English Nursery Rhymes
English nursery rhymes may seem like kid's stuff, but many of the basic problems faced by adult second language learners of English may be quite similar to those challenges of young English-speaking children first learning the language. Nursery rhymes are the stuff of bed-time stories. They have a natural metrical rhythm and "lullaby" sound quality that is very basic to the sound patterning of English and that is mysteriously inviting for young children.
I have used nursery rhymes in teaching English at all levels. I believe that they can be extremely effective for inducing oral-aural response patterning that overcomes the visual dependency that is the product of learning English primarily from text books and from non-native English teachers who may themselves not have the natural metrical sound patterning distinctive of English.
Effective exercises are to have a class or sub groupings of a class recite one or two nursery rhymes each day. Nursery rhymes should be practiced daily until they become second nature to the students. Writing them on the common chalkboard for all to see is a good first strategy. Do not give students handouts with the nursery rhymes on them, and tell them not to write them down. After a while, have individual students or smaller groupings of students repeat lines of the nursery rhyme out-load. Eventually, erase the rhyme on the chalkboard and then have the students repeat the rhyme while listening to the teacher leading them. Eventually, have them recite the entire nursery rhyme from memory.
As the nursery rhymes are being recited, it is both a fun and extremely useful exercise to vary the voice quality, the metrical pattern, the tonality and speed of recitation, getting the students used to different beats, tempos and qualities of "aural" English.
Giving foreign students "second" or "middle" English names is a good way of building a bridge in the English process, inducing self-identification through and within the language. Many nursery rhymes are built around common first names in English, and reciting these for students thus named can be a lot of fun for the class.
Nursery Rhymes are also a good place to start to break down psychological attitudes of resistance to openly and loudly speaking in English without fear of making mistakes or of being self-conscious about it. If students are shy, or they believe that they are "too old" or "too mature" for stuff like nursery rhymes, they are a good place for the teacher both to assert their authority as leaders in the learning process, and to get students to relax and open their minds as well as their ears and mouths. Often, male students are particularly adverse to nursery rhymes, and thus they are a good starting point to getting these students to feel more at ease about their own identities as males.
Nursery rhymes can also be a good place to start with the scansion and analysis of natural English prosody and rhyme pattern. They are excellent for helping to develop an "ear" for English that is all to frequently missing from second language English classes and yet so critical for the natural appreciation of the language.
Many of the words, phrases and grammatical patterns found in nursery rhymes are old and out of date, but they offer a challenge to the English learning to make full sense of nonsense. Much of the best of English literature is in fact children's literature, and much of this contains humor that is a play on words and on the sound qualities of words.
Many nursery rhymes shade off into songs, and often can be either recited or sung either individually or in chorus. "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" is an excellent example of a nursery rhyme whose metrical quality is so perfect that it can be either sung or recited. Follow the link below for an exercise with "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star"
First line Index of Rhymes
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum! Jeanie come tie my Millery, millery, dustipoll What's the news of the day There was a crooked man There was a mad man and he had a mad wife Slug-a-bed Here I am, little jumping Joan Little Boy Blue, come, blow your horn! Old Mother Goose If wishes were horses One, two, three, four, five Little Jenny Wren fell sick As soft as silk, as white as milk Pease porridge hot Little Boy Blue Charley, Charley One misty, moisty morning Hey diddle, diddle Jack, be nimble As I went to Bonner To market, to market, to buy a fat pig Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John Tom, Tom, the piper's son This little pig went to the market There was an old woman tossed up in a basket Baa, baa, black sheep I see the moon, and the moon sees me Star light, star bright Mary, Mary Quite contrary Good night, Sleep tight Jack Sprat could eat no fat Little maid, pretty maid, whither goest thou? As I was going to St. Ives Little Jack Horner What are little girls made of? Jack and Jill Wee Willie Winkle London bridge is falling down Two little dicky birds There was an old woman who lived in a shoe Little Miss Muffet Hickory, dickory dock Three blind mice Georgie Porgy Three little kittens Sing a song of six pence There was a crow sat on a stone Elsie Marley is grown so fine
