NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
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To THE AVEMORY OF
LlEUT.-COL.JoiIN SHAW BlLLINGS
AYD.,D.C.L.,LL.D.
FIRST DIRECTOR OF
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
WHO BY HIS FORESIGHT ENERGY AND
ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITY
JVYADE EFFECTIVE ITS FAR-REACHING INFLUENCE
" HE IS NOT DEAD WHO GIVETH LIFE TO KNOWLEDGE"
JOHN SHAW BILLINGS AVEAORIAL FUND FOUNDED BY ANNA PAL.HKK DRAPER
7T7T13
THE NURSERY RHYMES OF ENGLAND.
•iw ro.
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i
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC I IBRAKT
ASTOFU LFNOX AND TILDEN F
ft
THE NURSERY RHYMES
OF
ENGL AN D.
BY
JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL.'
'
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY W. B. SCOTT.
k
' ' • • • i
LONDON AND NEW YORK:
FREDERICK WA R N E AND
1886.
M
CO
THE NEW Y0; K LIBRARY
890412A
ASTOP, LENOX AND T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS 1987 L
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.
PREFACE
FIFTH EDITION.
|HE great encouragement which has jr been given by the public to the previous editions of this little work, satisfactorily proves that, notwithstanding the extension of serious education to all but the very earliest periods of life, there still exists an undying love for the popular remnants of the ancient Scandinavian nursery literature. Tlu' infants and children of the nineteenth century have not, then, deserted the rhymes chanted so many ages since by the mothers of the North. This is a "great nursery fact" a proof that there is contained in some of
IV PREFACE.
these traditional nonsense-rhymes a meaning and a romance, possibly intelligible only to very young minds, that exercise an influence on the fancy of children. It is obvious there must exist something of this kind ; for no modern compositions are found to supply altogether the place of the ancient doggrel. The nursery rhyme is the novel and light reading of the infant scholar. It occupies, with respect to the A B C, the position of a romance which relieves the mind from the cares of a riper age. The absurdity and fri- volity of a rhyme may naturally be its chief attractions to the very young; and there will be something lost from the imagination of that child, whose parents insist so much on matters of fact, that the " cow ' must be made, in compliance with the rules of their educational code, to jump "'under" instead of "over the moon;" while of course the little dog must be considered as " barking," not " laughing " at the circumstance.
PREFACE. V
These, or any sueh objections, — for it seems there are others of about equal weight, —are, it appears to me, more silly than the worst nursery rhyme the little readers will meet with in the following pages. I am quite willing to leave the question to their decision, feeling assured the catering for them has not been in vain, and that these cullings from the high-ways and bye-ways— they have been collected from nearly every countv in England — will be to them real
J o
flowers, soothing the misery of many an hour of infantine adversity.
.-
CON I1 E N T S.
PAGE
FIRST CLASS— HISTORICAL . 1
SECOND CLASS— LITERAL . .11
THIRD CLASS— TALES . 22
FOURTH CLASS— PROVERBS . . 08
FIFTH CLASS— SCHOLASTIC . . 70
SIXTH CLASS— SONGS . . 82
SEVENTH CLASS— RIDDLES . 11!)
EIGHTH CLASS— CHARMS . . 135
NINTH CLASS-GAFFERS AND GAMMERS IH
TENTH CLASS— GAMES . . 151
i
Vlll
CONTENTS.
P.M. I
196
ELEVENTH CLASS— PARADOXES
TWELFTH CLASS— LULLABIES . . 205
THIRTEENTH CLASS— JINGLES . . 213
FOURTEENTH CLASS— LOVE AND MATRI- MONY . 224
FIFTEENTH CLASS— NATURAL HISTORY . 251 SIXTEENTH CLASS— ACCUMULATIVE STORIES 282
SEVENTEENTH CLASS— LOCAL . . 299
EIGHTEENTH CLASS— RELICS . 303
INDEX 317
/-
FIRST CLASS— HISTORICAL.
i.
King Cole fi? 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 tiddlers three. Every fiddler, he had a fiddle, And a very fine fiddle had he ; Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee, went the Oh, there's none so rare, fiddlers.]
As can compare With King Cole and his fiddlers three !
traditional Nursery Rhymes of England commence with a legendary satire on King Cole, who reigned in Britain, as the old chroniclers inform
2 HISTORICAL.
us, iii (lie third century after Christ. According to Robert of Gloucester, he \\as the father of St. Helena, and if so, Butler must he wrong in ascribing un obscure origin to the celebrated mother of Constantino. King Cole was a brave and popular man in his day, and ascended the throne of Britain on the death of Asclepiod, amidst the acclamations of the people, or, as Robert of Gloucester expresses himself, the "fclc was tlio of this lond y-paid \vel y-nou." At Colchester there is a large earthwork, supposed to have been a. Roman amphitheatre, which goes popularly by the name of "King Cole's Kitchen." According to Jeffrey of Monmouth, King Cole's daughter was well skilled in music, but we unfortunately have no evidence to show that her father was attached to that science, further than what is contained in lln foregoing lines, which are of doubtful antiquity. The following version of the song is of the seventeenth century, the one given above being pro- I'.iiin a modernization •—
Good King Cole,
lie call'd for his bowl,
And he call'd for (idlers three:
And there was fiddle fiddle,
And twice fiddle fiddle,
l''or 'twas my lady's birth-day ;
Therefore we keep holiday,
And come to be merry.]
II.
WHEN good king Arthur ruled this land,
He was a goodly king ; lie stole three pecks of barley-meal,
To make a bag-pudding.
A bag-pudding the king did make, And stuff d it well with plums :
And in it put great lumps of fat, As big as my two thumbs.
The king and queen did eat thereof,
And noblemen beside ; And what they could not eat that night,
The queen next morning fried.
HISTORICAL. :>
III.
[The followiti}; «>IIL' rcliitiiv,' to Robin IIcioil, the celebrated mil l:uv, is url! known at Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, where it constitutes one of the nursery series.]
ROBIN HOOD, Robin Hood, Is in the mickle wood ! Little John, Little John, He to the town is gone.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Is telling his beads, All in the green wood,
Among the green weeds.
Little John, Little John,
If he comes no more, Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
He will fret full sore !
IV.
[The following lines were obtained in Oxfordshire. The story to which it alludes is related by Matthew Paris.]
ONE moonshiny night
As I sat high,
Waiting for one
To come by ;
The boughs did bend,
My heart did ache
To see what hole the fox did make.
HISTORICAL.
[The following perhaps refers to Joanna of Castile, who visited the court of JU-nry the Seventh, in the year 1506.]
I HAD a little nut tree, nothing would it bear But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear ; The kins of Spain's daughter came to visit
me,
And all was because of my little nut tree. I skipp'd over water, I danced over sea, And all the birds in the air couldn't catch
me.
VI.
TFrom a MS. in (lie old Royal Library, in the British Museum, tlieexn.-t reference to which is mislaid.' It is written, if I recollect rightly, in a hand of the time of Hum- Vlll, in an older manuscript.]
WE make no spare
Of John Hunkes' mare ;
And now I
Think she will die ;
lie thought it good
To put her in the wood,
To seek where she might ly dry ;
If the mare should chance to fale,
Then the crownes would for her sale.
HISTORICAL. ;>
VIT.
[From MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 19, written iii the time of Charles i.]
THE king of France, and four thousand men, They drew their swords, and put them up again.
VIII.
[In a tract, called ' Pigges Corantoe, or Newes from the North,' 4to i/ond. 1642, p. 3, this is called " Old Tarltoii's Song." It is perhaps a parody on the pupular epigram of "Jack and Jill." 1 do not know tin: period uf tin- Imttle to which it appears to allude, but Tarlton died in the year 1588, so that the rhyme must he earlier.]
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.
IX.
THE king of France, with twenty thousand
men.
Went up the hill, and then came down again. The king of Spain, with twenty thousand
more, Climb'd the same hill the French had climb'd
before.
0 HISTORICAL.
X.
[Another version. The nurse sin^s the first line, and repeals it, time aftrr time, until the expectant little one asks, what next? Then conies the climax.]
THE king of France, the king of France,
with forty thousand men, Oh, they all went up the hill, and so — came
back again !
XI.
AT the siege of Belle-isle I was there all the while, All the while, all the while, At the siege of Belle-isle.
XII.
tune to the following may be found in the ' English Dancing .Master, 1051, p. 37.]
THE rose is red, the grass is green, Serve Queen Bess our noble queen ;
Kitty the spinner
Will sit down to dinner, And cat the leg of a frog ;
All good people
Look over the steeple, And see the cat play with the dog.
HISTORICAL. 7
XIII
GOOD Queen Bess was a glorious dame, When bonnv King Jemmv from Scotland
*/ O */
We'll pepper their bodies, came ;]
Their peaceable noddies,
Arid give them a crack of the crown !
XIV.
! The word lory has changed greatly in its meaning, as it or gin at cd in tin- ITILTII ot Elizabeth, and n-|>ic*entcil ;i da^s ut" " bog-trotters," who were i
• •n!ii|MPund (if tin- knave anil the highwayman. I'ur many interesting ]>--ir- tirulurs see Crot'ton Croker's ' Kescaiehi s in llir Smith of Ireland.' Itn I-.-. I-, p. 52.]
llo ! Master Teaguc, what is your story ? I Avent to the wood and kill d a for// ; 1 went to the wood and kill'd another ; ^ras it the same, or was it his brother?
I hunted him in, and I hunted him out, Three times through the bog, about and
about ;
When out of a bush I saw his head, So I fired my g'-in, and I shot him dead.
xv.
PLEASE to remember The fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot ; I know no reason \Vliy gunpowder treason
Should ever be forcrot.
8 HISTORICAL.
XVI.
TTaken from MS. Douce, 337, fol. 124. See Ecliard's • History of England,' book iii, chap, i.j
SEE saw, sack-a-day ; Monmoutli is a pretie boy,
Richmond is another, Grafton is my onely joy, And why should I these three destroy,
To please a pious brother !
XVII.
OVER the water, and over the lee, And over the water to Charley. Charley loves good ale and wine, And Charley loves good brandy, And Charley loves a pretty girl, As sweet as sugar-candy.
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.
HISTORICAL. 9
XVTII.
[The following i? partly ijuoted in an old son£ in a MS. at Oxford. Ashmole No. 36,fol. 110.]
As I was going by Charing Cross, I sa\v a lilack man upon a black horse ; They told me it was King Charles the First ; Oh dear ! my heart was ready to burst !
MX.
II Kin diddle ding,
Did you hear the bells ring?
The parliament soldiers are gone to the king !
Some they did laugh, some they did ci\,
To see the parliament soldiers pass by.
xx.
HIGH ding a ding, and ho ding a ding, The parliament soldiers are gone to the king ; Some with new beavers, some with new
bands, The parliament soldiers are all to be hang'd.
XXI.
HECTOR PROTECTOR was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him,
Nor more did the King :
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
10 HISTORICAL.
XXII.
[The following is R fragment of a song on the subject, which waa introduced by Russell in the character of Jerry Sneak.]
POOR old Robinson Crusoe ! Poor old Robinson Crusoe ! They made him a coat Of an old nanny goat,
I wonder how they could do so ! With a ring a ting tang, And a ring a ting tang,
Poor old Robinson Crusoe !
XXIII.
[Written on occasion of the marriage of Mary, the daughter of James duke of York, afterwards James II, with the young Prince of Orange. The song from which these lines are taken may he seen iu 'The Jacohite Min- strelsy,1 12mo, Glasgow, 1828, p. 28.1
WHAT is the rhyme for poring er ? The king he had a daughter fair, And gave the Prince of Orange her.
XXIV.
[The following nursery soag alludes to William III and George prince ot
Denmark.]
WILLIAM and Mary, George and Anne, Four such children had never a man : They put their father to flight and shame, And call'd their brother a shocking bad name.
HISTORICAL. ] ]
XXV.
[A Rong on King William the Third.]
As I walk'd by myself, And talked to myself,
Myself said unto me, Look to thyself, Take, care of thyself,
For nobody cares for thee.
«,•
I answer' d myself, And said to myself
In the self-same repartee, Look to thyself, Or not look to thyself,
The self-same thing will be.
XXVI.
[From MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 19, written in the time of Charles I. It appears from MS. Harl. 390, fol. 85, that these verses were written in Ui26, against the Duke of Buckingham.]
THERE was a monkey clirub'd up a tree, When he fell down, then down fell he.
There was a crow sat on a stone,
When he was gone, then there was none.
There was an old wife did eat an apple, When she had eat two, she had eat a couple.
12 HISTORICAL.
There was a horse going to the mill, When he went on, he stood not still.
There was a butcher cut his thumb, When it did bleed, then blood did come.
There was a lackey ran a race, When he ran fast, he ran apace.
There was a cobbler clowting slioon, When they were mended, they were done
There was a chandler making candle, When lie them strip, he did them handle.
There was a navy went into Spain, When it return' d it came again.
XXVII.
[The following may possibly allude to King George and the Pretender.]
JIM and George were two great lords,
They fought all in a churn ; And when that Jim got George by the nose,
Then George bewail to ajern.
o o o
HISTORICAL.
13
XXVIII.
LITTLE General Monk
Sat upon a trunk, Eating a crust of bread ;
There fell a hot coal
And burnt in his clothes a hole, Now General Monk is dead.
Keep always from the fire :
If it catch your attire, You too, like Monk, will be dead.
XXIX.
EIGHTY-EIGHT wor Kirby feight, When nivver a man was slain ;
They yatt their meant, an drank ther drink An sae com merrily heaam agayn.
SECOND CLASS— LITERAL.
- i re i •
UNE, two, three, I love coffee, And Billy loves ten. How good you he, One, two, three. I love coffee, And Billv loves tea.
