in the morning.

Dame, what makes your maidens lie,

Maidens lie, maidens lie;

Dame, what makes your maidens lie,

On Christmas-day in the morning?

Dame, what makes your ducks to die,

Ducks to die, ducks to die;

Dame, what makes your ducks to die,

On Christmas-day in the morning?

Their wings are cut and they cannot fly,

Cannot fly, cannot fly;

Their wings are cut and they cannot fly,

On Christmas-day in the morning.

SEVENTH CLASS—RIDDLES.

CLXXXIII.

[Ann.]


HERE was a girl in our towne,

Silk an' satin was her gowne,

Silk an' satin, gold an' velvet,

Guess her name, three times I've tell'd it.

CLXXXIV.

[A thorn.]

I went to the wood and got it,

I sat me down and looked at it;

The more I looked at it the less I liked it,

And I brought it home because I couldn't help it.

CLXXXV.

[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!

CLXXXVI.

[A pen.]

When I was taken from the fair body,

They then cut off my head,

And thus my shape was altered;

It's I that make peace between king and king,

And many a true lover glad:

All this I do and ten times more,

And more I could do still,

But nothing can I do,

Without my guider's will.

CLXXXVII.

[Snuff.]

As I look'd out o' my chamber window

I heard something fall;

I sent my maid to pick it up,

But she couldn't pick it all.

CLXXXVIII.

[A tobacco-pipe.]

I went into my grandmother's garden,

And there I found a farthing.

I went into my next door neighbour's,

There I bought a pipkin and a popkin—

A slipkin and a slopkin,

A nailboard, a sailboard,

And all for a farthing.

CLXXXIX.

[Gloves.]

As I was going o'er London Bridge,

I met a cart full of fingers and thumbs!

CXC.

Made in London,

Sold at York,

Stops a bottle

And is a cork.

CXCI.

Ten and ten and twice eleven,

Take out six and put in seven;

Go to the green and fetch eighteen,

And drop one a coming.

CXCII.

[A walnut.]

As soft as silk, as white as milk,

As bitter as gall, a thick wall,

And a green coat covers me all.

CXCIII.

[A swarm of bees.]

As I was going o'er Tipple Tine,

I met a flock of bonny swine;

Some green-lapp'd,

Some green-back'd;

They were the very bonniest swine

That e'er went over Tipple Tine.

CXCIV.

[An egg.]

Humpty Dumpty lay in a beck,*

With all his sinews round his neck;

Forty doctors and forty wrights

Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty to rights!

* A brook.

CXCV.

[A storm of wind.]

Arthur O'Bower has broken his band,

He comes roaring up the land;—

The King of Scots, with all his power,

Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!

CXCVI.

[Tobacco.]

Make three-fourths of a cross,

And a circle complete;

And let two semicircles

On a perpendicular meet;

Next add a triangle

That stands on two feet;

Next two semicircles,

And a circle complete.

CXCVII.

There was a king met a king

In a narrow lane,

Says this king to that king,

"Where have you been?"

"Oh!I've been a hunting

With my dog and my doe."

"Pray lend him to me,

That I may do so."

"There's the dog take the dog."

"What's the dog's name?"

"I've told you already."

"Pray tell me again."

CXCVIII.

[A plum-pudding.]

Flour of England, fruit of Spain,

Met together in a shower of rain;

Put in a bag tied round with a string,

If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a ring.

CXCIX.

Every lady in this land

Has twenty nails upon each hand,

Five and twenty hands and feet,

All this is true without deceit.

CC.

Twelve pears hanging high,

Twelve knights riding by;

Each knight took a pear,

And yet left eleven there!

CCI.

[A star.]

I have a little sister, they call her peep, peep;

She wades the waters deep, deep, deep;

She climbs the mountains high, high, high;

Poor little creature she has but one eye.

CCII.

[A needle and thread.]

Old mother Twitchett had but one eye,

And a long tail which she let fly;

And every time she went over a gap,

She left a bit of her tail in a trap.

CCIII.

[An egg.]

In marble walls as white as milk,

Lined with a skin as soft as silk;

Within a fountain crystal clear,

A golden apple doth appear.

No doors there are to this strong-hold.

Yet things break in and steal the gold.

CCIV.

[A horse-shoer.]

What shoe-maker makes shoes without leather,

With all the four elements put together?

Fire and water, earth and air;

Ev'ry customer has two pair.

CCV.

[Currants.]

Higgledy piggledy

Here we lie,

Pick'd and pluck'd,

And put in a pie.

My first is snapping, snarling, growling,

My second's industrious, romping, and prowling.

Higgledy piggledy

Here we lie,

Pick'd and pluck'd,

And put in a pie.