I had a little hobby-horse I like little pussy Little Tommy Tittlemouse Cocks crow in the morn Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; A duck and a drake Margaret wrote a letter Hector Protector was dressed all in green There was an old woman, as I've heard tell, Cock-a-doodle-do! There was an old woman had three sons, My maid Mary she minds the dairy Hark! Hark! A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree Hey diddle dinkety poppety pet Robin Hood, Robin Hood Little Jack Jelf As I walked by myself A wise old owl lived in an oak Old Mistress McShuttle Baby, baby, naughty baby The lion and the unicorn Ride a cock-horse to Coventry Cross I had a little pony Simple Simon met a pieman When little Fred went to bed "Jacky, come and give me thy fiddle" Little Tommy Tittlemouse Little Bobby Snooks was fond of his books Little Betty Blue There was a little boy and a little girl I had a little moppet Little Shon a Morgan, There was an old woman sat spinning Doodle doodle doo Of a little, Take a little, Higglety, pigglety, pop! A knight of Cales, a gentleman of Wales Old woman, old woman The little priest of Felton, There was an old woman Bat, bat, come under my hat A little pig found a fifty-dollar note Little Jack Jingle As little Jenny Wren "What is the news of the day" Sing, sing, what shall I sing? "Willy boy, Willy boy, where are you going? There dwelt an old woman at Exeter I saw a ship a-sailing As round as an apple, as deep as a cup Saw ye aught of my love a-coming Dance to your Daddie Jerry Hall, he was so small About the bush, Willie Lucy Locket lost her pocket If I'd as much money as I could spend The two gray kits Grey goose and gander Some say the devil's dead There was a man in our town J was Joe Jenkins
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 still they all were fleeting
Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed
For they'd left all their tails behind 'em!
It happened one day, as Bo-peep did stray
Unto a meadow hard by--
There she espied their tails, side by side
All hung on a tree to dry
She heaved a sigh, and wiped her eye
And over the hillocks she raced;
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
That each tail should be properly placed
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll grind his bones to make my bread
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.
(Question to ask, what is a cravat, and why is it difficult to tie?)
How many sacks have you stole?
Four and twenty and a peck:
Hang the miller up by his neck!
Good neighbor, I pray?
They say the balloon
Has gone up to the moon!
And he went a crooked mile
He found a crooked sixpence
Against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat,
Which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together
In a little crooked house.
(Question, what are the double meanings of the word "crooked" in this rhyme?)
There was a mad man and he had a mad wife,
And they lived in a mad town;
They had three children all at a birth,
And mad they were every one
The father was mad, the mother was mad,
And the children mad beside;
And they all got on a mad horse,
And madly they did ride
They rode by night and they rode by day,
Yet never a one of them fell;
They rode so madly all the way,
Till they came to the gates of hell.
Old Nick was glad to see them so mad,
And gladly let them in:
But he soon grew sorry to see them so merry
And let them out again.
Slug-a-bed
Barley butt
Your bum is so heavy
You can't get up.
Here I am, little jumping Joan;
When nobody's with me,
I'm all alone
Little Boy Blue, come, blow your horn!
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.
Where's the little boy that looks after the sheep?
Under the haystack, fast asleep!
When she wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.
(Question, what is a gander?)
Beggars would ride.
If turnips were watches,
I would wear one by my side.
And if "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans,
There'd be no work for tinkers!
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
But I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
The little one upon the right.
Upon a time;
In came Robin Redbreast
And brought her cake and wine.
"Eat well of my cake, Jenny,
Drink well of my 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,
Hopped upon a twig,
Saying, "Out upon you! Fie upon you!
Bold-faced jig!"
As soft as silk, as white as milk,
As bitter as gall, a strong wall,
And a green coat covers me all.
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot
Some like it cold
Some like it in the pot
Nine days old.
Come blow your horn,
The sheep's in the meadow,
The cow's in the corn;
But where is the little boy
Tending the sheep?
He's under the haycock,
Fast asleep
Will you wake him?
No, not I,
For if I do
He's sure to cry.
Stole the barley
Out of the baker's shop.
The baker came out
And gave him a clout
Which made poor Charley hop.
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?
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Jack, be quick,
Jack, jump over
The candlestick.
I met a pig
Without a wig
Upon my word and honor.