XXXI.
A, B, C, iumble down D,
The rat's in the cupboard and can't see me
LITERAL. 1 5
XXXI I.
[Finis/!
F for fig, J for jig,
And N for knuckle bones, I for John the waterman,
And S for sack of stones.
XXXIII.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ! I caught a hare alive ;
6, 7, 8, 9, 10! I let her go again.
XXXIY.
GREAT A, little a,
Bouncing B ! The cat's in the cupboard,
And she can't see.
XXXV.
ONE'S none; Two's some : Three's a many ; Four's a penny ; live is a little hundred.
] 0 LITERAL.
XXXVI.
A, B, C, and D,
Pray, playmates, agree,
E, F, and G,
Well so it shall be.
J, K, and L,
In peace we will dwell
M, N, and O,
To play let us go.
P, Q, R, and S,
Love may we possess,
W, X, and Y,
Will not quarrel or die.
Z, and amperse-and,
Go to school at command.
XXXVII.
HICKERY, dickery, 6 and 7, Alabonc Crackabone 1 0 and 1 1 , Spin span muskidan ; Twiddle 'urn twaddle 'urn, 21.
XXXVIII.
APPLE-PIE, pudding, and pancake, All begins with an A.
LITERAL 17
XXXIX.
Miss one, two, and three could never agree, While they gossiped round a tea-caddy.
XL.
ONE, two, Buckle my shoe ; Three, four, Shut the door; Five, six, Pick up sticks ; Seven, eight, Lay them straight ; Nine, ten, A good fat hen ; Eleven, twelve, Who will delve? Thirteen, fourteen, Maids a courting ; Fifteen, sixteen, Maids a kissing ; Seventeen, eighteen, Maids a waiting ; Nineteen, twenty, My stomach's empty.
1 8 LITERAL.
XLI.
PAT-A-CAKE, pat-a-cake, baker's man ! So I will, master, as fast as I can : Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T, Put in the oven for Tommy and me.
XLII.
(Tom Thumb's Alphabet.]
A was an archer, and shot at a frog, B was a butcher, and had a great dog. C was a captain, all covered with lace, D was a drunkard, and had a red face. E was an esquire, with pride on his brow, F was a farmer, and followed the plough. G was a gamester, who had but ill luck, H was a hunter and hunted a buck. I was an innkeeper, who lov'd to bouse, J was a joiner, and built up a house. K was King William, once governed this land, L was a lady, who had a white hand. M was a miser, and hoarded up gold, N was a nobleman, gallant and bold. 0 was an oyster wench, and went about town, P was a parson, and wore a black gown. Q was a queen, who was fond of good flip, R was a robber, and wanted a whip.
LITERAL. 19
S was a sailor, and spent all lie got, T was a tinker, and mended a pot. U was an usurer, a miserable elf, V was a vintner, who drank all himself. W was a watchman, and guarded the door X was expensive, and so became poor. Y was a youth, that did not love school, Z was a zany, a poor harmless fool.
XLTII.
A was an apple-pie ; B bit it ;
C CUt it ;
D dealt it ;
E eat it ;
F fought for it ;
G got it ;
H had it ;
J joined it ;
K kept it ;
L loured for it ;
M mourned for it ;
N nodded at it ;
O opened it ;
P peeped in it ;
Q quartered it ;
II ran for it ;
20 LITERAL.
S stole it ;
T took it ;
V viewed it ;
W wanted it ;
X, Y, (/i, and amperse-and,
Ail wisli'd for a piece in hand.
XLIV.
A. for the ape, that we saw at the fair ;
B for a blockhead, who ne'er shall go there ;
C for a collyflower, white as a curd ;
D for a duck, a very good bird ;
E for an egg, good in pudding or pies ;
F for a fanner, rich, honest, and wise ;
G for a gentleman, void of all care ;
H for the hound, that ran down the hare ;
I for an Indian, sooty and dark ;
K for the keeper, that look'd to the park ;
L for a lark, that soar'd in the air ;
M for a mole, that ne'er could get there ;
N for Sir Nobody, ever in fault ;
O for an otter, that- ne'er could be caught ;
P for a pudding, stuck full of plums ;
Q was for quartering it, see here he comes ;
R for a roofs:, that croak' d in the trees ;
S for a sailor, that plough' d the deep seas ;
LITERAL.
21
T for a top, that doth prettily spin ;
V for a virgin of delicate mien ;
W for wealth, in gold, silver, and pence ;
X for old Xenophon, noted for sense ;
Y for a yew, which for ever is green ;
Z for the zebra, that belongs to the queen.
\J
-•
* —
*«> • -
P &£%&&! • '
"CVy
THIRD CLASS— TALES.
XLV. THE STOBY OF CATSKIN.
once was a gentleman grand, Who lived at his country seat ; He wanted an heir to his land,
For he'd nothing but daughters vet.
O O «/
His lady's again in the way,
So she said to her husband with joy, " I hope some or other fine day,
To present yon, my dear, with a boy."
TALES. 23
The gentleman answered gruff,
"If t should turn out a maid or a mouse. For of both we have more than enough,
She shan't stay to live in my house."
The lady, at this declaration, Almost fainted away with pain ;
But what was her sad consternation, When a sweet little girl came again.
She sent her away to be nurs'd, Without seeing her gruff papa ;
And when she was old enough, To a school she was packed away.
Fifteen summers are fled,
Now she left good Mrs. Jervis ;
To see home she was forbid,—
She determined to go and seek service.
Her dresses so grand and so gay, She carefully rolled in a knob ;
Which she hid in a forest away, And put on a Catskin robe.
She knock'd at a castle gate,
And pray'd for charity ; They sent her some meat on a plate,
And kept her a scullion to be.
24 TALES.
My laily look'd long in her face, And prais'd her great beauty ;
I'm sorry I've no better place, And you must our scullion be.
So Catskin was under the cook,
A very sad life she led, Tor often a ladle she took,
And broke poor Catskin's head.
There is now a grand ball to be, When ladies their beauties show ;
" Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, " dear me, How much I should like to go ! '
" You £0 with your Catskin robe,
• i You dirty impudent slut !
Among the fine ladies and lords, A very fine figure you'd cut."
A basin of water she took,
And dash'd in poor Catskin's face ; But briskly her ears she shook,
And went to her hiding-place.
She washed every stain from her skin, In some crystal waterfall ;
Then put on a beautiful dress, And hasted away to the ball.
TALES.
When she entered, the ladies were mute, Overcome by her figure and face ;
But the lord, her young master, at once Fell in love with her beauty and grace ;
He pray'd her his partner to be,
She said, " Yes ! ' with a sweet smiling
glance ; All night with no other lady
fj •*
But Catskin, our young lord would dance.
" Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live? ' For now was the sad parting time ;
But she no other answer would give, Than this distich of mystical rhyme,—
Sir, if tl)C trutjj £ must tell, £lt tt)c sign of tijc Basin of 2Eatrr £ fcfocll.
Then she flew from the ball-room, and put
On her Catskin robe again ; And slipt in unseen by the cook,
Who little thought where she had been.
The young lord, the very next day, To his mother his passion betrayed ;
He declared he never would rest,
Till he'd found out this beautiful maid.
2(> TALKS.
There's another grand ball to be, Where ladies their beauties show ;
" Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, " dear me, How much I should like to go ! '
" You go with your Catskin robe,
You dirty impudent slut ! Among the fine ladies and lords,
A very fine figure you'd cut."
In a rage the ladle she took,
And broke poor Catskin's head ;
But off she went shaking her ears, And swift to her forest she fled.
She washed every blood-stain oft'
In some crystal waterfall ; Put on a more beautiful dress,
And hasted away to the ball.
My lord, at the ball-room door,
Wras waiting with pleasure and pain.
He longed to see nothing so much As the beautiful Catskin again.
When he asked her to dance, she again Said "Yres !" with her first smiling glance;
And again, all the night, my young lord With none but fair Catskin did dance.
TALES. 27
"Pray tell me," said lie, "where you live?'1 For now 'twas the parting-time ;
But she no other answer would give, Than this distich of mystical rhvme, —
</
Sir, if t!)c truth I must tfll, the sign of tljr BrokcmHatilc 31 tjfoell.
Then she rlew from the ball, and put on
I lev Catskin robe again ; AIM! slipt in unseen by the cook,
Who little thought where she had been.
My lord did again, the next day, Declare to his mother his mind,
That, he never more happy should be, Tnless he his chr.rmer should find.
XOAV another grand ball is to be, Where ladies their beauties show;
" Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, " dear me, How much I should like to go! ':
" You go with your Catskin robe,
^ on impudent, dirty slut ! Among the fine ladies and lords,
A very fine figure you'd cut.'
«/ O t/
Iii a fury she took the skimmer, And broke poor Catskin's head ,
But heart-whole and li\elv as ever, Away to her forest, she fled.
28 TALES.
She washed the stains of blood
In some crystal waterfall ; Then put on her most beautiful dress,
And hasted away to the ball.
My lord, at the ball-room door,
Was waiting with pleasure and pain ;
He longed to see nothing so much As the beautiful Catskin again.
When he asked her to dance, she again Said "Yes!" with her first smiling glance ;
And all the night long, my young lord With none but fair Catskin would dance.
" Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live? ' For now was the parting-time ;
But she no other answer would give, Than this distich of mystical rhyme, —
IHiiiU Sir, if Hjc trull) £ must tell,
&t tljc sign of tljr iSrofecifc-Sfummer E titocll.
Then she flew from the ball, and threw on
Her Catskin cloak again ; And slipt in unseen by the cook,
Who little thought where she had been.
But not by my lord unseen,
For this time he followed too fast ;
And, hid in the forest green,
Saw the strange things that past.
TALES.
21)
Next day he took to his bed,
And sent for the doctor to come ;
And begg'd him no other than Catskin, Might come into his room.
He told him how dearly he lov'd her, Not to have her his heart would break :
Then the doctor kindly promised To the proud old lady to speak.
There's a struggle of pride and love, For she fear'd her son would die ;
Hut pride at the last did yield, And love had the mastery.
Then my lord got quickly well,
When he was his charmer to wed ;
And Catskin, before a twelvemonth, Of a young lord was brought to bed.
To a wayfaring woman and child, Lady Catskin one day sent an alms ;
The nurse did the errand, and carried The sweet little lord in her arms.
The child gave the alms to the child,
This was seen by the old lady-mother ; " Only see," said that wicked old woman,
" How the beggars' brats take to each
~~
other ! "
30 TALKS.
This throw went to Catskin's heart, She filing herself down on her knees,
And pray'd her young master and lord To seek out her parents would plense.
They set out in my lord's own coach ;
They travelled, but nought befel Till they reach'd the town hard by,
Where Catskin's father did dwell.
They put up at the head inn, Where Catskin was left alone ;
Hut my lord went to try if her father llis natural child would own.
When folks are away, in diort time What great alterations appear ;
Eor the cold touch of death had all chill'd The hearts of her sisters dear.
Her father repented too late,
And the loss of his youngest bemoan'd ; Jn his old and childless state,
He his pride and cruelty ewn'd.
The old gentleman sat by the fire, And hardly looked up at my lord ;
He had no hopes of comfort A stranger could afford.
TALEfe. 31
Hut niv lord drew a chair close by,
» */ *
And said, in a feeling tone, " Have you not, sir, a daughter, I pray, You never would see or own ? "
The old man alarm'd, cried aloud,
" A hardened sinner am I ! I would give all my worldly goods,
To see her before I die."
Then my lord brought his wife and child To their home and parent's face,
Who fell down and thanks returned To God, for his mercy and grace.
The bells, ringing up in the tower, Are sending a sound to the heart ;
There's a charm in the old church-bells, Which nothing in life can impart !
XLVI.
[The tale of Simple Simon forms one of the chap-books, but the following verses are those generally sung in the nursery.]
SIMPLE Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair ; Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Let me taste your ware."
TALES.
Says the pieman to Simple Simon, " Show me first vour pemiv."
i/ L f *J
Says Simple Simon to the pieman, " Indeed I have not any."
Simple Simon went a fishing
For to catch a whale : All the water he had got
Was in his mother's pail.
XI A' II.
PUNCH and Judy,
Fought for a pie, Punch gave Judy
o *s
A sad blow on the eye.
TALES 33
XL VIII.
THERE was a crooked man, and he went a
crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence against n
crooked stile : He bough f a crooked cat, which caught a
crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.
xux.
SOLOMON GRUNDY, Horn on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, "Worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Juried on Sunday : This is the end Of Solomon Grundy.
L.
ROBIN the Bobbin, the big-bellied Ben, He eat more meat than fourscore men , He eat a cow, he eat a calf, He eat a butcher and a half; He eat a church, he eat a steeple, He eat the priest and all the people !
34
TALKS.
A cow and a calf, An ox and a half, A church and a steeple, And ail the good people, And yet he complain'd that his stomach wasn't full.
LI.
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 vex'd the fat man of Bombay.
TALKS. 35
LIT.
MY dear, do you kno\v,
How a long time ago, Two poor little children,
Whose names I don't know, \Ycre stolen away on a tine summer's day, And left in a wood, as I've heard people say.
And when it was night, So sad was their plight,
The sun it went down, And the moon gave no light ! '11 icy sobb'd and they sigh'd, and they bit- terly cried,
And the poor little things, they lay down and died.
And when they were dead, The Robins so red
Brought strawberry leaves, And over them spread ; And all the day long, They sung them this son";,
' Poor babes in the wood ! poor babes in
the wood ! And don't you remember the babes in the
wood?"
36 TALES.
LI II.
THERE was a man, and he had naught, And robbers came to rob him ;
lie 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 look'd behind him.
