The streets were so bad, And the lanes were so narrow, I was forced to bring my wife home In a wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow broke, And my wife had a fall, Down came wheelbarrow, Little wife and all. THE BABES IN THE WOOD My dear, do you know How a long time ago, Two poor little children, Whose names I don't know, Were stolen away On a fine summer's day, And left in a wood, And when it was night, The sun it went down, And they bitterly cried, And the poor little things And when they were dead, The robins so red Brought strawberry-leaves And over them spread; And all the day long, They sang them this song— Poor babes in the wood! Poor babes in the wood! And don't you remember The babes in the wood? "Over the Water to Charley" 43 ROBIN REDBREAST LITTLE Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree, Little Robin Redbreast jumped upon a wall, Pussy-cat jumped after him, and almost got a fall; SOLOMON GRUNDY SOLOMON Grundy, Born on a Monday, "OVER THE WATER TO CHARLEY" OVER the water, and over the sea, Over the water, and over the sea, To make a white cake for my Charley. "WHEN GOOD KING ARTHUR RULED THIS LAND " WHEN good King Arthur ruled this land, He was a goodly king; He stole three pecks of barley meal, To make a bag-pudding. A bag-pudding the king did make, The king and queen did eat thereof, And noblemen beside; And what they could not eat that night, The queen next morning fried. "I HAD A LITTLE DOGGY" I HAD a little Doggy that used to sit and beg; But Doggy tumbled down the stairs and broke his little leg. Oh! Doggy, I will nurse you, and try to make you well, And you shall have a collar with a little silver bell. Ah! Doggy, don't you think that you should very faith ful be, For having such a loving friend to comfort you as me? And when your leg is better, and you can run and play, We'll have a scamper in the fields and see them making hay. But, Doggy, you must promise (and mind your word you keep) Not once to tease the little lambs, or run among the sheep; And then the little yellow chicks that play upon the grass, You must not even wag your tail to scare them as you pass. "A FARMER WENT TROTTING" A FARMER went trotting upon his gray mare; With his daughter behind him, so rosy and fair; The Cow A raven cried croak! and they all tumbled down; The mare broke her knees, and the farmer his crown; The mischievous raven flew laughing away; Bumpety, bumpety, bump! And vowed he would serve them the same the next day; Lumpety, lumpety, lump! 45 "THE OWL AND THE EEL AND THE WARMING PAN" THE Owl and the eel and the warming-pan, They went to call on the soap-fat man. So they all came back by the way of the town, Laura E. Richards [1850 THE COW THANK you, pretty cow, that made Every day, and every night, Warm, and fresh, and sweet, and white. Do not chew the hemlock rank, Where the purple violet grows, Ann Taylor [1782-1866] THE LAMB LITTLE Lamb, who made thee? Little Lamb, who made thee? Little Lamb, I'll tell thee, Little Lamb, God bless thee! William Blake [1757-1827] THE CLOCKING HEN "WILL you take a walk with me, "Thank you," said the clocking hen; "I've something else to do; I'm busy sitting on my eggs, I cannot walk with you. "Clock, clock, clock, clock," Said the clocking hen; "My little chicks will soon be hatched, I'll think about it then." |