To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig;
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his trousers on;
One shoe on off, and one shoe on;
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.
Stole a pig and away did run.
The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,
And Tom went crying down the street.
This little pig went to the market,
This little pig stayed home,
This little pig had roast beef,
This little pig had none,
And this little pig cried, Wee-wee-wee-wee-wee
I can't find my way home.
There was an old woman tossed up in a basket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon;
Where she was going I couldn't but ask it,
For under her arm she carried a broom.
Old woman, old woman, old woman, said I,
Where are you going to up so high?
To sweep the cobwebs out of the sky,
And I'll be with you by-and-by.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full;
One for my master,
And one for my dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
I see the moon, and the moon sees me.
God bless the moon, and God bless me.
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.
Quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells,
and cockle shells,
and pretty maids,
all in a row
Sleep tight
Don't let the bed bugs bite
Wake up bright
In the morning light,
To do what's right
With all your might
And if in dreamy flight
A demon you should fight
Don't take fright
But turn back on the light
His wife could eat no lean,
And so between them both,
you see,
They licked the platter clean.
Little maid, pretty maid, whither goest thou?
Down in the meadow to milk my cow.
Shall I go with thee? No, no now;
When I send for thee, then come thou.
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits;
Kits, cats, sacks and wives,
How many were there
going to St. Ives?
Sat in a corner
Eating a pudding pie
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out a plumb
And said "What a good boy am I".
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice.
That's what little girls are made of.
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails and puppy-dog tails.
That's what little boys are made of.
Jack and Jill
Ran up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Runs through the town
Upstairs and downstairs
In his night-gown
Peeping through the windows
Rapping at the doors
"Are the children all fast asleep,
For it's now eight o'clock?".
London bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Polly put the kettle on,
kettle on, kettle on
Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.
Sukey take it off again,
off again, off again
Sukey take it off again
We'll all go away.
Sitting on a wall;
One named Peter,
The other named Paul.
Fly away, Peter!
Fly away, Paul!
Come back, Peter!
Come back, Paul!
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children
She did not know what to do
She gave them some porridge and bread
Whipped them all soundly
And sent them to bed.
Sat on her tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
There came a big spider
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory, dickory dock.
Three blind mice,
See how they run,
See how they run,
They all after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice.
Pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls,
And made them cry,
When the boys came out to play
Georgie Porgy did run away.
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
The three little kittens,
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.
Put on your mittens, You silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
The three little kittens
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.
What! soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh.
The three little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh! mother dear, do you not hear
Our mitten we have washed?
What! washed your mitten,
Then you're good kittens
But I smell a rat close by.
A pocket full of rye
Four and twenty black birds
Baked in a pie
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing
Wasn't that a dandy dish
To set before the King.
The King was in the counting house
Counting out his money,
The Queen was in the parlor,
Eating bread and honey,
The maid was in the garden
Hanging up the clothes,
When down came a black bird,
And pecked off her nose.
There was a crow sat on a stone,
When he was gone,
Then there was none.
There was an old crow
Sat upon a clod
That's the end of my song,
That's odd.
Elsie Marley is grown so fine,
She won't get up to feed the swine,
But lies in bed till eight or nine,
Lazy Elsie Marley
And it was dapple gray;
Its head was made of pea-strw,
Its tail was made of hay.
I sold it to an old woman
For a copper groat;
And I'll not sing my song again
Without another coat
Her coat is so warm,
And if I don't hurt her
She'll do me no harm;
So I'll not pull her tail,
Nor drive her away,
But Pussy and I
Very gently will play.
Lived in a little house;
He caught fishes
In other men's ditches
To tell us to rise,
And he who lies late
Will never be wise;
For early to bed
And early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy
And wealthy and wise
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
(note, to get students to read this faster becomes a tongue twister. This type of pattern makes a good oral learning/short-term memory exercise)
And a halfpenny cake,
With a penny to pay the old baker.
A hop and a scotch
Is another notch
Slitherum, slatherum, take her.
Sealed it with her finger,
Threw it in the dam
For the dusty miller.
Dusty was his coat,
Dusty was the siller,
Dusty was the kiss
I'd from the dusty miller.