CCVI.

Thomas a Tattamus took two Ts,

To tie two tups to two tall trees,

To frighten the terrible Thomas a Tattamus!

Tell me how many Ts there are in all THAT

CCVII.

[The man had one eye, and the tree two apples upon it.]

There was a man who had no eyes,

He went abroad to view the skies;

He saw a tree with apples on it,

He took no apples off, yet left no apples on it.

CCVIII.

[Cleopatra.]

The moon nine days old,

The next sign to cancer;

Pat rat without a tail;—

And now, sir, for your answer,

CCIX.

[A candle.]

Little Nancy Etticoat,

In a white petticoat,

And a red nose;

The longer she stands,

The shorter she grows.

CCX.

[Pair of tongs.]

Long legs, crooked thighs,

Little head and no eyes.

CCXI.

[From MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 16, written in the time of Charles I.]

There were three sisters in a hall,

There came a knight amongst them all;

Good morrow, aunt, to the one,

Good morrow, aunt, to the other,

Good morrow, gentlewoman, to the third,

If you were my aunt,

As the other two be,

I would say good morrow,

Then, aunts, all three.

CCXII.

[Isabel.]

Congeal'd water and Cain's brother,

That was my lover's name, and no other.

CCXIII.

[Teeth and Gums.]

Thirty white horses upon a red hill,

Now they tramp, now they champ, now they stand still.

CCXIV.

[Coals.]

Black we are, but much admired;

Men seek for us till they are tired.

We tire the horse, but comfort man

Tell me this riddle if you can.

CCXV.

[A Star.]

Higher than a house, higher than a tree;

Oh, whatever can that be?

CCXVI.

[An Egg.]

Humpty dumpty sate on a wall,

Humpty dumpty had a great fall;

Three score men and three score more

Cannot place Humpty Dumpty as he was before.

CCXVII.

[The allusion to Oliver Cromwell satisfactorily fixes the date of the riddle to belong to the seventeenth century. The answer is, a rainbow.]

Purple, yellow, red, and green,

The king cannot reach it nor the queen;

Nor can old Noll, whose power's so great:

Tell me this riddle while I count eight.

CCXVIII.

Pease-porridge hot, pease-porridge cold,

Pease-porridge in the pot, nine days old.

Spell me that without a P,

And a clever scholar you will be.

CCXIX.

As I was going o'er Westminster bridge,

I met with a Westminster scholar;

He pulled off his cap an' drew off his glove,

And wished me a very good morrow.

What is his name?

CCXX.

[A Chimney.]

Black within, and red without;

Four corners round about.

CCXXI.

There was a man rode through our town,

Gray Grizzle was his name;

His saddle-bow was gilt with gold,

Three times I've named his name.

CCXXII.

[A Hedgehog.]

As I went over Lincoln bridge

I met mister Rusticap;

Pins and needles on his back,

A going to Thorney fair.

CCXXIII.

[One leg is a leg of mutton; two legs, a man; three legs, a stool; four legs, a dog.]

Two legs sat upon three legs,

With one leg in his lap;

In comes four legs,

And runs away with one leg.

Up jumps two legs,

Catches up three legs,

Throws it after four legs,

And makes him bring back one leg.

CCXXIV.

[A Bed.]

Formed long ago, yet made to-day,

Employed while others sleep;

What few would like to give away,

Nor any wish to keep.

CCXXV.

[A Cinder-sifter.]

A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose,

A hundred eyes, and never a nose.

CCXXVI.

[A Well.]

As round as an apple, as deep as a cup,

And all the king's horses can't pull it up.

CCXXVII.

[A Cherry.]

As I went through the garden gap,

Who should I meet but Dick Red-cap!

A stick in his hand, a stone in his throat,

If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat.

CCXXVIII.

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.

CCXXIX.

As I was going to St. Ives,

I met a man with seven wives,

Every wife had seven sacks,

Every sack had seven cats,

Every cat had seven kits:

Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,

How many were there going to St.Ives?

CCXXX.

[The Holly Tree.]

Highty, tighty, paradighty clothed in green,

The king could not read it, no more could the queen;

They sent for a wise man out of the East,

Who said it had horns, but was not a beast!

CCXXXI.

See, see!what shall I see?

A horse's head where his tail should be.

CCXXXII.

[A fire-brand with sparks on it.]

As I was going o'er London Bridge,

And peep'd through a nick,

I saw four and twenty ladies

Riding on a stick!

CCXXXIII.

[An Icicle.]

Lives in winter,

Dies in summer,

And grows with its root upwards!

CCXXXIV.

