The drake was a-swimming, with his curly tail; The little man made it his mark, mark, mark! He let off his gun, but he fired too soon; And the drake flew away with a "Quack! quack! quack!" An old woman sweeping her house found a little crooked sixpence. What," said she, "shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market and buy a little pig." As this old woman was coming home with her pig, she came to a stile; but the pig would not go over the stile. She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog : 66 'Pray, dog, bite pig; Pig won't get over the stile, So she went a little further till she met a stick, and she said: 66 Pray, stick, beat dog; Dog won't bite pig, Pig won't get over the stile, And I sha'n't get home to-night." So she went a little further, and she met a fire, and she said: "Pray, fire, burn stick; Stick won't beat dog, Pig won't get over the stile, And I sha'n't get home to-night." But the fire would not. So she went a little further, and she met some water, and she said: 66 Pray, water, quench fire; Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Pig won't get over the stile, So she went a little further, and she met an ox. So she said: "Pray, ox, drink water; Dog won't bite pig, Pig won't get over the stile, And I sha'n't get home to-night." But the ox would not. She went a little further till she met a butcher, and she said: "Pray, butcher, kill ox; Ox won't drink water, Water won't quench fire, Pig won't get over the stile, But the butcher would not. She went a little further till she met a rope, and she said: Pray, rope, hang butcher; Ox won't drink water, Dog won't bite pig, Pig won't get over the stile, And I sha'n't get home to-night." |