LIV.
There was a little man, And he had a little gun, And he went to the brook, And he shot a little rook ; And he took it home To his old wife Joan, And told her to make up a fire, While he went back, To fetch the little drake ; But when he got there, The drake was fled for fear, And like an old novice,
lie turn'd back again.
TALES. 37
LV. THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS.
ONCE upon a time there was an old sow with three little pigs, and as she had not enough to keep them, she sent them out to seek their fortune. The first that went off met a man with a bundle of straw, and said to him, " Please, man, give me that straw to build me a house ; " which the man did, and the little pig built a house with it. Presently came along a wolf, and knocked at the door, and said,—
" Little pig, little pig, let me come in." To which the pig answered, — " No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin shin."
The wolf then answered to that,— "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew his house in, and eat up the little pig.
The second little pig met a man with a bundle of furze, and said, " Please, man. give me that furze to build a house ; " which the man did, and the pig built his house. Then along came the wolf, and said, —
38 TALES.
" Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
" No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."
"Then I'll puff, and I'll huff, and I'll blow your house in."
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down, and he eat up the little
pig-
The third little pig met a man with a
load of bricks, and said, " Please, man, give me those bricks to build a house with ;" so the man gave him the bricks, and he built his house with them. So the wolf came, as he did to the other little pigs, and said,- " Little pig, little pig, let me come in." '•' No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."
« Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
Well, he huffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed; but he could not get the house down. When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he said, " Little pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips." "Where?' said the little pig.
TALKS. 3D
" Oh, in Mr. Smith's Home-field, and if you will be ready to-morrow morning I will call for you, and we will go together, and get some for dinner." " Very well," said the little pig, " I will be ready. What time do you mean t.o go? " " Oh, at six o'clock." Well, the little pig got up at five, and got the turnips before the wolf came — (Avhich he did about six) — and who said, " Little pig, are you ready? ' The little pig said, "Ready! I have been, and come back again, and got a nice pot-full for dinner." The wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to the little pig some- how or other, so he said, " Little pig, I know where there is a nice apple-tree." ' Where? '' said the pig. " Down at Merry-garden," replied the wolf, " and if you will not deceive me I will come for you, at five o'clock to-morrow, and we will go together and get some apples." Well, the little pig bustled up the next morning at four o'clock, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the wolf came ; but he had further to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was coming down from it, he saw the wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much. When
4
40 TALKS.
the wolf came up he said, " Little pig, what ! are you here before me ? Are they nice apples?" "Yes, very," said the little pig. " I will throw you clown one ; " and he threw it so far, that, while the wolf was gone to pick it up, the little pig jumped down and ran home. The next clav the
«.'
wolf came again, and said to the little pig, " Little pig, thers is a fair at Shanklin this afternoon, will you go?' "Oh yes," said the pig, " I will go ; what time shall you be ready?" "At three," said the wolf. So the little pig went off before the time as usual, and got to the fair, and bought a butter-churn, which he was going home with, when he saw the wolf coining. Then he could not tell what to do. JSo he got into the churn to hide, and by so doing
*/ O
turned it round, and it rolled down the hill with the pig in it, which frightened the wolf so. much, that he ran home without going to the fair. He went to the little pig's house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him. Then the little pig said, " Hah, I frightened you then. I had been to the fair and bought a butter- churn, and when 1 saw you. 1 got into it,
* w C
TALES. 41
and rolled down the hill." Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he iDOidd eat up the little pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him. When the little pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the wolf was coming down, took off the cover, and in fell the wolf; so the little pig put on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and eat him for supper, and lived happy ever after- wards.
LVI.
LITTLE Tommy Tittlemouse Lived in a little house ; He caught fishes In other men's ditches.
LVIT.
LITTLE King Boggen he built a fine hall. Pye-crust, and pastry-crust, that was the
wall ; The windows were made of black-puddings
and white, And slated with pancakes — you ne'er saw
the like.
42 TALES.
LVIII.
THE lion and the unicorn
Were fighting for the crown ; The lion beat the unicorn
All round about the town. Some gave them white bread,
And some gave them brown ; Some gave them plum-cake,
And sent them out of town..
L1X.
THERE was a jolly miller Lived on the river Dee, He look'd upon his pillow, And there he saw a flee. Oh ! Mr. Flea, You have been biting me, And you must die :
So he crack'd his boiies
Upon the stones, And there he let him lie.
LX.
TOM, Tom, the piper's son,
Stole a pig, and away he run !
The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,
And Tom went roaring down the street.
LXI.
IN Arthur's court Tom Thumb * did live,
A man of mickle might ; The best of all the table round,
And eke a doughty knight.
* " I have an old edition of this author by me, the title of which is more sonorous and heroical than those of later date, which, for the better informa- tion of the reader, it may not be improper to insert in this place, ' Tom Thumb his Life and Death ; wherein is declar'd his many marvellous Acts of Manhood, full of wonder and strange merriment.' Then he adds, 'Which little Knight liv'd in King Arthur's time, in the court of Great Britain.' Indeed, there are so many spurious editions of this piece upon one account or other, that I wou'd advise my readers to be very cautious in their choice." — A Comment upon the History of T. T., 1711. A. "project for the reprint- ing of Tom Thumb, with marginal notes and cutf," is mentioned in the old plaj of The Projectovrs, 1665, P- 41. •
44 TALES.
His stature but an inch in height,
Or quarter of a span : Then think you not this little knight
Was proved a valiant man ?
His father was a ploughman plain, His mother milk'd the cow,
Yet how that they might have a son They knew not what to do :
Until such time this good old man
To learned Merlin goes, And there to him his deep desires
In secret manner shows.
How in his heart he wish'd to have
A child, in time to come, To be his heir, though it might be
No bigger than his thumb.
Of which old Merlin thus foretold, That he his wish should have,
And so this son of stature small The charmer to him ga«ve.
No blood nor bones in him should be,
In shape, and being such That men should hear him speak, but not
His wandering shadow touch.
TALES. 45
But so unseen to go or corns,— Whereas it pleas M him still ;
Begot and born in half an hour, To fit his father's will.
And in four minutes grew so fast
That he became so tall As was the ploughman's thumb in height,
And so they did him call —
TOM THUMB, the which the fairy queen There gave him to his name,
Who, with her train of goblins grim, Unto his christening came.
Whereas she cloth'd him richly brave,
lu garments fine and fair, Which lasted him for many yenrs
In seemly sort to wear.
His hat made of an oaken leaf,
His shirt a spider's web, Both lio-ht and soft for those his limbs
O
That were so smally bred.
His hose and doublet thistle-down,
Together weaved full fine ; His stockings of an apple green,
Made of the outward rind ;
46 TALES.
His garters were two little hairs Pull'd from his mother's eye ;
His boots and shoes, a mouse's skin, Were tann'd most curiously
Thus like a lusty gallant, he
Adventured forth to go, With other children in the streets,
His pretty tricks to show.
Where he for counters, pins, and points, And cherry-stones did play,
Till he amongst those gamesters young- Had lost his stock away.
Yet could he soon renew the same,
Whereas most nimbly he Would dive into their cherry-bags,
And their partaker be,
Unseen or felt by any one,
Until this scholar shut This nimble youth into a box,
Wherein his pins he put.
Of whom to be reveng'd, he took, In mirth and pleasant game,
Black pots and glasses, which he hung Upon a bright sun-beam.
TALES.
47
The other boys to do the like,
In pieces broke them quite ; For which they were most soundly whipt ;
Whereat he laughed outright.
And so Tom Thumb restrained was, From these his sports and play ;
And by his mother after that, Compell'd at home to stay.
Until such time his mother went
A-milking of her kine ; Where Tom unto a thistle fast
She linked with a twine.
A thread that held him to the same,
For fear the blustering wind Should blow him hence, — that so she might
Her son in safety find.
But mark the hap ! a cow came by,
And up the thistle eat ; Poor Tom withal, that, as a dock,
Was made the red cow's meat.
Who, being miss'd, his mother went
Him calling everywhere ; Where art thou, Tom? Where art thou, Tom?
Quoth he, here, mother, here !
5
48 TALES.
Within the red cow's stomach here,
Your son is swallowed up : The which into her fearful heart,
Most careful dolours put.
Meanwhile the cow was troubled much, And soon releas'd Tom Thumb ;
No rest she had till out her mouth, In bad plight he did come.
Now after this, in sowing time, His father would him have
Into the field to drive his plough, And thereupon him gave—
A whip made of a barley -straw,
To drive the cattle on ; Where, in a furrow'd land new sown,
Poor Tom was lost and gone.
Now by a raven of great strength , Away he thence was borne,
And carried in the carrion's beak, Even like a grain of corn,
Unto a giant's castle top,
In which he let him fall ; Where soon the giant swallowed up
His bodv, clothes, and all.
TALES.
49
But soon the giant spat him out,
Three miles into the sea; Whereas a fish soon took him up,
And bore him thence awav.
V
Which lusty fish was after caught,
And to king Arthur sent ; Where Tom was found, and made his dwarf,
Whereas his days he spent.
Long time in lively jollity,
Belov'd of all the court ; And none like Tom was then estecm'd,
Among the noble sort.
Amongst his deeds of courtship done,
His highness did command, That he should dance a galliard brave
Upon his queen's left hand.
The which he did, and for the same
The king his signet gave, Which Tom about his middle wore,
Long time a girdle brave.
How, after this, the king would not
Abroad for pleasure go But still Tom Thumb must ride with him,
Placed on his saddle-bow.
50 TALES.
Whereon a time when, as it rain'd, Tom Thumb most nimbly crept
In at a button-hole, where he Within his bosom slept.
And being near his highness' heart, He crav'd a wealthy boon,
A liberal gift, the which the king Commanded to be done.
For to relieve his father's wants, And mother's, being old ;
Which was, so much of silver coin As well his arms could hold.
And so away goes lusty Tom, With threepence on his back,
A heavy burthen, which might make His wearied limbs to crack.
So travelling two days and nights, With labour and great pain,
He came into the house wrhereat His parents did remain ;
Which was but half a mile in space From good king Arthur's court,
The which, in eight and forty hours, He went in wearv sort.
TALES. 51
But coming to his father's door, He there such entrance had
As made his parents both rejoice, And he thereat was glad.
His mother in her apron took
Her gentle son in haste, And by the fire-side, within
A walnut-shell him placed ;
Whereas they feasted him three days
Upon a hazel-nut, Whereon he rioted so long,
He them to charges put ;
And thereupon grew wond'rous sick, Through eating too much meat,
Which was sufficient for a month For this great man to eat.
But now his business call'd him forth King Arthur's court to see,
Whereas no longer from the same He could a stranger be.
But yet a few small April drops
Which settled in the way, His long and weary journey forth
Did hinder and so stay.
52 TALES.
Until his careful father took
A hireling trunk in sport, A.nd with one blast, blew this his son
Into kino: Arthur's court.
<_^
Now he with tilts and tournaments
Was entertained so, That all the best of Arthur's knights
Did him much pleasure show :
As good Sir Lancelot du Lake,
Sir Tristam, and Sir Guy ; Yet none corapar'd with brave Tom Thumb
For knightly chivalry.
[n honour of which noble day,
And for his lady's sake, A challenge in king Arthur's court
Tom Thumb did bravely make.
'Gainst whom these noble knights did run,
Sir Chinon and the rest, Yet still Tom Thumb, with matchless might,
Did bear away the best.
At last Sir Lancelot du Lake
In manly sort came in, And with this stout and hardy knight
A battle did begin.
TALES. 53
Which made the courtiers all aghast,
For there that valiant man, Through Lancelot's steed, before them all,
In nimble manner ran.
Yea, horse and all, with spear and shield,
As hardy he was seen, But only by king Arthur's self
And his admired queen ;
Who from her finger took a ring,
Through which Tom Thumb made1 \\ ay,
Not touching it, in nimble sort, As it was done in play.
He likewise cleft the smallest hair
From his fair lady's head, Not hurting her whose even hand
Him lasting honours bred.
Such were his deeds and noble acts In Arthur's court there shone,
As like in all the world beside Was hardly seen or known.
Now at these sports he toil'd himself,
That he a sickness took, Through which all manly exercise
He carelessly forsook.
54 TALES.
When lying on his bed sore sick, King Arthur's doctor came,
With cunning skill, by physic's art, To ease and cure the same.
His body being so slender small,
This cunning doctor took A fine perspective glass, with which
He did in secret look —
Into his sickened body down, And therein saw that Death
Stood ready in his wasted frame To cease his vital breath.
His arms and legs consum'd as small
As was a spider's web, Through which his dying hour grew on,
For all his limbs grew dead.
His face no bigger than an ant's, Which hardly could be seen ;
The loss of which renowned knight Much grieved the king and queen.
And so with peace and quietness
He left this earth below ; And up into the fairy -land
His ghost did fading go,
TALES. 55
Whereas the fairy-queen receiv'd.
With heavy mourning cheer, The body of this valiant knight,
Whom she esteein'd so dear.
For with her (lancing nymphs in green, She fetch'd him from his bed>
With music and sweet melody, So soon as life was fled ;
For whom kino: Arthur and his kniirhts
^
Full forty days did mourn ; And, in remembrance of his name,
That was so strangely born- He built a tomb of marble gray,
And year by year did come To celebrate ye mournful death
And burial of Tom Thumb.
Whose fame still lives in England In re,
Amongst the country sort ; Of whom our wives and children small
Tell tales of pleasant sport.
50 TALES.
LXII.
[The following lines, slightly altered, occur in a little black-letter book by W. Wagner, printed about the year 150 I ; entitled, 'A very niery and pythie comniedie, called, the longer thou livc-st, the more (bole thou art.' See also a whole son;r, ending with these lines, in Ritson's ' North Country Chorister,' 8vo, Dili-ham, 1802, p. 1.]