When I went up sandy hill,

I met a sandy boy;

I cut his throat, I sucked his blood,

And left his skin a hanging-o.

CCXXXV.

I had a little castle upon the sea-side,

One half was water, the other was land;

I open'd my little castle door, and guess what I found;

I found a fair lady with a cup in her hand.

The cup was gold, filled with wine;

Drink, fair lady, and thou shalt be mine!

CCXXXVI.

Old father Graybeard,

Without tooth or tongue;

If you'll give me your finger,

I'll give you my thumb.

EIGHTH CLASS—CHARMS.

CCXXXVII.


USHY 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.

CCXXXVIII.

[Said to pips placed in the fire; a species of divination practised by children.]

If you love me, pop and fly;

If you hate me, lay and die.

CCXXXIX.

[The following, with a very slight variation, is found in Ben Jonson's 'Masque of Queen's,' and it is singular to account for its introduction into the modern nursery.]

I went to the toad that lies under the wall,

I charmed him out, and he came at my call;

I scratch'd out the eyes of the owl before,

I tore the bat's wing, what would you have more.

CCXL.

[A charm somewhat similar to the following may be seen in the 'Townley Mysteries,' p.91.See a paper in the 'Archæologia,' vol.xxvii, p.253, by the Rev.Lancelot Sharpe, M.A.See also MS. Lansd.231, fol.114, and Ady's 'Candle in the Dark,' 4to, London, 1650, p.58.]

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!

CCXLI.

[Ady, in his 'Candle in the Dark,' 4to, Lond.1656, p.59, says that this was a charm to make butter come from the churn.It was to be said thrice.]

Come, butter, come,

Come, butter, come!

Peter stands at the gate,

Waiting for a butter'd cake;

Come, butter, come!

CCXLII.

[From Dr. Wallis's "Grammatica Linguæ Anglicanæ," 12mo, Oxon.1674, p.164.This and the nine following are said to be certain cures for the hiccup if repeated in one breath.]

When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist;

For the twisting of his twist, he three times doth intwist;

But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,

The twine that untwisteth, untwisteth the twist.

Untwirling the twine that untwisteth between,

He twirls, with the twister, the two in a twine:

Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine

He twisteth the twine he had twined in twain.

The twain that, in twining, before in the twine,

As twines were intwisted; he now doth untwine:

'Twixt the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,

He, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.

CCXLIII.

A Thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a thatching;

Did a thatcher of Thatchwood go to Thatchet a thatching?

If a thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a thatching,

Where's the thatching the thatcher of Thatchwood has thatch'd?

CCXLIV.

[Sometimes 'off a pewter plate' is added at the end of each line.]

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper;

A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked;

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,

Where's the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?

CCXLV.

My father he left me, just as he was able,

One bowl, one bottle, one lable,

Two bowls, two bottles, two lables,

Three, &c.[And so on ad.lib.in one breath.]

CCXLVI.

Robert Rowley rolled a round roll round,

A round roll Robert Rowley rolled round;

Where rolled the round roll Robert Rowley rolled round?

CCXLVII.

My grandmother sent me a new-fashioned three cornered cambric country cut handkerchief. Not an old-fashioned three cornered cambric country cut handkerchief, but a new-fashioned three cornered cambric country cut handkerchief.

CCXLVIII.

Three crooked cripples went through Cripplegate, and through Cripplegate went three crooked cripples.

CCXLIX.

Swan swam over the sea—

Swim, swan, swim;

Swan swam back again,

Well swam swan,

CCL.

Hickup, hickup, go away!

Come again another day;

Hickup, hickup, when I bake,

I'll give to you a butter-cake.

CCLI.

Hickup, snicup,

Rise up, right up!

Three drops in the cup

Are good for the hiccup.

NINTH CLASS—GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.

CCLII.


HERE 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!"

CCLIII.

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 well and put them to bed.

CCLIV.

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.

CCLV.

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.

CCLVI.

There was an old woman, her name it was Peg;

Her head was of wood, and she wore a cork-leg.

The neighbours all pitch'd her into the water,

Her leg was drown'd first, and her head follow'd a'ter.

CCLVII.

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!

CCLVIII.

There was an old woman,

And she sold puddings and pies;

She went to the mill,

And the dust flew in her eyes:

Hot pies and cold pies to sell!

Wherever she goes,—

You may follow her by the smell.

CCLIX.

Old Mother Niddity Nod swore by the pudding-bag,

She would go to Stoken Church fair;

And then old Father Peter said he would meet her

Before she got half-way there.

CCLX.

There was an old woman

Lived under a hill;

And if she's not gone,

She lives there still.

CCLXI.

There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket

Nineteen 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?Aye, by and by.

CCLXII.

