“ We'll shoot at that wren, says John all alone;
We'll shoot at that wren, says every one.
She's down, she's down, says Robin to Bobbin;
She's down, she's down, says Richard to Robin;
She's down, she's down, says John all alone;
She's down, she's down, says every one.
How shall we get her home? says Robin to Bobbin;
How shall we get her home? says Richard to Robin;
How shall we get her home? says John all alone;
How shall we get her home? says every one. ”

“ This plaguy 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.
THE MIRACULOUS GUINEA-PIG.
There was a little guinea-pig,
Who being little was not big,
He always walk'd upon his feet,
And never fasted when he eat. ”

“ 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 whole country heard her.
Pillycock, pillycock, sate on a hill:
If he's not gone—he sits there still.
[Pg 47]
Humpty-dumpty sate on a wall,
Humpti-dumpti had a great fall;
Threescore men and threescore more,
Cannot place Humpty-dumpty as he was before.
Little boy Bluet, come blow me your horn,
The cow's in the meadow, the sheep in the corn:
But where is the little boy tenting the sheep?
He's under the hay-cock fast asleep. ”

“ She whipp'd all their bums, and sent them to bed.
[Pg 28]
Shoe the colt,
Shoe the colt,
Shoe the wild mare;
Here a nail,
There a nail,
Yet she goes bare.
Is John Smith within?
Yes, that he is.
Can he set on a shoe?
Ay, marry, two,
Here a nail, there a nail,
Tick, tack, too.
Ride a cock horse,
To Banbury cross,
To see what Tommy can buy;
A penny white loaf,
A penny white cake,
And a twopenny apple pye.
Ride a cock horse, to Banbury cross,
To see an old woman get up on her horse;
Rings on her fingers, and bells at her toes,
And so she makes music wherever she goes. ”

“ Old woman, old woman, shall I kiss you dearly?
Thank you, kind Sir; I hear you very clearly.
EVENING DITTY.
Girls and boys come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day:
Come with a hoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will, or not at all:
Leave your supper and leave your sleep, [Pg 42]
Come to your playfellows in the street:
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A penny loaf will serve us all. ”

“ 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,
Slitherum, slatherum, take her.
THE JOLLY TESTER.
I love sixpence, a jolly, jolly sixpence,
I love sixpence as my life;
I spent a penny of it, I spent a penny of it,
I took a penny home to my wife.
I love fourpence, a jolly, jolly fourpence,
I love fourpence as my life;
I spent twopence of it, I spent twopence of it,
I took twopence home to my wife.
I love nothing, a jolly, jolly nothing,
I love nothing as my life,
I spent nothing of it, I spent nothing of it. ”

“ And in the stable forget me not.
Before the cock-horse is mounted, we should learn to remember:
The rule of the road is a paradox quite,
And custom has prov'd it so long:
He that goes to the left is sure to go right,
And he that goes right must go wrong.
Come, let's to bed,
Says Sleepy-head;
Sit up awhile, says Slow;
Hang on the pot,
Says greedy-gut,
Let's sup before we go.
[Pg 33]
There was an old woman
Liv'd under a hill,
She put a mouse in a bag,
And sent it to mill:
The miller did swear,
By the point of his knife,
He never took toll
Of a mouse in his life. ”

“ I'll not change my wife for either gold or siller.
[Pg 43]
The rose is red, the grass is green,
Serve King George our noble King:
Kitty the spinner will sit down to dinner,
And eat the leg of a frog;
All good people look over the steeple,
And see the cat play with the dog. ”

“ When will you marry?
When apples and pears are ripe.
I'll come to your wedding,
Without any bidding,
And lye with your bride all night.
See saw, Margery Daw,
Sold her old bed to lay on the straw;
Was not she a nasty slut
To sell her old bed to lay on the dirt.
There was an old woman, she liv'd in a shoe,
She had so many children she didn't know what to do ”

“ Hink spink, the puddings stink,
The fat begins to fry,
Nobody at home, but jumping Joan,
Father, mother, and I. [Pg 41]
Stick, stock, stone dead,
Blind man can't see,
Every knave will have a slave,
You or I must be HE.
THE SEDATE PREACHER.
Old Dr. Forster,
Went to Glo'ster,
To preach the word of God:
When he came there,
He sate in his chair,
And gave all the people a nod.
THE DEAF OLD WOMAN.
Old woman, old woman, shall we go a-shearing? ”

“ They had not all been drown'd.
You parents that have children dear,
And eke you that have none,
If you will have them safe abroad,
Pray keep them safe at home.
ROBIN, BOBBIN, RICHARD, AND JOHN: OR, THE WREN SHOOTING.
We'll go a shooting, says Robin to Bobbin ”

“ And stole my little moppet away.
[Pg 36]
Up hill and down dale;
Butter is made in every vale;
And if that Nancy Cock
Is a good girl,
She shall have a spouse,
And make butter anon,
Before her old grandmother
Grows a young man. ”

“ Crying, Maids, do you want any brooms? green brooms, etc.
THE PARLIAMENT SOLDIERS.
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 hanged.
[Pg 59]
JACK DANDY-PRAT.
Little Jack Dandy-prat was my first suitor;
He had a dish and a spoon, and he'd some pewter;
He'd linen and woollen, and woollen and linen,
A little pig in a string cost him five shilling. ”

“ Shall I be so when I am dead:
O yes! O yes, the parson said,
You will be so when you are dead.
Here the lady screams.
[E] This line has been adopted in the modern ballad of Alonzo and Fair Imogene. ”