BRYAN O'LiN, and his wife, and wife's
mother,
They all went over a bridge together : The bridge was broken, and they all fell in, The dence go with all ! quoth Bryan O'Lin.
LXIII.
OLD Mother Goose, when She wanted to wander, Would ride through the air On a very fine gander.
Mother Goose had a house, 'Twas built in a wood, Where an owl at the door For sentinel stood.
This is her son Jack, A plain-looking lad, He is not very #ood, Nor yet very bad.
TALES. 57
She sent him to market, A live goose lie bought, Here, mother, says he, It will not go for nought.
Jack's goose and her gander, Grew very fond ; They'd both eat together, Or swim in one pond.
Jack found one morning, As I have been told, His goose had laid him An egg of pure gold.
Jack rode to his mothei, The news for to tell, She call'd him a good boy, And said it was well.
Jack sold his gold egg To a rogue of a Jew, Who cheated him out of The half of his clue.
Then Jack went a courting, A lady so gay, As fair as the lily, And sweet as the May.
.")S TALES.
The Jew and the Squire Came behind his back, And began to belabour The sides of poor Jack.
The old Mother Goose, That instant came in, And turned her son Jack Into fam'd Harlequin.
She then with her wand, Touch'd the lady so fine, And turn'd her at once Into sweet Columbine.
The gold egg into the sea Was thrown then,- When Jack junip'd in, And got the egg back again.
The Jew got the goose, Which he vow'd he would kill, Resolving at once His pockets to fill.
Jack's mother came in, And caught the goose soon, And mounting its back, Flew up to the moon.
TALES. 59
LXIV.
I'LL tell you a story
About Jack a Nory, — And now my story's begun :
I'll tell you another
About Jack his brother, — And now my story's done.
LXV.
[The "foles of Gotham" are mentioned as early as the fifteenth cuuturv in the ' Townle.y Mysteries ; ' and, at the commencement of the, sixteenth century, Dr. Andrew Borde made a collection of stories ahout them, not however, including the following, which rests on the authority of nursery tradition.]
THREE wise men of Gotham Went to sea in a bowl : And if the bowl had been stronger, My song would have been longer.
LXVI.
[The following two stanzas, although they belong to the same piece, are often found separated from each other.]
ROBIN and Richard were two pretty men ; They laid in bed till the clock struck ten ; Then up starts Robin, and looks at the sky, Oh ! brother Richard, the sun's very high :
The bull's in the barn threshing the corn, The cock's on the dunghill blowing his horn, The cat's at the fire frying of fish, The dog's in the pantry breading his dish.
60
TALES.
LXVII.
MY lady Wind, my lady Wind, Went round about the house to find
A chink to get her foot in : She tried the key-hole in the door, She tried the crevice in the floor,
And drove the chimney soot in.
And then one night when it was dark, She blew up such a tiny spark,
That all the house was pothered : From it she raised up such a flame, As flamed away to Belting Lane,
And White Cross folks were smothered.
And thus when once, my little dears, A whisper reaches itching ears,
The same will come, you'll find : Take my advice, restrain the tongue, Remember what old nurse has sung
Of busy lady Wind !
LXVIIJ.
Old Abram Brown is dead and gone, You'll never see him more ;
lie used to wear a long brown coat, That button'd down before.
TALES. 01
LXIX.
A DOG and a cock, A journey once took,
They travell'd along till 'twas late ; The dog he made free In the hollow of a tree,
And the cock on the boughs of it sate.
The cock nothing knowing, In the morn fell a crowing,
Upon which comes a fox to the tree ; Says he, I declare, Your voice is above,
All the creatures I ever did see.
Oh ! would you come down I the fav'rite might own,
Said the cock, there's a porter below ; If you will go in, I promise I'll come down.
So he went — and was worried for it too
LXX.
LITTLE Tom Tittlemouse, Lived in a bell-house ; The bell-house broke, And Tom Tittlemouse woke.
0.2
TALES.
LXX1.
TOMMY kept a chandler's shop, Richard went to buy a mop, Tommy gave him such a knock, That sent him out of his chandler's shop,
LXX1I.
WHEN I was a little girl, about seven years
old, I hadn't got a petticoat, to cover me from
the cold ;
TALKS. 08
So I went into Darlington, that pretty little
town, And there I bought a petticoat, a cloak, and
a gown.
I went into the woods and built me a kirk, And all the birds of the air. they helped me
to work ; The hawk with his long claws pulled down
the stone, The dove, with her rough bill, brought me
them home : The parrot was the clergyman, the peacock
was the clerk, The bullfinch play'd the organ, and we made
merrv work.
LXXIII.
PEMMY was a pretty girl, But Fanny was a better ;
Pemmy looked like any churl, When little Fanny let her.
Pemmy had a pretty nose, But Fanny had a better ; Pemmy oft would come to blows,
But Fanny would not let her.
7
64 TALES.
Pemmy had a pretty doll, But Fanny had a better ;
Pemmy cbatter'd like a poll, When little Fanny let her.
Pemmy had a pretty song, But Fanny had a better ;
Pemmy would sing all day long, But, Fannv would not let her.
Pern ray lov'd a pretty lad, And Fanny lov'd a better ;
And Pemmy wanted for to wed, But Fanny would not let her.
LXXIV.
[A tale for the 1st 01 March.]
TAFFY was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief; Taffy came to mv house and stole a piece of
v </
beef:
I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not at home ;
Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow- bone.
TALES. 65
I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not in ; Tafty came to my house and stole a silver
pin :
I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed, [ took up a poker and flung it at his head.
LXXV.
[The tale of Jack Homer has long been appropriated to the nursery. The four lines which follow are the traditional ones, and they form part o( 'The pleasant History of Jack Homer, containing his witty Tricks and pleasant Pranks, which he plaied from his Youth toliis riper Years,' 12mo; u copy of which is in the Bodleian Library, and this extended story is in substance the same with 'The Fryer and the Boy,' 12mo, Loud. 1617, and both of them are taken from the more ancient story of 'Jack aud his Step- dame,' which has been printed by Mr. Wright.]
LITTLE Jack Homer sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie ; He put in his thumb, and he took out a plum,
And said, " What a good boy am I ! ''
LXXVI.
THERE was a kino-, and he had three daughter,
O7 O
And they all lived in a basin of water;
The basin bended,
My story's ended. If the basin had been stronger, My story would have been longer.
00 TALES.
LX.XVII.
THE man in the moon,
Came tumbling down, And ask'd his way to Norwich,
lie went by the south,
And burnt his mouth With supping cold pease-porridge.
LXXVIII.
OUR saucy boy Dick, Had a nice little stick
Cut from a hawthorn tree ; And with this pretty stick, lie thought he could beat
A boy much bigger than he.
But the boy turned round, And hit him a rebound,
Which did so frighten poor Dick, That, without more delay, He ran quite away,
And over a hedge he jumped quick.
LXXIX. Moss was a little man, and a little mare did
buy, For kicking and for sprawling none her could
come nigh ;
TALES. 67
She could trot, she could amble, and could
canter here and there, But one night she strayed away — so Moss
lost his mare.
Moss got up next morning to catch her fast
asleep, And round about the frosty fields so nimbly
he did creep. Dead in a ditch he found her, and glad to
find her there, So I'll tell you by and bye, how Moss caught
his mare.
Rise ! stupid, rise ! he thus to her did say ; Arise, you beast, you drowsy beast, get up
without delay, For I must ride you to the town, so don't
lie sleeping there ; He put the halter round her neck — so Moss
caught his mare.
. .
• > •=•-' "-JJK* ~ '' """ - -^ZW*^
•£X-.^TVN M&^-c* cV
FOURTH CLASS— PROVERBS.
LXXX.
^T. Swithin's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain : St. Swithin's clay, if thou be fair, For forty clays 'twill rain na mair,
LXXXI.
To make your candles last for a', You wives and maids give ear-o !
To put 'em out's the only way, Says honest John Boklcro.
PROVERBS. 00
LXXXII.
IP wishes \vere horses,
Beggars would ride ; If turnips were watches,
I would wear one by my side.
LXXXIII.
[Hours of sleep.]
NATURE requires five,
Custom gives seven ! Laziness takes nine,
And Wickedness eleven.
LXXXIV.
THREE straws on a staff,
Would make a baby cry and laugh.
LXXXV.
SEE a pin and pick it up,
All the day you'll have good luck ;
See a pin and let it lay,
Bad luck you'll have all the day !
LXXXVI.
Go to bed first, a golden purse ; Goto bed second, a golden pheasant; (jo to bed third, a golden bird !
70 PROVERBS.
LXXXVII.
WHEN the wind is in the east,
'Tis neither good for man nor beast ;
When the wind is in the north,
The skilful fisher goes not forth ;
When the wind is in the south,
It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth ;
When the wind is in the west,
Then 'tis at the very best.
LXXXVI1I.
BOUNCE BUCKRAM, velvet's dear; Christinas comes but once a year.
LXXXIX.
[One version of the following song, which I believe to be the gcnuins one, is written on the last leaf of MS. Harl. 6580, between the lines of .1 fragment of an old charter, originally used for binding the book, in a hand of tlie rnd of the seventeenth century, but unfortunately it is scarcely adapted for the "ears polite " of modern days.]
A MAN of words and not of deeds, Is like a garden full of weeds ; And when the weeds begin to grow, It's like a garden full of snow ; And when the snow begins to fail, It's like a bird upon the wall ; And when the bird away does fly, It's like an eagle in the sky;
PROVERBS. 71
And when the sky begins to roar, It's like a lion at the door ; And when the door begins to crack, It's like a stick across your back ; And when your back begins to smart, It's like a penknife in your heart ; And when your heart begins to bleed, You're dead, and dead, and dead, indeed.
xc.
A MAN of words and not of deeds, Is like a garden full of weeds ; For when the weeds begin to grow, Then doth the garden overflow.
xci.
IF you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze foi
dnnger ;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger ; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter : Sneeze on a Thursday, something better ; Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow ; Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart
to-morrow.
xcu.
A PULLET in the pen
Is worth a hundred in the fen !
72 PROVERBS.
XCIII.
HE that would thrive
Must rise at five ;
He that hath thriven
May lie till seven ;
And he that by the plough would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive.
xciv.
[The follnwiim is quoted in Miege's ' Groat French Dictionary,' fol. Loud. 1087, 2d part.]
A SWARM of bees in May Is worth a load of hay ; A swarm of bees in Juno Is worth a silver spoon ; A swarm of bees in July Is not worth a fly.
xcv.
THEY that wash on Monday
Have all the week to dry ; They that wash on Tuesday
Are not so much awry ; They that wash on Wednesday
Are not so much to blame ; They that wash on Thursday,
AYash for shame ;
PROVERBS. 73
They that wash on Friday,
Wash in need ; And they that wash on Saturday,
Oh ! they're sluts indeed.
xcvi.
NEEDLES and pins, needles and pins, When a man marries his trouble begins.
XCVII.
[ID. Suffolk, children are frequently reminded of the decorum due to the Sabbath by the following lines.]
YEOW mussent sing a' Sunday,
Becaze it is a sin, But yeow may sing a' Monday
Till Sunday cums agin.
XCVIII.
A SUNSHINY shower, Won't last half an hour.
xcix.
As the days grow longer, The storms grow stronger.
As the days lengthen, So the storms strengthen.
74 PROVERBS.
Cf.
HE that goes to see his wheat in May, Comes weeping away.
en.
THE mackerel's cry, Is never long dry.
cm.
IN July, Some reap rye ;
In August, If one will not the other must.
civ.
[Proverbial many years ago, when the guinea in gold was of a higher value than its nominal representative in silver,]
A GUINEA it would sink,
And a pound it would float ;
Yet I'd rather have a guinea, Than your one pound note.
cv.
FOR every evil under the sun, There is a remedy, or there is none. If there be one, try and find it ; If there be none, never mind it.
PROVERBS. 75
CVI.
THE art of good driving 's a paradox quite, Though custom has prov'd it so long ;
If you go to the left, you're sure to go right. If you go to the right, you go wrong.
cvn.
FRIDAY night's dream
On the Saturday told, Is sure to come true,
Be it never so old.
cvm.
WHEN the sand doth feed the clay,
England woe and well-a-day !
But when the clav doth feed the sand,
i/
Then it is well with Angle-land.
cix.
THE fair maid who, the first of May, Goes to the fields at break of day, And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree Will ever after handsome be.
FIFTH CLASS— SCHOLASTIC.
m
^ DILLER, a dollar,
A ten o'clock scholar, What makes you come so soon r You used to come at ten o'clock, But now you come at noon.
CXI.
TELL tale, tit ! Your tongue shall be slit, And all the clogs in the town Shall have a little bit.
SCHOLASTIC. 77
CXII.
[The joke 01 tnefoU >wmg consists in saying it so quick that it cannot be f.old whether it is English or gibberish. It is remarkahle that the last two linos are quoted in MS. Slonn. 4, of the fifteenth century, as printed in thi; ' Reliq. A.ntiq.,' vol. i, p. 321.]
IN fir tar is, In oak none is. In mud eel is, In clay none is. Goat eat ivy, Mare eat oats.
CX1II.
[The dominical letters attached to the first days of the several months are remembered by the following lines.]
AT Dover Dwells George Brown Esquire, Good Christopher Finch, And David Friar.
[An ancient and graver example, fulfilling; the same purpose, runs as follows.]
Astra Dabit Dominus, Gratisque Beabit
Egenos, Gratia Christicolae Feret Aurea Dona Fideli.
cxiv.