There was an old man who liv'd in Middle Row,

He had five hens and a name for them, oh!

Bill and Ned and Battock,

Cut-her-foot and Pattock,

Chuck, my lady Prattock,

Go to thy nest and lay.

CCLXIII.

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!

CCLXIV.

Old Betty Blue

Lost a holiday shoe,

What can old Betty do?

Give her another

To match the other,

And then she may swagger in two.

CCLXV.

Old mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard,

To get her poor dog a bone;

But when she came there

The cupboard was bare,

And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's

To buy him some bread,

But when she came back

The poor dog was dead.

She went to the joiner's

To buy him a coffin,

But when she came back

The poor dog was laughing.*

She took a clean dish

To get him some tripe,

But when she came back

He was smoking his pipe.

She went to the fishmonger's

To buy him some fish,

And when she came back

He was licking the dish.

She went to the ale-house

To get him some beer,

But when she came back

The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern

For white wine and red,

But when she came back

The dog stood on his head.

She went to the hatter's

To buy him a hat,

But when she came back

He was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's

To buy him a wig,

But when she came back

He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer's

To buy him some fruit,

But when she came back

He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's

To buy him a coat,

But when she came back

He was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler's

To buy him some shoes,

But when she came back

He was reading the news.

She went to the sempstress

To buy him some linen,

But when she came back

The dog was spinning.

She went to the hosier's

To buy him some hose,

But when she came back

He 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.

* Probably loffing or loffin', to complete the rhyme. So in Shakspeare's 'Mids. Night's Dream,' act ii, sc. 1:

"And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe."

CCLXVI.

[The first two lines of the following are the same with those of a song in D'Urfey's 'Pills to Purge Melancholy,' vol. v, p. 13.]

There was an old woman

Lived under a hill,

She put a mouse in a bag,

And sent it to mill;

The miller declar'd

By the point of his knife,

He never took toll

Of a mouse in his life.

CCLXVII.

[The following is part of a comic song called 'Success to the Whistle and Wig,' intended to be sung in rotation by the members of a club.]

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!

CCLXVIII.

[The tale on which the following story is founded is found in a MS. of the fifteenth century, preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester.]

There was an old man, who lived in a wood,

As you may plainly see;

He said he could do as much work in a day,

As his wife could do in three.

With all my heart, the old woman said,

If that you will allow,

To-morrow you'll stay at home in my stead,

And I'll go drive the plough:

But you must milk the Tidy cow,

For fear that she go dry;

And you must feed the little pigs

That are within the sty;

And you must mind the speckled hen,

For fear she lay away;

And you must reel the spool of yarn

That I spun yesterday.

The old woman took a staff in her hand,

And went to drive the plough:

The old man took a pail in his hand,

And went to milk the cow;

But Tidy hinched, and Tidy flinched,

And Tidy broke his nose,

And Tidy gave him such a blow,

That the blood ran down to his toes.

High!Tidy!ho!Tidy!high!

Tidy!do stand still;

If ever I milk you, Tidy, again,

'Twill be sore against my will!

He went to feed the little pigs,

That were within the sty;

He hit his head against the beam,

And he made the blood to fly.

He went to mind the speckled hen,

For fear she'd lay astray,

And he forgot the spool of yarn

His wife spun yesterday.

So he swore by the sun, the moon, and the stars,

And the green leaves on the tree,

If his wife didn't do a day's work in her life,

She should ne'er be ruled by he.

CCLXIX.

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."

CCLXX.

Oh, dear, what can the matter be?

Two old women got up in an apple tree;

One came down,

And the other staid till Saturday.

CCLXXI.

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.

CCLXXII.

Father Short came down the lane,

Oh!I'm obliged to hammer and smite

From four in the morning till eight at night,

For a bad master, and a worse dame.

CCLXXIII.

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.

CCLXXIV.

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.

CCLXXV.

A little old man of Derby,

How do you think he served me?

He took away my bread and cheese,

And that is how he served me.

CCLXXVI.

There was an old woman in Surrey,

Who, was morn, noon, and night in a hurry;

Call'd her husband a fool,

Drove the children to school,

The worrying old woman of Surrey.

TENTH CLASS—GAMES.

CCLXXVII.

[Rhymes used by children to decide who is to begin a game.]


NE-ERY, two-ery,

Ziccary zan;

Hollow bone, crack a bone,

Ninery, ten:

Spittery spot,

It must be done;

Twiddleum twaddleum,

Twenty-one.

Hink spink, the puddings stink,

The fat begins to fry,

Nobody at home, but jumping Joan,

Father, mother, and I.

Stick, stock, stone dead,

Blind man can't see,

Every knave will have a slave,

You or I must be he.

