In the barn a little mousie

Ran to and fro;

For she heard the kitty coming,
Long time ago.

Two black eyes had little kitty,

Black as a sloe;

And they spied the little mousie,
Long time ago.

Nine pearl teeth had little kitty,

All in a row;

And they bit the little mousie,
Long time ago.

When the teeth bit little mousie,

Little mouse cried, "Oh!"
But she got away from kitty,
Long time ago.

MILKING TIME.

CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI.

WHEN the cows come home the milk is coming;
Honey's made while the bees are humming;
Duck and drake on the rushy lake,

And the deer live safe in the breezy brake;
And timid, funny, pert little bunny
Winks his nose, and sits all sunny.

JENNY WREN AND ROBIN REDBREAST.

OLD ENGLISH Rhyme.

JENNY WREN fell sick;
Upon a merry time,

In came Robin Redbreast

And brought her sops of wine.

"Eat well of the sop, Jenny,

Drink well of the wine;

"Thank you, Robin, kindly,
You shall be mine."

Jenny she got well,

And stood upon her feet,

And told Robin plainly

She loved him not a bit.

Robin, being angry,

Hopp'd upon a twig,

Saying, "Out upon you,

Fye upon you, bold-faced jig!"

THE OLD MARKET-WOMAN.

OLD ENGLISH RHYME.

THERE was an old woman, as I've heard tell,
She went to market her eggs for to sell;
She went to market all on a market day;
And she fell asleep on the king's highway.

There came by a pedler whose name was Stout, He cut her petticoats all round about;

He cut her petticoats up to the knees,

Which made the old woman to shiver and freeze.

When this little woman first did wake,

She began to shiver and she began to shake, She began to wonder and she began to cry, "Lawk-a-mercy on 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,
"Lawk-a-mercy on me, this is none of I!"

POLLY.

GEORGE MACDONALD.

BROWN eyes, straight nose;
Dirt pies, rumpled clothes.

Torn books, spoilt toys;
Arch looks, unlike a boy's;

Little rages, obvious arts;
(Three her age is), cakes, tarts;

Falling down off chairs;
Breaking crown down stairs;
Catching flies on the pane;
Deep sighs-cause not plain;
Bribing you with kisses
For a few farthing blisses.

Wide-a-wake; as you hear,
"Mercy's sake, quiet, dear!"

New shoes, new frock;
Vague views of what is o'clock

When it's time to go to bed,
And scorn sublime for what is said.

Folded hands, saying prayers,

Understands not nor cares

Thinks it odd, smiles away;
Yet may God hear her pray!

Fast asleep, as you see,
Heaven keep my girl for me!

THE LOST DOLL.

CHARLES KINGSLEY.

I ONCE had a sweet little doll, dears,
The prettiest doll in the world;

Her cheeks were so red and so white, dears,
And her hair was so charmingly curled.

But I lost my poor little doll, dears,
As I played on the heath one day;

And I cried for her more than a week, dears,
But I never could find where she lay.

I found my poor little doll, dears,

As I played on the heath one day;
Folks say she is terribly changed, dears,
For her paint is all washed away.

And her arms trodden off by the cows, dears,
And her hair's not the least bit curled;
Yet for old time's sake, she is still, dears,
The prettiest doll in the world.

BABY BYE.

THEODORE TILTON.

BABY bye,
Here's a fiy;

Let us watch him, you and I.

How he crawls

Up the walls,

Yet he never falls!

I believe with six such legs

You and I could walk on eggs.

There he goes

On his toes,

Tickling baby's nose.