BIRCH and green holly, boys, Birch and green holly.
If you get beaten, boys, 'Twill be your own folly.
78 SCHOLASTIC.
cxv.
WHEN V and I together meet, They make the number Six compleat. When I with V doth meet once more, Then 'tis they Two can make but Pour And when that V from I is gone, Alas ! poor I can make but One.
cxvi.
MULTIPLICATION is vexation,
Division is as bad ; The Rule of Three doth puzzle in (3,
And Practice drives me mad.
cxvu.
[The following memorial lines are by no means modern. Tliey occur, with slight variations, in an old play, called ' The Returne from Parn-issus,' 4to. r.ond. 10(10; and another version may be seen in Winter's 'Cambridge Alniiinac' for 1035. See the ' Kara Mathematical p. 119.]
THIRTY days hath September, April, June, and November ; February has twenty-eight alone, All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting leap-year, that's the time When February's days are twenty-nine.
SCHOLASTIC. 71)
CXVIII.
MY story's ended, My spoon is bended : If you don't like it, Go to the next door, And get it mended.
cxix.
[On arriving ;.t the end of a book, boys have a practice of reciting the following absurd lines, which form the wordjlrttj backwards and forwards, by the initials of the words,] —
FATHER lohnson Nicholas Johnson's son — Son lohnson Nicholas Johnson's Father.
[To get to father Johnson, therefore, was to reach the end of the book.]
cxx.
THE rose is red, the grass is green ; And in this book my name is seen.
cxxi.
CROSS patch,
Draw the latch, Sit by the fire and spin ;
Take a cup,
And drink it up, Then call your neighbours in.
9
80 SCHOLASTIC.
CXXII.
COME when you're called,
Do what you're bid, Shut the door after you,
Never be chid.
CXXIII.
SPEAK when you're spoken to.
Come when one call ; Shut the door after you,
And turn to the wall !
cxxiv.
[ LOVE my love with an A, because he's
Agreeable.
I hate him because he's Avaricious. Fie took me to the Sign of the Acorn, And treated me with Apples. His name's Andrew, And he lives at Arlington.
cxxv.
[A 'iconic reply to a person who indulges much in supposition.]
IF ifs and ands, Were pots and pans, There would be no need for tinkers !
SCHOLASTIC.
CXXVI.
81
MISTRESS Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow ?
With cockle-shells, and silver bells, And mussels all a row.
CXXVII.
DOCTOR Faustus was a good man,
He whipt his scholars now and then ;
When he whipp'd them he made them dance,
Out of Scotland into France,
Out of France into Spain,
And then he whipp'd them back again !
CXXVIII.
[A Greek bill of fare.]
LEGOMOTON, Acapon, Alfagheuse, Pasti venison.
cxxix.
WHEN I was a little boy, 1 had but little wit It is some time ago, and I've no more yet ; Nor ever ever shall, until that I die, For the longer I live, the more fool am I.
SIXTH CLASS— SONGS.
cxxx.
[•|;l I, where are you going, My pretty maiden fair. With your red rosy cheeks,
And your coal-black hair ? I'm going a-milking, Kind sir, says she ; And it's dabbling in the dew, Where you'll find me.
May I go with you,
My pretty maiden fair, &c. Oh, you may go with me,
Kind sir, says she, &c.
soN(,s. 83
If I should chance to kiss you, My pretty maiden fair, &c.
The wind may take it off again, Kind sir, says she, &e.
And what is your father, My pretty maiden fair, &c.
My father is a farmer, Kind sir, says she, &c.
And what is your mother, My pretty maiden fair, &c.
My mother is a dairy- maid, Kind sir, says she, &c.
cxxxi.
POLLY put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on, And let's drink tea.
Sukey take it off again, Sukey take it off again, Sukey take it off' again, They're all gone away.
SONGS.
CXXXII.
[This id the version generally given in iiursery collections, but Is somswhat different in the ^ Pills to Purge Mehincholy,' 1719, vol. iv, p. ltd.]
ONE misty moisty morning When cloudy was the weather, There I met an old man Clothed all in leather ; Clothed all in leather, With cap under his chin, — How do you do, and how do you do, And how do you do again !
cxxxni.
THE fox and his wife they had a great strife. They never eat mustard in all their whole life: They eat their meat without fork or knife, And loved to be picking a bone, e-ho !
The fox jumped up on a moonlight night ; The stars they were shining, and all things
bright;
Oh, ho ! said the fox, it's a very fine night For me to go through the town, e-ho !
The fox when he came to yonder stile, lie lifted his lugs and he listened a while ! Oh, ho ! said the fox, it's but a short mile From this unto yonder wee town, e-ho
SONCS.
The fox when he came to the fanner's gate, Who should he see but the farmer's drake ; I love you well for your master's sake, And long to be picking your bone, e-ho !
The gray goose she ran round the hay-stack, Oh, ho ! said the fox, you are very fat ; You'll grease my beard and ride on my back From this into yonder wee town, e-ho !
Old Gammer Hippie-hopple hopped out of
bed, She opened the casement, and popped out
her head ; Oh ! husband, oil ! husband, the gray goose
is dead, And the fox is gone through the town, oh !
Then the old man got up in his red cap, And swore he would catch the fox in a trap ; But the fox was too cunning, and gave him
the slip, And ran thro' the town, the town, oh !
When he got to the top of the hill, He blew his trumpet both loud and shrill, For joy that he was safe Thro' the town, oh !
86 SONGS.
When the fox came back to his den, He had young ones both nine and ten, "You're welcome home, daddy, you may go
again,
If you bring us such nice meat From the town, oh ! '
CXXXIV.
LITTLE Tom Dogget,
What dost thou mean, To kill thy poor Colly
Now she's so lean? Sing, oh poor Colly,
Colly, my cow, For Colly will give me
No more milk now.
I had better have kept her, 'Till fatter she had been,
For now, I confess, She's a little too lean.
Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
First in comes the tanner With his sword by his side,
And he bids me five shillings For my poor cow's hide.
Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
o
SONGS.
87
Then in comes the tallow-chandler, Whose brains were but shallow,
And he bids me two-and-sixpence For my cow's tallow.
Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
Then in comes the huntsman
So early in the morn, He bids me a penny
For my cow's horn. Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
Then in comes the tripe-woman,
So fine and so neat, She bids me three half-pence
For mv cow's feet.
ai
Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
Then in comes the butcher, That mmble-tongu'd youth,
Who said she was carrion, But he spoke not the truth
Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
The skin of my cowly
Was softer than silk, And three times a-day
My poor cow would give milk. Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
10
88 SONGS.
She every vear
w ^
A fine calf did me bring, Which fetch t me a pound,
For it came in the spring. Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
But now I have kill'd her,
I can't her recall ; I will sell my poor Colly,
Hide, horns, and all. Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
The butcher shall have her, Though he gives but a pound,
And he knows in his heart That my Colly was sound.
Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.
And when he has bought her
Let him sell all together, The flesh for to eat,
And the hide for leather. Sing, oh poor Colly, &c.*
* A different version of the above, commencing, My Billy Arums, is cur- rent in the nurseries of Cornwall. One verse runs as follows : In comes the homer,
Who roguerv scorns, And gives me three fart'jmgs
For poor cowly's horns.
This is better th:in our reading, and it concludes thus: There's an em', to my cuwly, Now she's dead and gone ; For the loss of my cowly, I sob and I mourn.
SONGS. 89
cxxxv.
[A north-country song:.]
SAYS t'auld man tit oak tree, Young and lusty was I when I kenn'd thee ; I was young and lusty, I was fair and clear, Young and lusty was I mony a lang year ; But sair fail'd am I, sair fail'd now, Sair fail'd am I sen I kenn'd thou.
cxxxvi.
You shall have an apple, You shall have a plum,
You shall have a rattle-basket, When your dad comes home.
CXXXVII.
UP at Piccadilly oh !
The coachman takes his stand, And when he meets a pretty girl, He takes her by the hand ; Whip away for ever oh ! Drive away so clever oh ! All the way to Bristol oh ! He drives her four-in-hand.
90
SONGS.
CXXXVIII.
[The first line of this nursery rhyme is quoted in Beaumont and Fletcher's Bpnduca, Act v, sc. 2. It is probable also that Sir Toby alludes to this song in Twelfth Niykt, Act, ii, sc. 2, when he says, "Come on; there is sixpence for you; let's have a song.' In Epulario, or the Italian banquet, 1589, is a receipt "to make pies so that the birds may be alive in them ind rl.e out when it is cut up," a mere device, live birds being introduced ifter the pie is made. This may be the original subject of the following song.]
SING a song of sixpence,
A bag full of rye ; Tour and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie ;
When the pie was.open'd,
The birds began to sing ; Was not that a dainty dish,
To set before the king ?
SONGS. 91
The king was in his counting-house
Counting out his money ; The queen was in the parlour
Eating bread and honey ;
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes, There came a little blackbird,
And snapt off her nose.
Jenny was so mad,
She didn't know what to do ; She put her finger in her ear,
And crackt it right in two.
cxxxix.
LEND me thy mare to ride a mile ? She is lamed, leaping over a stile. Alack ! and I must keep the fair ! I'll give thee money for thy mare. Oh, oh ! say you so? Money will make the mare to go !
CXL.
' ABOUT the bush, Willy,
About the bee-hive, About the bush, Willy, I'll meet thee alive.
02 SONGS.
Then to my ten shillings.
Add you but a groat, I'll go to Newcastle,
And buy a new coat.
Five and five shillings,
Five and a crown ; Five and five shillings,
Will buy a new gown.
Five and five shillings,
Five and a groat ; Five and five shillings,
Will buy a new coat.
CXLI.
A PRETTY little girl in a round-eared cap
1 met in the streets t'other day ; She gave me such a thump, That my heart it went bump ;
I thought I should have fainted away !
I thought I should have fainted awav !
O w
CXLI I.
MY father he died, but I can't tell you how, He left me six horses to drive in my plough:
With rny wing wang waddle oh,
Jack sing saddle oh,
Blowsey boys buble oh,
Under the broom.
SONGS. 93
I sold my six horses and I bought me a cow, I'd fain have made a fortune but did not know how : With my, &c.
I sold my cow, and I bought me a calf; I'd fain have made a fortune, but lost the best half: With my, &c.
I sold my calf, and I bought me a cat ; A pretty thing she was, in my chimney corner sat : With my, &c.
I sold my cat, and bought me a mouse ; He carried fire in his tail, and burnt down my house : With my, &c.
CXLIII. LITTLE Bo-peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them ; Leave them alone, and they'll come home,
And bring their tails behind them.
Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamt she heard them bleating ;
But when she awoke, she found it a joke, For they still were all fleeting.
94 SONGS.
Then up she took her little crook, Determin'd for to find them ;
She found them indeed, but it made her
heart bleed, For they'd left all their tails behind 'em,
CXLIV.
Jeanie come tie my,
Jeanie come tie my,
Jeanie come tie my bonnie cravat;
I've tied it behind,
I've tied it before,
And I've tied it so often, I'll tie it no more.
CXLV.
TRIP upon trenchers, and dance upon dishes. My mother sent me for some barm, some
barm ; She bid me tread lightly, and come again
quickly, For fear the young men should do me some
harm.
Yet didn't you see, yet didn't you see, What naughty tricks they put upon me :
SONGS. (.'-">
They broke my pitcher,
And spilt the water, And huff'd my mother,
And chid her daughter, And kiss'd my sister instead of me.
CXLVI.
from ' Histrio-mastix, or, the Player Wliipt,' 4to, Load. 1610. Mr. Itim- bault tells me this is coiuiuoii iu Yorkshire.]
SOME up, and some down,
There's players in the town, You wot well who they be ;
The sun doth arise,
To three companies, One, two, three, four, make wee !
Besides we that travel,
With pumps full of gravel, .Made all of such running leather:
That once in a week,
New masters we seek, And never can hold together.
CXLVJI.
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.
T 1
DC SON CIS.
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
With a fee, fo fum.
fiance,
CXLTX.
THE north wind doth blow, And we shall have snow, And what will poor Robin do then ?
Poor thing !
SONGS. 97
He'll sit in a barn, And to keep himself warm, \Yill hide his head under his wine;.
O
Poor thing !
CL.
[From W. Wager's play, called ' The longer thou livest, Hit more fecle t/iuu an,' 41(1, Lund.]
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 Mniiey 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 Marlev, honev ?
*/ */ «/
[Elsie Marlrv is said to have been a merry alewifc who lived nearChrsfi r, mid the re-namdcr of this son;; relating to her will lie found in the ' Chester Garland,' limo, n.d. The tirst lour lines have Income favourites in the nursery.]
9S SONGS.
CLII.
LONDON bridge is broken do\vn,
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 \vood and clay,
Dance o'er my lady lee ; Build it up with wood and clav;
With a gay lady.
SONGS. 99
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 nn old hunting song. C,o bet is a very ancient sporting phrase, equivalent to <jo along. It occurs in Chaucer, Leg. Dido, :.'b8.]
CLIV.
[Part of this is in a song called ' Jockey's Lamentation,' in the ' Pills to Purge Melancholy,1 1719, vol. v, p. 317.]
TOM he \vas a piper's son, He learn3 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 oft', And the wind will blow my top-knot off.
100 SONGS.
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
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.
SONGS.
101
He saw a cross fellow v.-as beating an ass, Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and
glass ; He took out his pipe and played them a
time, 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.
102 SONGS.
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 sone. the whole of which may ho found in ' Deuteromelia,' 1609, and also in MS. Additional, .533(5, ful. 5.]
OP 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.
CLVIl.
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 four- pence,
I love fourpence better than my life ; I spent a penny of it, I spent another,
And I took twopence home to my wife.