CCLXXVIII.

[A game of the Fox. In a children's game, where all the little actors are seated in a circle, the following stanza is used as question and answer.]

Who goes round my house this night?

None but cruel Tom!

Who steals all the sheep at night?

None but this poor one.

CCLXXIX.

Dance, Thumbkin, dance,

[Keep the thumb in motion.

Dance, ye merrymen, every one:

[All the fingers in motion.

For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,

[The thumb only moving

Thumbkin, he can dance alone,

[Ditto.

Dance, Foreman, dance,

[The first finger moving.

Dance, ye merrymen, every one;

[The whole moving.

But Foreman, he can dance alone,

Foreman, he can dance alone.

[and So on With the Others—naming the 2d Finger Longman—the 3d Finger Ringman—and the 4th Finger Littleman.Littleman Cannot Dance Alone.]

CCLXXX.

[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.

CCLXXXI.

[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.

CCLXXXII.

[One child holds a wand to the face of another, repeating these lines, and making grimaces, to cause the latter to laugh, and so to the others; those who laugh paying a forfeit.]

Buff says Buff to all his men,

And I say Buff to you again;

Buff neither laughs nor smiles,

But carries his face

With a very good grace,

And passes the stick to the very next place!

CCLXXXIII.

[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.

CCLXXXIV.

Awake, arise, pull out your eyes,

And hear what time of day;

And when you have done, pull out your tongue,

And see what you can say.

CCLXXXV.

GAME OF THE GIPSY.

[One child is selected for Gipsy, one for Mother, and one for Daughter Sue.The Mother says,—

I charge my daughters every one

To keep good house while I am gone.

You and you (points) but specially you,

[Or sometimes, but specially Sue.]

Or else I'll beat you black and blue.

[During the Mother's absence, the Gipsy comes in, entices a child away, and hides her. This process is repeated till all the children are hidden, when the Mother has to find them.]

CCLXXXVI.

[This game begins thus: Take this—What's this? —A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog, &c.]

Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,

Hunting over other men's grounds!

Eleven ships sailing o'er the main,

Some bound for France and some for Spain:

I wish them all safe home again:

Ten comets in the sky,

Some low and some high;

Nine peacocks in the air,

I wonder how they all came there,

I do not know and I do not care;

Eight joiners in joiner's hall,

Working with the tools and all;

Seven lobsters in a dish,

As fresh as any heart could wish;

Six beetles against the wall,

Close by an old woman's apple stall;

Five puppies of our dog Ball,

Who daily for their breakfast call;

Four horses stuck in a bog,

Three monkeys tied to a clog;

Two pudding-ends would choke a dog.

With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.

CCLXXXVII.

[A string of children, hand in hand, stand in a row.A child (A) stands in front of them, as leader; two other children (B and C) form an arch, each holding both the hands of the other.]

a.  Draw a pail of water,

For 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.

b.  One rush, two rush,

Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.

[A passes by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children, the last of whom is taken captive by B and C.The verses are repeated, until all are taken.]

CCLXXXVIII.

[The following seems to belong to the last game; but it is usually found by itself in the small books of children's rhymes.]

Sieve my lady's oatmeal,

Grind my lady's flour,

Put it in a chesnut,

Let it stand an hour;

One may rush, two may rush,

Come, my girls, walk under the bush.

CCLXXXIX.

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.

CCXC.

There were three jovial Welshmen,

As I have heard them say,

And they would go a-hunting

Upon St.David's day.

All the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But 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 find

But 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 find

But 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 pincushion,

And the pins stuck in wrong way.

And all the night they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But 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 find

But 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.

CCXCI.

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.

CCXCII.

Margery Mutton-pie, and Johnny Bopeep,

They met together in Grace-church Street;

In and out, in and out, over the way,

Oh!says Johnny, 'tis chop-nose day.

CCXCIII.

Intery, mintery, cutery-corn,

Apple seed and apple thorn;

Wine, brier, limber-lock,

Five geese in a flock,

Sit and sing by a spring,

O-u-t, and in again.

CCXCIV.

[The game of water-skimming is of high antiquity, being mentioned by Julius Pollux, and also by Eustathius, in his commentary upon Homer. Brand quotes a curious passage from Minucius Felix; but all antiquaries seem to have overlooked the very curious notice in Higgins' adaptation of Junius's 'Nomenclator,' 8vo, London, 1585, p. 299, where it is called "a duck and a drake, and a halfe-penie cake." Thus it is probable that lines like the following were employed in this game as early as 1585; and it may be that the last line has recently furnished a hint to Mathews in his amusing song in 'Patter vClatter.']