If I had my pockets
Full of gold and siller,
I would give it all
To my dusty miller.
Hector Protector was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen
The Queen did not like him,
No more did the King;
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
There was an old woman, as I've heard tell,
She went to the market her eggs for to sell;
She went to market all on a marketday,
And she fell asleep on the King's highway.
There came by a pedlar whose name was Stout,
He cut her petticoats all round about;
He cut her petticoats up to the kneews
Which made the old woman to shiver and freeze.
When the little old woman first did wake,
She began to shiver and she began to shake;
She began to wonder and she began to cry,
"Lauk a mercy on me, this can't be I!"
But if it be I, as I 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,
"Lauk a mercy on me, this is none of I!"
My dame has lost her shoe
My master's lost his fiddle-stick
And knows not what to do.
Cock-a-doodle-do!
What is my dame to do?
Till master finds his fiddle-stick,
She'll dance without her shoe
There was an old woman had three sons,
Jerry and James and John,
Jerry was hanged, James was drowned,
John was lost and never was found;
And there was an end of her three sons,
Jerry and James and John!
My maid Mary she minds the dairy,
While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn;
Gaily run the reel and the little spinning wheel.
While I am singing and mowing my corn.
Beggars are coming to town:
Some in jags, and some in rags,
And some in velvet gown.
A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he;
A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow,
Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow.
"This little cock-sparrow shall make me a stew,
and his giblets shall make me a little pie, too."
"Oh, no," says the sparrow "I won't make a stew."
So he flapped his wings and away he flew.
Hey diddle dinkety poppety pet,
The merchants of London they wear scarlet,
Silk in the collar and gold in the hem,
So merrily march the merchant men.
Is in a mickle wood!
Little John, Little Joh,
He to the town is gone.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Telling his beads,
All in the greenwood
Among the green weeds
Little John, Little John,
If he comes no more
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
We shall fret full sore!
Was put on the shelf
Because he could not spell "pie";
When his aunt, Mrs. Grace,
Saw his sorrowful face,
She could not help saying, "Oh, fie!"
And since Master Jelf
Was put on the shelf
Because he could not spell "pie,"
Let him stand there so grim,
And no more about him,
For I wish him a very good-bye!
And talked to myself,
Myself said unto me:
"Look to thyself,
Take care of thyself,
For nobody cares for thee."
I answered myself,
And said to myself
In the selfsame repartee:
"Look to thyself,
Or not look to thyself,
The selfsame thing will be."
A wise old owl lived in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?
Lived in a coal scuttle,
Along with her dog and her cat;
What they ate I can't tell,
But 'tis known very well,
That none of the party were fat.
Old Mistress McShutle
Scoured out her coal-scuttle,
And washed both her dog and her cat;
The cat scratched her nose,
So they came to hard blows,
And who was the gainer by that?
Hush, you squalling thing, I say.
Peace this moment, peace, or maybe
Bonaparte will pass this way.
Baby, baby, he's a giant
Tall and black as Rouen steeple,
And he breakfasts, dines, rely on't,
Every day on naughty people.
Baby, baby, if he hears you,
As he gallops past the house,
Limb from limb at once he'll tear you,
Just as pussy tears a mouse.
And he'll beat you, beat you, beat you,
And he'll beat you all to pap
And he'll eat you, eat you, eat you,
Every morsel snap, snap, snap
Were fighting for the crown;
The lion beat the unicorn,
All about the town.
Some gave them white bread,
And some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake
And drummed them out of town.
Ride a cock-horse to Coventry Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.
His name was Dapple-Grey,
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away.
She whipped him, she slashed him
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.
Going to the fair
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"let me taste your ware."
Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
"Show me first your penny,"
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 could find
Was in his mother's pail!
Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.
He went to catch a dicky bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he had a little salt,
To put upon its tail.
He went for water with a sieve,
But soon it ran all through;
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.
He always said his prayers;
He kissed mamma, and then papa,
And straightway went upstairs.
"Jacky, come and give me thy fiddle,
If ever thou mean to thrive."
"Nay, I'll not give my fiddle
To any man alive.
"If I should give my fiddle,
They'll think that I've gone mad;
For many a joyous day
My fiddle and I have had."