SONGS. 103
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 no- thing,
What will nothing buy for my wife ? I have nothing, I spend nothing,
I love nothing better than iny wife.
CLVIII. MERRY are the bells, and merry would they
ring,
Merry was myself, and merry could I sing ; AVith 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 !
12
104 SONGS.
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.
SONGS. 105
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, Woolev 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 catcli is found in Ben Jonsou's 'Masque of Oberon/ and ie 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.
100
SONGS.
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.
SONGS. 1 07
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, rny 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.
108 SONGS.
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 n(rv dis- continued : ]
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 ;
SONGS. 109
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.
CLXXl.
MY father left me three acres of land,
Sing ivy, sing ivy ; My father left me three acres of land,
Sing holly, go whistle arid 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.
110 SONGS.
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 'Deuteiomelia, or the second part of Musicks Melodic," 4to, Lond. 1G09, 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 v/ell-known song, ' A frog he would a wooing go,' appears to have been borrowed from this. See Dauriey'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 Stationers1' Company, quoted in Wartoii's HIM. Euyi, 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 !
SONGS.
Ill
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.
13
112 SONGS.
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 cluck she swallow'd him up with a pluck, So there's an end of my history book.
Cock me cary, Kitty alone,
Kittv alone and I.
SONGS. 113
CLXXIV.
THERE was a man in our toone, in our toone,
in oar 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.
114 SONGS.
And there was a man in titlier toone, in
tither toone, in titlier toone, And there was a man in titlier toone, and
his name was Edrin Drum ; And he played upon an old laaelle, an old
laadle, an old laadle, And he played upon an old laadle, with my
fiddle fiddle fe fmn 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 !
SONGS. 115
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 your- self ; he, haw, hum !
CLXXVI.
A CARRION crow sat on an oak,
Pol 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.
116
SONGS.
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, t'ol. 17, written in the tiice of Charles I.]
Hie 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.
SONGS.
117
CLXXVIII.
[Song of u little boy while passing his hour of solitude in n 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 daugh- ter dear ; I cannot whistle, mammy, I cannot whistle
p.l par.
clear. Whistle, daughter, whistle, whistle for
rvnimrl •
a
pound ; I cannot whistle, mammy, I cannot make a
sound.
118 SONGS.
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.
•A..B-S.
SEVENTH CLASS— RIDDLES.
CLXXXIII.
[Ann.]
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 clown 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.
14
120 RIDDLES.
OLXXXV.
[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.
RIDDLES. 121
OLXXXVIII.
[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 ringers 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.
122 RIDDLES.
cxcn.
(A walnut, i
As soft as silk, as white as milk, As hitter as gall, a thick wall. And a green coat covers me all.
cxcin.
[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.
RIDDLES.
cxcv.
[A. storm of wind.J
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.]
MAKU three-fourths of a cross,
And a circle complete ; And let two semicircles
On a perpendicular meet j 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 ? '
124 KIDDLES.
:t 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 yon 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 !
HI 1)1)1, MS. 125
CCI.
FA star.]
1 HAVE a litllc sister, they rail 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.
ecu.
[\ needle and thrrad.1
OLD mother Twitchett had but one eve, And a long tail which she let flv ; And every time she went over a gap, She left a bit of her tail in a trap.
cent
[An CL'S.l
In marble walls as Avhite 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.
126 RJDDLKS.
CCIV.
[A horse-slioer.]
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 Tattanms !
O
Tell me how many Ts there are in all THAT.
RIDDLES. 127
CCVII.
[Ihe man litd one eye, and tne tree two apples njion 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.J
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.
15
128 RIDDLES.
CCX.
[Pair of tongs.]
LONG legs, crooked thighs, Little head and no eyes.
ccxi.
[Tfrom MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 16, written in the tune of Charles 1.)
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.
ccxn.
[Isabel.]
CONGEAL'D water and Cain's brother, That was my lover's name, and no other.
ccxnr.
[Teeth and Gums.]
THIRTY white horses upon a red hill, Now they tramp, now they champ, now they stand still.
RIDDLES. 129
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.j
HIGHER, than a house, higher than a ticc; Ob, whatever can that be?
CCXVL
[An Egg.]
HUMPTY DUMPTY sate on a wall, Humpt.y dinnpty had a great fall ; Three score men and three score more Cannot place Humpty Durnpty as he was before.
CCXVII.
[The allusion to Oliver Cromwell satisfactorily fixes the (kite of tlir rkldle 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, wrhosc power's so great: Tell me this riddle while I count eight.
rp
130 RIDDLES.
CCXVIII.
PEASE-porriclge 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.
ccxx i.
THERE was a man rode through our town,
Gray Grizzle was his name ; His saddle-bow was gilt Avith gold,
Three times I've named his name.
RIDDLES. 131
CCXXTI.
[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, s 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.
)32 RIDDLES.
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.
ccxxvu.
[A Cherry.]
As I went through the garden gap, AVho 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.
RIDDLES. 133
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. Tves ?
ccxxx.
[The Holly Tree.]
TTiGHTY, 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 fiie-bram! with spu.-ks on it.]
As 1 was going o'er London Bridge,
And peep'd through a nick, I snw four and twenty ladies o- on a stick !
134 RIDDLES.
CCXXXTTI.
[An Icicle.]
LIVES in winter, Dies in summer, And grows with its root upwards !
ccxxxiv.
WHEN I went np sandy hill,
I met a sandy boy ;
I cut his throat, I sucked his blood,
And left his skin a hanging-o.
ecxxxv.
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 !
ecxxxv i.
OLD father Graybcard, Without tooth or tongue ;
If you'll give me your finger, I'll give you my thumb.
" '"" " i ' ^ £
-/$
EIGHTH CLASS— CHARMS.
CCXXXVII.
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 hy children.]
IF you love me, pop and fly; If you hate me, lay and die.
16
136 CHARMS.
CCXXXIX.
[The following, with a very slight variation, is found in Ben Jonson's 'Masque of Queen's," anil it is singular to account for its introduction into the modern nursery.]
1 WENT to the toad that lies under the wall, I charmed him out, and he came at my call ; I scratched 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 he seen in the ' Twnley Mysteries,' p. 91. See a paper in the ' Archseologia,' vol. xxTii, p 053, by tlie Rev. Lancelot Sharps, M.A. See also MS. Lansu. 231, fol. Ill, and Ady'3 •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 !
CCXLT.
[Ady, in his ' Candle in tlie Dark,' 4to, Lond. 1656, p. 59, says that this wus a cnarm 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 !
I'll ARMS. 137
CCXLII.
Or. \V:iUis's 'Grammatica Linguai Anglican*, " 12nio, Oxon. If5"4. p. 164. lliis and the nine following are said to be certain cuies lor the hincup if repeated in one lireatk.]
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 un- twist,
The twine that untwisteth, untwisteth the twist.
Untwirling the twine that untwisteth be- tween,
He twirls, with the twister, the two in a twine :
Then twrice 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 un- twine :
'Twixt the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,
lie, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.
138 CHARMS.
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 pep- per;
A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked ;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pep- per,
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, TAVO boAvls, two bottles, two lables, Three, &c. [And so on ad. lib. in one breath.]
CHARMS. 139
CCXLVI.
ROBERT ROWLEY rolled a round roll round, A round roll Robert Rowley rolled round ; Where rolled the round roll Robert Rowley
i/
rolled round ?
CCXLVI I.
MY grandmother sent me a new-fashioned three cornered cambric country cut hand- kerchief. Not an old-fashioned three cor- nered cambric country cut handkerchief, but a new-fashioned three cornered cambric country cut handkerchief.
CCXLVIII.
THREE crooked cripples went through Ciipplegate, and through Cripplegate went three crooked cripples.
CCXLTX.
SAVAN swain over the sea- Swim, swan, swim ;
Swan swam back again, Well swam swan,
140
CH A1OIS.
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 Arc good for the hiccup.
NINTH CLASS— GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
CCLII.
JfJlfJHERE 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 cnt her petticoats all round about ; He cut her petticoats up to the knees, Which made the old woman to shiver and
freeze.
142 GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
When this little woman first did Avake, 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.
GAFFERS AND GAMMERS. 143
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 Pen--
-L <-0 5
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 fol-
low'd a'ter.
17
144 GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
CCLVII.
A LITTLE old man and I fell out ; How shall we bring this matter about P Bring it about as well as you can, Get you gone, you little old man !
CCLVI1I.
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.
GAFFERS AND GAMMERS. 145
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.
4
CCLXI I.
THERE was an old man who liv'd in Middle
Row,
lie 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 !
146 GAFFERS AM) GAMMERS.
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.*
* Vrobably lof/i»g or liiffin', to complete the rhyme. So in Sliuksjiraro's • Mills. Night's Dream,' a'et ii, sc. 1 :
"And then the whole quirr hold their hips, and loffe."
GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
She took a clean dish To get him some tripe,
But when she came back He was smoking his pipe.
147
She went to the fishmonger's To buy him some fish,
And when she came back lie was licking the dish.
She went to the ale-honse To get him some beer,
But when she came back The dog sat in a chair.
148 GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
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 bay him a wig,
But when she came back lie was dancing a jig.
She went to the fruiterer's To buy him some fruit,
But when she came back He was playing the ilute.
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.
GAFFERS AND GAMMERS. 14!)
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 wras 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.
CCLXVI.
[The first two lines of the following are the same with those of a s-mg 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.
150 GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
CCLXV1I.
[The following is part of a comic song called ' Success to the Whistle and \Vig," intended to be sunj; 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 Chetharn 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.
GAFFERS AND GAMMERS. 151
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.
18
152 GAFFERS AND GAMMERS.
CCLXIX.
THERE was an old man of Tobago,
o *
Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago ; Till, much to his bliss, His physician said this — To a leg, sir, of mutton }rou may go."
«r\\
CCLXX.
On, 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.
CCLXX1I.
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.
GAFFERS AND GAMMERS. 1 53
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.
CCLXX1V.
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.
CCLXXVl.
THERE was an old woman in Surrey,
*
\Vlio, Avas 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. — * :e j • —
CCLXXVII.
[Rliymes used }>y children to decide wlio is to be*ia a game.]
t
, two-cry, Ziccary zan ;
Hollow bone, crack a bone, Ninerv, ten :
i/ *
Spittery spot,
It must be done ; Twiddleum twaddleum,
Twenty-one.
GAMES. J 55
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 ars seated ir a circle, the following stanza is used as question and answer.j
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 merry men, 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.
156 GAMES.
Dance, ye merrynien, every one ;
\The whole moving, But Foreman, he can dance alone, Foreman, lie can dance alone.
[And so on with the others — naming the 2d finder long-nan — the S< tiuger Ring nan — and the 4th finger little/nan. Littleman cannot dance alone.]
CCLXXX.
[The following is used by schoolboys, when two are starling to run a rwc*.'
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 winch desig- nation shall belong to each), and he goes behind the one lie mav chance <a n::me. When all are thus divided into two parties, they conclude the ^in»e by trying to pull each other beyond a certain line.]
GAY go up and gay go down, To ring the bells of London town.
Hull's eyes and targets,
Say the bells of St. Marg'ret's.
Brickbats and tiles,
Say the bells of St. Giles'.
flalfpence and farthings, Say the bells of St. Martin's.
Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's.
GAMES. 15?
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. Jolm'd.
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 conies a chopper to chop off your head.
158 GAMES.
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 davs old.
J
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 here what time of day ; And when you have done, pull out your tongue,
And see what you can say.
GAMES. 159
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 ia repeated till all the children are hidden, when the Mother lias to find them.]
CCLXXXVI.
[This game begins thus: Take, this — What's this? — A gaping, wide- mouthed, waddling frog, &c.J
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 ;
160 GAMES.
Seven lobsters in a dish, As fresh as any heart could wish • Six beetles against the Avail, Close by an old woman' s apple stal! ; Five puppies of our dog Ball, AVho 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.
f A string of children, hand in hand, stand in n row. A child (A) stands in front of Them, as leader; two other childre/i IB and c) form ail arch, each In Idiug both the hands of the other.]
•
A. DRAW a pail of \vater, 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.
PA passes bv 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 »re taken 1
GAMES. J61
CCLXXXVIII.
(The following; seems to belong to the last game; hut it ia aauaUy 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 h'nd
But a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing with the wind.
162 GAMES.
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 hedgenog, 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.
GAMES. 1(53
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 mail,
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.
ccxcu.
MARGERY MUTTON-PIE, and Johnny Bopecpi They met together in Grace-church Street ; In and out, in and out, over the way, Oh ! says Johnny, 'tis chop-nose day.
164 GAMES.
CCXCIII.
INTER Y, 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 pame 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 ' Aomenclator,' 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 way be that the last line has recently furnished a hint to Mathews in his amusing song in 'Patter v. Clatter.']
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, Slitheruin, slathermn, 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 '
GAMES. 1(55
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.
CCXCVI I.
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 !
cnxcvm.
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.
GAMES.
CCXCLV.
RIDE a cock-horse to Banbury-cross, To see what Tommy can buy ;
A penny white loaf, a penny white cake. And a twopenny appie-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, la chill the motions of the body and arms express the process of weaviug ; tue 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 !
GAMES. 16?
CCCII.
[Used in Somersetshire in counting out the game of pec-wip or pec wit.]
ONE-ery, two-ery, hickary, hum, Fillison, follison, Nicholson, John, Quever, quauver, Irish Mary, Stenkaruni, stankarum, buck!
CCCII I.
Wnoor, 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 !
20
168 GAMES,
CCCVI.
TIP, top, tower,
Tumble down in an hour.
CCCVI I.
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 1
GAMES.
109
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-taps. 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, mm, mm, nim : Next come the gentlemen, trim, trim, trim ; Then comes the country clowns, gallop-a- trot.