A duck and a drake,

A nice barley-cake,

With a penny to pay the old baker;

A hop and a scotch,

Is another notch,

Slitherum, slatherum, take her.

CCXCV.

See, Saw, Margery Daw,

Sold her bed and lay upon straw;

Was not she a dirty slut,

To sell her bed and lie in the dirt!

CCXCVI.

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.

CCXCVII.

1.I am 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!

CCXCVIII.

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.

CCXCIX.

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.

CCC.

Jack be nimble,

And Jack be quick:

And Jack jump over

The candle-stick.

CCCI.

[This should be accompanied by a kind of pantomimic dance, in which the motions of the body and arms express the process of weaving; the motion of the shuttle, &c.]

Weave the diaper tick-a-tick tick,

Weave the diaper tick—

Come this way, come that

As close as a mat,

Athwart and across, up and down, round about,

And forwards, and backwards, and inside, and out;

Weave the diaper thick-a-thick thick,

Weave the diaper thick!

CCCII.

[Used in Somersetshire in counting out the game of pee-wip or pee wit.]

One-ery, two-ery, hickary, hum,

Fillison, follison, Nicholson, John,

Quever, quauver, Irish Mary,

Stenkarum, stankarum, buck!

CCCIII.

Whoop, whoop, and hollow,

Good dogs won't follow,

Without the hare cries "pee wit."

CCCIV.

Tom Brown's two little Indian boys,

One ran away,

The other wouldn't stay,—

Tom Brown's two little Indian boys.

CCCV.

There were two blackbirds,

Sitting 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!

CCCVI.

Tip, top, tower,

Tumble down in an hour.

CCCVII.

1.   I went 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.

CCCVIII.

Number number nine, this hoop's mine;

Number number ten, take it back again.

CCCIX.

Here goes my lord

A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,

Here goes my lady

A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!

Here goes my young master

Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch:

Here goes my young miss,

An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!

The footman lays behind to tipple ale and wine,

And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

CCCX.

[This is acted by two or more girls, who walk or dance up and down, turning, when they say, "turn, cheeses, turn."The "green cheeses," as I am informed, are made with sage and potatoe-tops.Two girls are said to be "cheese and cheese."]

Green cheese, yellow laces,

Up and down the market-places,

Turn, cheeses, turn!

CCCXI.

To market ride the gentlemen,

So do we, so do we;

Then comes the country clown,

Hobbledy gee, Hobbledy gee;

First go the ladies, nim, nim, nim;

Next come the gentlemen, trim, trim, trim;

Then comes the country clowns, gallop-a-trot.

CCCXII.

Ride a cock-horse to Coventry-cross;

To see what Emma can buy;

A penny white cake I'll buy for her sake,

And a twopenny tart or a pie.

CCCXIII.

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.

CCCXIV.

[Song set to five toes.]

1.   Let us go to the wood, says this pig;

2.   What to do there?   says that pig;

3.   To look for my mother, says this pig;

4.   What to do with her?   says that pig;

5.   Kiss her to death, says this pig.

CCCXV.

[A number of boys and girls stand round one in the middle, who repeats the following lines, counting the children until one is counted out by the end of the verses.]

Ring me (1), ring me (2), ring me rary (3),

As I go round (4), ring by ring (5),

A virgin (6) goes a maying (7),

Here's a flower (8), and there's a flower (9),

Growing in my lady's garden (10),

If you set your foot awry (11),

Gentle John will make you cry (12),

If you set your foot amiss (13),

Gentle John (14) will give you a kiss.

[The child upon whom (14) falls is then taken out, and forced to select one of the other sex.The middle child then proceeds.]

This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours,

Has put [him or her] self in [the selected child's] power,

So clap all hands, and ring all bells, and make the wedding o'er.

[All clap hands.]

[If the child taken by lot joins in the clapping, the selected child is rejected, and I believe takes the middle place.Otherwise, I think, there is a salute.]

CCCXVI.

[Another game, played exclusively by boys.Two, who are fixed upon for the purpose, leave the group, and privately arrange that the pass-word shall be some implement of a particular trade.The trade is announced in the dialogue, and then the fun is, that the unfortunate wight who guesses the "tool" is beaten with the caps of his fellows till he reaches a fixed goal, after which he goes out in turn.]

"Two broken tradesmen,

Newly come over,

The one from France and Scotland,

The other from Dover."

"What's your trade?"

[Carpenters, nailors, smiths, tinkers, or any other is answered, and on guessing the instrument "plane him, hammer him, rasp him, or solder him," is called out respectively during the period of punishment.]

CCCXVII.

Clap hands, clap hands,

Hie Tommy Randy,

Did you see my good man?