Lived in a little house;
He caught fishes
In other men's ditches.
Little Bobby Snooks was fond of his books,
And loved by his usher and master;
But naughty Jack Spry, he got a black eye,
And carries his nose in a plaster.
Lost her holiday shoe;
What shall little Betty do?
Give her another
To match the other
And then she'll walk upon two.
There was a little boy and a little girl
Lived in an alley;
Says the little boy to the little girl,
"Shall I, oh, shall I?"
Says the little girl to the little boy,
"What shall we do?"
Says the little boy to the little girl,
"I will kiss you."
I put it in my pocket
And fed it with corn and hay
There came a proud beggar.
And swore he should have her,
And stole my little moppet away.
Gentleman of Wales,
Came riding on a nanny goat,
Selling of pig's tails.
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!
The Princess lost her shoe:
Her Highness hopped,--
The fiddler stopped,
Not knowing what to do.
Take a little,
Manners so to do;
Of a little,
Leave a little,
That is manners too.
The dog has eaten the mop;
The pig's in a hurry,
The cat's in a flurry
Higglety, pigglety, pop!
A knight of Cales, a gentleman of Wales
And a laird of the north countree;
A yeoman of Kent with his yearly rent
Will buy them out all three.
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.
The little priest of Felton,
The little priest of Felton,
He killed a mouse within his house
And no one there to help him
Lived under the hill,
She put a mouse in a bag,
And sent it to the mill;
The miller did swear,
By the point of his knife,
He never took toll
Of a mouse in his life!
And I will give you a slice of bacon,
And when I bake,
I'll give you a cake,
If I am not mistaken.
A little pig found a fifty-dollar note,
And purchased a hat and a very fine coat,
With trousers, and stockings, and shoes,
Cravat, and shirt-collar, and gold-headed cane;
Then, proud as could be, did he march up the lane;
Says he, "I shall hear all the news."
He used to live single;
But when he got tired
of this kind of life,
He left off being single
And lived with his wife.
Now what do you think
Of little Jack Jingle
Before he was married
He used to live single
Was sitting by her shed.
She waggled with her tail,
And nodded with her head.
She waggled with her tail
And nodded with her head,
As little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed.
Good neighbor, I pray?"
"They say the balloon
Is gone up to the moon!"
Sing, sing, what shall I sing?
Cat's run away with the pudding-string!
Do, do, what shall I do?
The cat has bitten it quite in two.
"Willy boy, Willy boy, where are you going?
I will go with you, if that I may."
"I'm going to the meadow to see them a-mowing,
I'm going to help them to make the hay."
There dwelt an old woman at Exeter
When visitors came it sore vexed her,
So for fear they should eat,
She locked up all her meat,
This stingy old woman of Exeter
A-sailing on the sea;
And, oh! It was all laden
With pretty things for the!
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 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!"
As round as an apple, as deep as a cup
And all the king's horses can't fill it up.
Saw ye aught of my love a-coming
From the market?
A peck of meal upon her back,
A babby in her basket;
Saw ye aught of my love a-coming
From the market?
My bonnie laddie;
Dance to your daddie,
my bonnie lamb;
You shall get a fishy
On a little dishy;
You shall get a fishy,
When the boat comes home.
A rat could eat him, hat and all.
About the beehive,
About the bush, Willie,
I'll meet these alive.
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.
Kitty Fisher found it;
Nothing in it, nothing in it,
But the binding round it.
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.
And the gray kits' mother
All went over
The bridge together.
The bridge broke down,
They all feel in,
"May the rats go with you,"
Says Tom Bowlin.
Waft you wings together,
And carry the good king's daughter
Over the one-strand river.
And buried in Cold Harbor,
Others say he's rose again,
And prenticed to a barber.
And he was wondrous wise,
He jumped into a quickset hedge,
And scratched out both his eyes.
And when he saw his eyes were out,
With all his might and main
He jumped into another hedge,
And scratched them in again.
Who played on the fiddle;
He began twenty times,
But left off in the middle.
Blanket Copyright, Hugh M. Lewis, © 2005. Use of this text governed by fair use policy--permission to make copies of this text is granted for purposes of research and non-profit instruction only.
Last Updated: 03/14/05