170 GAMES.
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 rnakes 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 hues, 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 inaying (7),
Here's a flower (8), and there's a flower (9),
GAMES. 17)
Growing in my lady's garden (10), [f you set your foot awry (11), Gentle John will make you cry (12), [f you set your foot amiss (13), Ge*ntle John (14) will give you a kiss.
[The child upon whnm (14) falls is then taken out, and forced to select oue 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 handsl\
[If the child taken by lot joins in the clapping, the selected child is rejected, and 1 believe takes the middle p'lace. Otherwise, 1 think, there ia 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, ?.nd 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.]
it rn
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 OD zuessing the instrument "plane him, hammer him, rasp him, or solder luui," is called out respectively during the period of punishment.]
172 GAMES.
CCCXVII.
CLAP hands, clap hands,
Hie Tommy Randy, Did you see my good man r
They call him Cock-a-bandy.
Silken Stockings on his le^s,
o O ?
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 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.
GAMES. 173
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 nng 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 them- selves 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.
EIGHTY 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 grand- mother.
174 GAMES.
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 nnmber falls is put, for " Hide oi Sack," or any other game where a victim is required. A cock and bull storj of this kind is related of the historian Josephus. There are other versioni of this, and one may be seen in ' Blackwood's Magazine ' for August, 1H21 B. 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 !
GAMES. 175
CCCXXV.
ONE old Oxford ox opening oysters ;
Two tee-totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tadbury ;
Three tall tigers tippling tenpeany 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 tinder- boxes 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 n>c«.
GOOD horses, bad horses, What is the time of day ?
Three o'clock, four o'clock, Now fare you away.
21
170 GA.MKH,
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 lias not one for to gi' her,
CCCXXVII I.
[The following is a game played as follows: A string of boys and pirls, each holding l>y 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 anus — 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.
GAMES. 177
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 !
cccxxxi i.
[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.
178 GAMES.
B. The fairest one that I can see Is pretty Nancy, — come to ine.
[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 \vhole are taken.]
CCCXXXIII.
[The " Tluee Knights of Spain " is a game played in nearly the same manner as the preceding. The dramatis persona 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, eiDging to a very swe=t 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.
GAMES. 170
Suitors.
Be she young, or be she old, For her beauty she must be sold.
\t
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.
180 GAMES.
CCCXXX1V.
[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 ot tier 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 consider- able force, on the flexor muscles at the elbow-joint.]
.Mr 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 live 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 fciitures.]
HERE sits the Lord Mayor . forehead.
Here sit his two men . . eyes. Here sits the cock .... riylit cheek
Here sits the hen .... left c/ieek. Here sit the little chickens . tip of nose.
Here they run in . . . . monlli. Chinchopper, chinchopper,
Chinchopper, chin ! . . . chuck the chin.
182 GAMES.
CCCXXXVIII.
[A play with the face. Tlie child exclaims:]
RING the bell ! . . (jiving a lock of its
hair a putt.
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.
GAMES. 183
CCCXLI.
[From Yorkshire. A game to alarm children.]
FLOWERS, flowers, high-do! Sheeny, greeny, rino ! —
Sheeny greeny,
Sheeny greeny, Rum turn fra !
CCCXLII.
1. Tins pig went to the bam.
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.
CCCXIJII.
[The two following are fragments of a pame 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 ?
22
184
GAMES.
CCCXLIY.
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 !
THE first day of Christinas, 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.
GAMES.
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
Pour 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, Mv 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.
185
180 GAMES.
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 Christinas, My true love sent to me Nine drummers drumming, Eight maids a milking, Seven swans a swimming, Six geese a laying, Five gold rings,
GAMES. 187
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
Fleven 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,
188 GAMES.
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, andlorfeitR for each mistake. Tliis accumulative process is a favorite with children : in eirly writers, such as Homer, the repetition of messages, &c. pleases on ttoe eame principle ]
CCCXLVII.
[A game on the fingers.]
HEETUM peetum penny pie, Populorum gingum gie ; East, West, North, South, Kirby. Kendal, Cock him out
GAMES. 189
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,
Hobblcdy hobbledy-hoy !
190
GAMES.
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.
GAMES. 19]
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. theu turn slowly round, and then dance in a ring again.]
CCCLIII.
THE OLD DAME.
'One child, called the Old Dume, sits on the floor, and the rest, joining hands, form a circle round her, and dancing, sing the following lines:]
Children. To Beccles ! to Beccles !
To buy a bunch of nettles ! Pray, old Dame, what's o'clock ?
23
192 GAMES.
Dame. One, going for two.
Children. To Beccles ! to Bcccles !
To buy a bunch of nettles ! Pray, old Dame, what's o'clock ?
Dame. Two, going for three.
[And so on till she reaches, " Eleven going for twelve." After this the following questions are asked, with the replies. — C. Where have you been? D. To the wood. C. What for? D. To pick up sticks. C. What for ? D. To light my fire. C. What for V D. To boil my kettle. C. What for? D. To cook some of your chickens. The children then all run away »« fast aa they can, and the Old Dame tries to catch one of them. Whoever is caught is the next to personate the Dame.]
CCCLIV.
DROP-GLOVE.
[.Children stand round in a circle, leaving a space between each. One walks round the outside, and carries a glove in her hand, saying:]
I'VE a glove in my hand,
Hittity Hot !
Another in my other hand,
Hotter than that !
So I sow beans, and so they come up,
Some in a mug, and some in a cup.
I sent a letter to my love,
I lost it, I lost it ! '
I found it, I found it !
It burns, it scalds.
[Repealing the last words very rapidly, till she drops the glove behind one of them, and whoever has the glove must overtake her, following her exactly in and out till she catches her. If the pursuer makes a mistake in the pursuit, she loses, and the game is over ; otherwise she continues the itauu with the glove.]
GAMES.
CCCLV.
[in the following, the various parts of the countenance nrc touched as the lines are repeated; anil at the close the chin is struck playfully, tliat the tongue may he gently bitten.]
EYE winker, Torn Tinker,
Nose dropper. Mouth eater, Chin chopper, Chin chopper.
CCCLVI.
THUMB bold, Thibity-thold,
Lang in an, Lick pan, Mama's little man.
CCCLVIT.
[A game of the fox.]
Fox a fox, a brummalary,
How many miles to Lummaflary ? Lum- mabary.
»j
A. Eight and eight, and a hundred and eight. How shall I get home to night ?
A. Spin your legs, and run fast.
194
GAMES.
CCCLTTII.
[A Christmas custom in Lancashire. The boys dress themselves up with ribands, t» Ma<-ke lows.]
, and perform various pantomimes, after winch one of them, who has eneil face, a rough skin coat, and a broom in his hand, sings as fol-
HERE come I,
Little David Doubt ; If you don't give me money,
I'll sweep you all out. Money I want,
And money I crave ; If you don't £>-ive me money.
i/ O c.- -
I'll sweep you all to the grave I
GAMES. 195
CCCLIX.
[Tlie lullowin? lines are said by the nurse when moving; the child's foot up and down.]
THE dog of the kill,* He went to the mill
To lick mill-dust : The miller he came With a stick on his back,—
Home, dog, home ! The foot behind,
The foot before : When he came to a stile,
Thus he jumped o'er.
CCCLX.
[The followiug lines arc repeated by the nurse when sliding her lianJ down the child's face.]
MY mother and your mother
Went over the way ; Said my mother to your mother,
It's chop-a-nose day !
* That is, kiln.
$3X (1
<^r>fe^JL
ELEVENTH CLASS— PARADOXES.
CCCLX1.
[The followiiiji is quoted in Parkin's reply to Dr. Stukeley's second number ot ' Origincs Roystonianie,' 4to, London, 17-18, p. vi.]
lilETER WHITE will ne'er go right, Would you know the reason why ? He follows his nose where'er he goes, And that stands all awry.
CCCLXII.
O THAT I was where I would be, Then would I be where I am not ! But where I am I must be, And where 'I would be I cannot.
PARADOXES. 197
CCCLXIII.
[The following was sung to tlic tune of Chevy Chase. It was taken from s poetical talp in the 'Clioyce Poems,' 12mo, London, 16ti2, the music to which may bt seen in U'Urtey'a 'Pills to Purge Melancholy,' 1719, vol. iv, P.1-]
THREE children sliding on the ice
Upon a summer's day, As it fell out, they all fell in,
The rest they ran away.
Now had these children been at home,
Or sliding on dry ground, Ten thousand pounds to one penny
They had not all been drown'd.
You parents all that children have, And you that have got none,
If you would have them safe abroad, Pray keep them safe at home.
CCCLXIV.
THERE was a man of Newington,
And he was wond'rous wise, He jump'd into a quickset hedge,
And scratch' d out both his eyes : But when he saw his eyes were out,
With all his might and main He jump'd into another hedge,
And scratch 'd 'em in again.
198 PARADOXES.
CCCLXV.
UP stairs, down stairs, upon my lady's win- dow,
There I saw a cup of sack and a race of ginger ;
Apples at the fire, and nuts to crack,
A little boy in the cream-pot up to his neck.
CCCLXVI.
I WOULD if I cou'd,
If I cou'dn't, how cou'd I ?
I cou'dn't, without I cou'd, cou'd I ?
Cou'd you, without you cou'd, cou'd ye ?
Cou'd ye, cou'd ye ?
Cou'd you, without you cou'd, cou'd ye ?
CCCLXVII.
IF all the world was apple-pie,
And all the sea was ink, And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What should we have for drink ?
CCCLXVIII.
TOBACCO wick ! tobacco wick !
When you're well, 'twill make you sick :
Tobacco wick ! tobacco wick !
'Twill make you well when you are sick.
PARADOXES. 199
CCCLXIX.
[The following occurs in a MS. of the seventeenth century, in the Sloane Collection, the reference to which I have mislaid.]
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.
CCCLXX.
[The conclusion of the following resembles a verse in (he nursery history of Mother Hubbard.]
THERE was an old woman, and what do you
think? She lived upon nothing but victuals and
drink : Victuals and drink were the chief of her
diet ; This tiresome old woman could never be
quiet.
She went to the baker, to buy her some
bread, And when she came home her old husband
was dead ;
She went to the clerk to toll the bell, And when she came back her old husband
was well.
200 PARADOXES.
CCCLXXI.
HERE am I, little jumping Joan When nobody's with me, I'm always alone.
«/
CCCLXXII.
THERE was an old woman had nothing, And there came thieves to rob her ;
When she cried out she made no noise, But all the country heard her.
CCCLXXIII.
THERE was a little Guinea-pig, Who, being little, was not big, He always walked upon his feet, And never fasted when he eat.
When from a place he ran away. He never at that place did stay ; And while he ran, as I am told, He ne'er stood still for young or old.
He often squeak'd and sometimes vi'lent, And when he squeak'd he ne'er was silent Though ne'er instructed bv a cat,
o */
He knew a mouse was not a rat.
PARADOXES. 201
One day, as I am certified, He took a whim and fairly died ; And, as I'm told by men of sense, He never has been living since.
CCCLXXIV.
[Mind your punctuation !]
I SAW a peacock with a fiery tail,
I saw a blazing comet drop down hail,
I saw a cloud wrapped with ivy round,
1 saw an oak creep upon the ground,
I saw a pismire swallow up a whale,
I saw the sea brimful of ale,
I saw a Venice glass full fifteen feet deep,
I saw a well full of men's tears that weep,
I saw red eyes all of a flaming fire,
I saw a house bigger than the moou and
higher,
I saw the sun at twelve o'clock at night, I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight
CCCLXXV.
MY true love lives far from me,
Feme, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.
Many a rich present he sends to me,
Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Ternporie, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.
202 PARADOXES.
He sent me a goose, without a bone ; He sent me a cherry, without a stone.
Petrum., &c.
He sent me a Bible, no man could read ; He sent me a blanket, without a thread.
Petrum, &c.
How could there be a goose without a bone ? How could there be a cherry without a
stone? -D ,
Petrum, &c.
How could there be a Bible no man could
read ? How could there be a blanket without a
thread? Petrum, &c.
When the goose is in the egg-shell, there
is no bone ; When the cherry is in the blossom, there is
no stone. ? &c
When ye Bible is in ye press no man it can
read ; When ye wool is on ye sheep's back, there
is no thread.
PARADOXES. 203
CCCLXXVI.
THERE was a man and he was mad,
And lie jump'd into a pea-swad ; *
The pea-swad was over-full,
So he jmnp'd into a roaring bull ;
The roaring bull was over-fat,
So he jump'd into a gentleman's hat ;
The gentleman's hat was over-fine,
So he jump'd into a bottle of wine ;
The bottle of wine was over-dear,
So he jump'd into a bottle of beer :
The bottle of beer was over-thick,
So he jump'd into a club-stick ;
The club-stick was over-narrow,
So he jump'd into a wheel-barrow ;
The wheel-barrow began to crack,
So he jump'd on to a hay-stack ;
The hay-stack began to blaze,
So he did nothing but cough and sneeze !
CCCLXXVII.
I SAW a ship a- sailing,
A-sailing on the sea ; And, oh ! it was all laden
With pretty things for thee 1
* The poil or shell of a pea.
204 PARADOXES.
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 !
CCCLXXVIII.
BARNEY BODKIN broke his nose, Without feet we can't have toes ; Crazy folks are always mad, Want of money makes us sad.
CCCLXXIX.
IF a man who turnips cries Cries not when his father dies, It is a proof that he would rather Have a turnip than his father.
TWELFTH CLASS— LULLABIES.
CCCLXXX.
HJIjUSHY baby, my doll, I pray you don't
cry, And I'll give yon some bread and some milk
by and bye ; Or, perhaps you like custard, or may-be a
tart,— Then to either you're welcome, with all my
whole heart.