They call him Cock-a-bandy.

Silken Stockings on his legs,

Silver buckles glancin',

A sky-blue bonnet on his head,

And oh, but he is handsome.

CCCXVIII.

[A song set to five fingers.]

1.   This pig went to market;

2.   This pig staid 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.

CCCXIX.

[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.

CCCXX.

[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.

CCCXXI.

[Two of the strongest children are selected, a and b; a stands within a ring of the children, b being outside.]

a.   Who is going round my sheepfold?

b.   Only poor old Jacky Lingo.

a.   Don't steal any of my black sheep.

b.   No, no more I will, only by one,

  Up, says Jacky Lingo.   (Strikes one.)

[The child struck leaves the ring, and takes hold of b behind; b in the same manner takes the other children, one by one, gradually increasing his tail on each repetition of the verses, until he has got the whole; a then tries to get them back; b runs away with them; they try to shelter themselves behind b; a drags them off, one by one, setting them against a wall, until he has recovered all. A regular tearing game, as children say.]

CCCXXII.

Highty cock O!

To London we go,

To York we ride;

And Edward has pussy-cat tied to his side;

He shall have little dog tied to the other,

And then he goes trid trod to see his grandmother.

CCCXXIII.

This is the key of the kingdom.

In that kingdom there is a city.

In that city there is a town.

In that town there is a street.

In that street there is a lane.

In that lane there is a yard.

In that yard there is a house.

In that house there is a room.

In that room there is a bed.

On that bed there is a basket.

In that basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in the basket, basket in the bed, bed in the room, &c.&c.

CCCXXIV.

[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 or Seek," or any other game where a victim is required.A cock and bull story of this kind is related of the historian Josephus.There are other versions of this, and one may be seen in 'Blackwood's Magazine' for August, 1821, p.36.]

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), spells OUT!

CCCXXV.

One old Oxford ox opening oysters;

Two tee-totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tadbury;

Three tall tigers tippling tenpenny tea;

Four fat friars fanning fainting flies;

Five frippy Frenchmen foolishly fishing for flies;

Six sportsmen shooting snipes;

Seven Severn salmons swallowing shrimps;

Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe;

Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils;

Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinderboxes with ten tenpenny tacks;

Eleven elephants elegantly equipt;

Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types.

CCCXXVI.

[The following lines are sung by children when starting for a race.]

Good horses, bad horses,

What is the time of day?

Three o'clock, four o'clock,

Now fare you away.

CCCXXVII.

See-saw, jack a daw,

What is a craw to do wi' her?

She has not a stocking to put on her,

And the craw has not one for to gi' her.

CCCXXVIII.

[The following is a game played as follows: 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.

CCCXXIX.

Clap hands, clap hands!

Till father comes home;

For father's got money,

But mother's got none.

Clap hands, &c.

Till father, &c.

CCCXXX.

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.

CCCXXXI.

Here stands a post,

Who put it there?

A better man than you;

Touch it if you dare!

CCCXXXII.

[A stands with a row of girls (her daughters) behind her; B, a suitor, advances.]

b.   Trip trap over the grass: If you please will you let one of your [eldest] daughters come,

Come and dance with me?

I will give you pots and pans, I will give you brass,

I will give you anything for a pretty lass.

a.   says, "No."

b.   I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl,

I will give you anything for a pretty girl.

a.   Take one, take one, the fairest you may see.

b.   The fairest one that I can see

Is pretty Nancy,—come to me.

[B carries one off, and says:]

You shall have a duck, my dear,

And you shall have a drake,

And you shall have a young man apprentice for your sake.

[Children say:]

If this young man should happen to die,

And leave this poor woman a widow,

The bells shall all ring, and the birds shall all sing,

And we'll all clap hands together.

[So it is repeated until the whole are taken.]

CCCXXXIII.

[The "Three Knights of Spain" is a game played in nearly the same manner as the preceding. The dramatis personæ form themselves in two parties, one representing a courtly dame and her daughters, the other the suitors of the daughters. The last party, moving backwards and forwards, with their arms entwined, approach and recede from the mother party, which is stationary, singing to a very sweet air. See Chambers' 'Popular Rhymes,' p. 66.]

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.

CCCXXXIV.

[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!

CCCXXXV.

[In the following childish amusement, one extends his arm, and the other in illustration of the narrative, strikes him gently with the side of his hand at the shoulder and wrist; and then at the word "middle," with considerable force, on the flexor muscles at the elbow-joint.]

My father was a Frenchman,

He bought for me a fiddle,

He cut me here, he cut me here,

He cut me right in the middle.

CCCXXXVI.

[Patting the foot on the five toes.]