206 LULLABIES.
CCCLXXXI.
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!
CCCLXXXII.
[The following ia quoted in Florio's 'New World of Words," fol., London, 1611, p. 3.]
To market, to market, To buy a plum bun :
Home again, come again. Market is done.
CCCLXXXIII. DANCE to your daddy, My little babby, Dance to your daddy My little iamb.
You shall have a fishy, In a little dishy ; You shall have a fishy When the boat comes in.
LULLABIES. 207
CCCLXXX1V.
TOM shall have a new bonnet, With blue ribbands to tie on it, With a hush-a-bye and a lull-a-baby, Who so like to Tommy's daddy?
CCCLXXXV.
BYE, baby bumpkin, Where's Tony Lumpkin ? My lady's on her death-bed, With eating half a pumpkin.
CCCLXXXVI.
[From 'The Pleasant Comcedie of Patient Grissell,' 100S.J
HUSH, hush, hush, hush ! And I dance mine own child, And I dance mine own child, Hush, hush, hush, hush !
CCCLXXXVII.
HUSH thee, my babby, Lie still with thy daddy,
Thy mammy has gone to the mill, To grind thee some wheat, To make thee some meat,
And so, my dear babby, lie still.
208
LULLABIES.
CCCLXXXVIII.
HEY, my kitten, my kitten,
And hey, my kitten, my deary !
Such a sweet pet as this Was neither far nor neary.
Here we go up, np, up,
And here we go down, clown, downy ; And here we go backwards and forwards^
And here we go round, round, roundy.
CCCLXXXIX.
I wox't be my father's Jack,
I won't be my mother's Gill, I will be the fiddler's wife, And have music when I will. T'other little tune, T'other little tune, Pr'ythee, love, play me T'other little tune.
cccxc.
DANTY baby diddy,
What can a mammy do Avid'e,
But sit in a lap,
And give 'un a pap ? Sing danty baby diddy.
LULLABIES. 20(J
CCCXCI.
KOCK-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.
CCCXCI I.
BYE, 0 my baby !
When I was a lady. O then my poor baby clid'nt cry !
But my baby is weeping,
For want of good keeping, Oh, I fear my poor baby will die !
CCCXCIII.
HUSH-A-BYE, a ba lamb,
Hush-a-bye a milk cow, You shall have a little stick
To beat the naughty bow-wow.
cccxciv.
HUSH-A-BYE, baby, on the tree top, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock , When the bough bends, the cradle will fall, Down will come baby, bough, cradle, and all.
210 LULLABIES.
CCCXCV.
RIDE, baby, ride,
Pretty baby shall ride, And have a little puppy-dog tied to her side, And little pussy-cat tied to the other, And away she shall ride to see her grand- mother,
To see her grandmother,
To see her grandmother.
cccxcvi.
BYE, baby bunting, Daddy's gone a hunting, To get a little hare's skin To wrap a baby bunting in.
CCCXCVII.
GIVE me a blow, and I'll beat 'em, Why did they vex my baby ?
Kissy, kiss, kissy, my honey,
And cuddle your nurse, my deary.
CCCXCVII 1.
MY dear cockadoodle, my jewel, my joy, My darling, my honey, my pretty sweet boy ; Before I do rock thee with soft lullaby, Give me thy dear lips to be kiss'd, kiss'd, kiss'd.
LULLABIES,
CCCXCIX.
[A favourite lullaby in the north of England fifty years ago, aud peiLapi still heard. The last word is pronounced bee.']
HUSH-A-BYE, lie still and sleep, It grieves me sore to see thee weep, For when thou weep'st thou wearies me, Hush-a-bye, lie still and bye.
ccoc.
[From Yorkshire and Essex. A nursery-cry. — It is also sometimes snnf W the streets hy boys who have small figures "of wool, wood, or gypsum, &c cf lambs to sell"]
YOUNG Lambs to sell !
Young Lambs to sell ! If I'd as much money as I can tell, I never would cry — Young Lambs to sell !
COCCI.
[From Yorkshire. A nursery-cry.]
RABBIT, Rabbit. Rabbit-Pie ! Come, my ladies, come and buy > Else your babies they will cry.
CCCCII.
To market, to market,
To buy a plum cake ; Home again, home again,
Ne'er a one baked ; The baker is dead and all his men. And we must go to market again.
212 LULLABIES.
CCCCIII.
HOCK well mv cradle,
«/
And " bee baa," my son ; You shall have a new gown,
D
When ye lord comes home.
Oh ! still my child, Orange,
Still him with a bell ; I can't still him, ladie,
Till yon come down yoursel! !
cccciv.
WHERE was a sugar and fretty P And where was jewel and spicy ?
llnsh-a-bye, babe in a cradle, And we'll go away in a tricy !
ccccv.
I'LL buy you a tartan bonnet, And some feathers to put on it, Tartan trews and a phillibeg, Because you are so like your daddy
THIRTEENTH CLASS— JINGLES.
• « l 3H-- —
CCCCVI.
[The first line of the following is the burden of a song in the ' Tempest,' t^jjff act i, sc. 2. and also of one in the 'Merchant of Venice, ^gff act. iii, sc. 2.]
JlNG, clong bell,
Vv 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 tlu;t To drown poor pussy-cat, Who never did any harm, But kill'cl the mice in his father's barn.
21.4 JINGLES.
CCCCVIL
HEY ding a cling, what shall 1 sing? How many holes in a skimmer? Four and twenty, — my stomach is empty ; Pray, mamma, give me some dinner.
CCCCVIII.
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, doodle doodle doo !
Cock a doodle doo ! My dame will dance with you, While master fiddles his fiddling stick, For dame and doodle doo.
JINGLES. 215
Cock a doodle doo !
Dame has lost her shoe ;
Gone to bed and scratched her head,
And can't tell what to do.
ccccix.
DIDDLEDY, diddledy, dumpty ; The cat ran up the plum-tree.
I'll lay you a crown
I'll fetch you down ; So diddledy, diddledy, dumpty.
ccccx.
LITTLE Tee Wee, He went to sea In an open boat ; And while afloat The little boat bended, And my story's ended.
ccccxi.
SING, sing, what shall I sing ? The cat has eat the pudding-string ; Do, do, what shall I do ? The cat has bit it quite in two.
26
2KJ JINGLES.
CCCCXII.
[I do not know whether the following may have reference to the game oJ handy-dandy, mentioned in ' King Lear,' act iv, sc. 6, and in Florkrs ' New World of Words,' 1611, p. 5?.]
HANDY SPANUY, Jack-a-dandy, Loved plum-cake and sugar-candy ; He bought some at a grocer's shop, And out he came, hop, hop, hop.
CCCCXIII.
TIDDLE liddle lightum,
Pitch and tar ; Tiddle liddle lightum,
What's that for ?
CCCCXIV.
SING jigmijole, the pudding-bowl,
The table and the frame ; My master he did cudgel me
For speaking of my dame.
ccccxv.
DEEDLE, deedle, dumpling, my son John Went to bed with his trowsers on ; One shoe off, the other shoe on, Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.
JINGLES. 217
CCCCXVI.
DIBBITY, dibbity, dibbity, doe. Give me a pancake
And I'll go.
Dibbity, dibbity, dibbity, ditter, Please to give me
A bit of a fritter.
ccccxvu.
FEEDUM, fiddle dum fee, The cat's got into the tree. Pussy, come down, Or I'll crack your crown, And toss you into the sea.
CCCCXVIII.
LITTLE Jack a Dandy
Wanted sugar-candy, And fairly for it cried ;
But little Billy Cook
Who always reads his book, Shall have a horse to ride.
ccccxix.
HYDER iddle diddle dell, A yard of pudding's not an ell ; Not forgetting tweedle-dye, A tailor's goose will never fly.
218 JJNHLES.
ccccxx.
GILLY Silly Jarter, Who has lost a garter?
In a shower of rain, The miller found it, The miller ground it,
And the miller gave it to Silly again.
ccccxxi.
HUB 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 !
CCCCXXII.
HEY diddle, dinketty, poppety, pet, The merchants of London they wear scarlet ; Silk in the collar, and gold in the hem, So merrily march the merchantmen.
CCCCXXIII.
PiDDLE-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.
JINGLES. 219
CCCCXXIV.
HEY, dorolot, dorolot !
Hey, dorolay, dorolay ! Hey, my bonny boat, bonny boat,
Hey, drag away, drag away !
ccccxxv.
A CAT came fiddling out of a barn, With a pair of bag-pipes under her arm ; She could sing nothing but fiddle cum fee, The mouse has married the humble-bee ; Pipe, cat, — dance, mouse, We'll have a wedding at our good house,
ccccxxvi.
HEY ! diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon ;
The little clog laugh'd
To see the sport, While the dish ran after the spoon.
ccccxxvi i.
DOODLED Y, doodledy, doodledy, dan, I'll have a piper to be my good man ; And if I get less meat, I shall get game, Doodledy, doodledy, doodledy, clan.
220 JINGLES
CCCCXXVIII.
TwEEDLE-dum and tweedle-clee
Resolved to have a battle, For tweedle-durn said tweedle-dee
Had spoiled liis nice new rattle. Just then flew by a monstrous crow,
As big as a tar-barrel, Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
ccccxxix.
COME dance a jig To ray Granny's pig, With a raudy, rowdy, dowdy ; Come dance a iio;
if O
To my Granny's pig, And pussy-cat shall crowdy.
ccccxxx.
PUSSICAT, wussicat, with a white foot, When is your weddino-p for I'll come to't.
J o
The beer's to brew, the bread's to bake, Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, don't be too late.
JINGLES. 221
CCCCXXXI.
DING, dong, darrow,
The cat and the sparrow ;
The little dog has burnt his tail,
And he shall be hang'd to-morrow.
CCCCXXXI I.
LITTLE Dicky Dilver
Had a wife of silver,
He took a stick and broke her back,
And sold her to the miller ;
The miller would'nt have her,
So he threw her in the river.
CCCCXXXIII.
To market, to market, to buy a fat pig, Home again, home again, dancing a jig;
Ride to the market to buy a fat hog, Hmie again, home again, jiggety-jog.
ccccxxxiv.
DOODLE, doodle, doo, The princess lost her shoe ;
Her highness hopp'd,
The fidler stopped, Not knowing what to do.
222 .1 INGLES.
ccccxxxv.
RoMPTY-iddity, row, row, row,
If I had a good supper, I could eat it now.
ccccxxxvi.
[Magotty-pie is given in MS. Lands. 1033, fol. 2, as a Wiltshire word foi n magpie. " See also ' Macbeth," act iii, sc. 4. The same term occurs m the dictionaries of Hollybund, Cotgnive, and Minsheu.-]
ROUND about, round about,
Magotty-pie, My father loves good ale,
And so do I.
CCCCXXXYII.
HIGH, ding, cockatoo-moody,
Make a bed in a barn, I will come to thee;
High, ding, straps of leather,
Two little puppy-dogs tied together ;
One by the head, and one by the tail,
And over the water these puppy-dogs sail.
CCCCXXXVIII.
[Our collection of nursery songs may appropriately be concluded with the Quaker's commentary on one of the greatest favourites — Hey! diddle, diddle. We have endeavoured, as far as practicable, to remove every line from the present edition that could offend the most fastidious ear ; but the following annotations on a song we cannot be induced to omit, would appear to sug- gest that our endeavours are scarely likely to De attended with success.]
" HEY ! diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle " Yes, thee may say that, for that is non- sense.
.TINGLES. 223
" The cow jumped over the moon '
Oh no ! Mary, thee musn't say that, for that is a false)] ood ; thee knows a cow could never jump over the moon ; but a cow may jump under it ; so thee ought to say — " The cow jumped under the moon." Yes,—
"The cow jumped under the moon; The little dog laughed '
Oh Mary, stop. How can a little dog laugh ? thee knows a little dog can't laugh. Thee ought to say — "The little dog harked — to see the sport," " And the dish ran after the spoon " —
Stop, Mary, stop. A dish could never run after a spoon ; thee ought to know that. Thee had better say — " And thu cat ran after the spoon." So,—
" Hey ! diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jump'd under the moon ; The little dog bartid, To see the sport,
And the cat ran after the spoon ! "
27
FOURTEENTH CLASS. LOVE AND MATRIMONY.
• f r.t- —
CCCCXXXIX.
|j|S I was going up Pippen-liiil, Sz Pippen-hill was dirty, There 1 met a pretty miss, And she dropt me a curtsey.
Little miss, pretty miss, Blessings light upon you i
If I had half=a-crown a day, I'd spend it all on you.
LOVE AND MATRIMONY. 225
CCCCXL.
BRAVE news is come to town, Brave news is carried ;
Brave news is come to town, Jemmy Dawson's married.
CCCOXLI.
WILLY, Willy Wilkin, Kissed the maids a-milkin^,
Fa, la, la !
And with his merry daffing, He set them all a laughing.
1 1 a, ha, ha !
CCCCXLII.
IT'S once I courted as pretty a lass,
As ever your eyes did see ;
But now she's come to such a pass,
She never will do for me.
She invited me to her own house,
Where oft I'd been before,
And she tumbled me into the hog- tub,
And I'll never go there any more.
22f) LOVE AND MATRIMONY.
CCCCXLIII.
SYLVIA, sweet as morning air, Do not drive me to despair : Lono- have I sighed in vain,
O o *
Now I am come again,
Will you be mine or no, no-a-no, — Will vou be mine or no ?
i/
Simon pray leave off your suit,
For of your courting you'll reap no fruit
I would rather give a crown
Than be married to a clown ;
Go for a booby, go, no-a-no, —