Shoe the colt, shoe!

Shoe the wild mare;

Put a sack on her back,

See if she'll bear.

If she'll bear,

We'll give her some grains;

If she won't bear,

We'll dash out her brains!

CCCXXXVII.

[Game on a child's features.]

Here sits the Lord Mayor       .   .     forehead

Here sit his two men     .  .  .    eyes

Here sits the cock      .  .  .  .    right cheek

Here sits the hen    .  .  .  .    left cheek

Here sit the little chickens       .  .    tip of nose

Here they run in     .  .  .  .    mouth

Chinchopper, chinchopper,

Chinchopper, chin!  .  .  .    chuck the chin

CCCXXXVIII.

[A play with the face. The child exclaims:]

Ring the bell!   .   .   .     giving a lock of its hair a pull.

Knock at the door!  .    tapping its forehead.

Draw the latch!  .  .    pulling up its nose.

And walk in!  .  .  .    opening its mouth and putting in its finger.

CCCXXXIX.

[An exercise during which the fingers of the child are enumerated.]

Thumbikin, Thumbikin, broke the barn,

Pinnikin, Pinnikin, stole the corn.

Long back'd Gray

Carried it away.

Old Mid-man sat and saw,

But Peesy-weesy paid for a'.

CCCXL.

This pig went to market,

Squeak mouse, mouse, mousey;

Shoe, shoe, shoe the wild colt,

And here's my own doll, Dowsy.

CCCXLI.

[From Yorkshire. A game to alarm children.]

Flowers, flowers, high-do!

Sheeny, greeny, rino!

Sheeny greeny,

Sheeny greeny,

Rum tum fra!

CCCXLII.

1.   This pig went to the barn.

2.   This eat all the corn.

3.   This said he would tell.

4.   This said he wasn't well.

5.   This went week, week, week, over the door sill.

CCCXLIII.

[The two following are fragments of a game called "The Lady of the Land," a complete version of which has not fallen in my way.]

Here comes a poor woman from baby-land,

With three small children in her hand:

One can brew, the other can bake,

The other can make a pretty round cake.

One can sit in the garden and spin,

Another can make a fine bed for the king;

Pray ma'am will you take one in?

CCCXLIV.

I can make diet bread,

Thick and thin;

I can make diet bread,

Fit for the king.

CCCXLV.

Here we come a piping,

First in spring, and then in May;

The queen she sits upon the sand,

Fair as a lily, white as a wand:

King John has sent you letters three,

And begs you'll read them unto me.

We can't read one without them all,

So pray, Miss Bridget, deliver the ball!

CCCXLVI.

The first day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree.

The second day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Two turtle doves and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The third day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The fourth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The fifth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The sixth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The seventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The eighth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The ninth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The tenth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The twelfth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Twelve lords a leaping,

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

[Each child in succession repeats the gifts of the day, and forfeits for each mistake.This accumulative process is a favorite with children: in early writers, such as Homer, the repetition of messages, &c.pleases on the same principle.]

CCCXLVII.

[A game on the fingers.]

Heetum peetum penny pie,

Populorum gingum gie;

East, West, North, South,

Kirby, Kendal, Cock him out!

CCCXLVIII.

[A game-rhyme.]

Trip and go, heave and hoe,

Up and down, to and fro;

From the town to the grove

Two and two let us rove,

A-maying, a-playing;

Love hath no gainsaying;

So merrily trip and go,

So merrily trip and go!

CCCXLIX.

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!

CCCL.

There was a man, and his name was Dob,

And he had a wife, and her name was Mob,

And he had a dog, and he called it Cob,

And she had a cat, called Chitterabob.

Cob, says Dob,

Chitterabob, says Mob,

Cob was Dob's dog,

Chitterabob Mob's cat.

CCCLI.

[Two children sit opposite to each other; the first turns her fingers one over the other, and says:]

"May my geese fly over your barn?"

[The other answers, Yes, if they'll do no harm. Upon which the first unpacks the fingers of her hand, and waving it over head, says:]

"Fly over his barn and eat all his corn."

CCCLII.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Now we dance looby, looby, light,

Shake your right hand a little

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

Shake your right foot a little,

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

Shake your right foot a little,

Shake your left foot a little,

And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,

Shake your right hand a little,

Shake your left hand a little,

Shake your right foot a little,

Shake your left foot a little,

Shake your head a little,

And turn you round about.

[Children dance round first, then stop and shake the hand, &c. then turn slowly round, and then dance in a ring again.]

CCCLIII.

THE OLD DAME.

[One child, called the Old Dame, sits on the floor, and the rest, joining hands, form a circle round her, and dancing, sing the following lines:]