“ Four and twenty tailors went to kill a snail,
The best man amongst them durst not touch her tail.
She put out her horns, like a little Kyloe cow,
Run, tailors, run, or she'll kill you all just now. ”

“ So Doll and the cow they danc'd a lilt,
Till the pail fell down and the milk was all spilt.
Tom saw a cross fellow was beating an ass,
Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and glass;
He took out his pipe and he play'd them a tune,
And the poor donkey's load was lighten'd full soon. ”

“ LITTLE BOY BLUE.
[137]
Little Boy Blue, come, blow me your horn;
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.
Where's the little boy that looks after the sheep?
He's under the haycock, fast asleep. ”

“ An old woman was sweeping her house, and she 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 she was coming home, she came to a stile: the piggy would not go over the stile. ”

“ He shot Johnny King through the middle of his wig,
And knocked it right off his head, head, head.
Three straws on a staff,
Would make a baby cry and laugh.
Multiplication is vexation,
Division is as bad;
The Rule of Three perplexes me,
And Practice drives me mad.
Daffy-down-Dilly has come up to town,
In a yellow petticoat and a green gown. ”

“ That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog, that worried the cat,
That killed the rat, that ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
[207]
A little boy went into a barn,
And lay down on some hay;
An owl came out and flew about,
And the little boy ran away. ”

“ But the cow said to her, "If you will go to yonder haymakers, and fetch me a wisp of hay, I'll give you the milk." So away the old woman went to the haymakers, and said—
"Haymakers, give me a wisp of hay;
Cow won't give me milk;
Cat won't kill rat;
Rat won't gnaw rope;
Rope won't hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
[253]
"HAYMAKERS, GIVE ME A WISP OF HAY."
Fire won't burn stick ”

“ His physician said this—
"To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go."
Little Miss Muffett
She sat on a tuffett,
Eating of curds and whey;
There came a little spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffett away.
[264]
As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks,
Were walking out one Sunday,
Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
Wilt marry me on Monday?
The cat sat asleep by the side of the fire,
The mistress snored loud as a pig,
Jack took up his fiddle by Jenny's desire,
And struck up a bit of a jig.
Here am I,
Little jumping Joan,
When nobody's with me,
I'm always alone. ”

“ I am going to see them make the hay.
Away, Birds, away!
Take a little, and leave a little,
And do not come again;
For if you do,
I will shoot you through,
And then there will be an end of you.
[119]
I had a little dog, they called him Buff,
I sent him to the shop for a hap'orth of snuff;
But he lost the bag, and spilt the snuff,
So take that cuff, and that's enough.
The Cock doth crow
To let you know,
If you be wise,
'T is time to rise. ”

“ Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full:
One for my master, one for my dame,
And one for the little boy that lives in our lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full.
[172]
Barber, barber, shave a pig.
How many hairs will make a wig?
Four and twenty; that's enough.
Give the poor barber a pinch of snuff.
The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown,
The Lion beat the Unicorn all round about the town. ”

“ If you are to be a gentleman, as I suppose you'll be,
You'll neither laugh nor smile for a tickling of the knee.
[62]
"Where are you going to, my pretty maid?"
"I am going a-milking, sir," she said.
"May I go with you, my pretty maid?"
[63] "You're kindly welcome, sir," she said.
"What is your father, my pretty maid?"
"My father's a farmer, sir," she said.
"What is your fortune, my pretty maid?"
"My face is my fortune, sir," she said.
"Then I won't marry you, my pretty maid."
"Nobody asked you, sir," she said. ”

“ And out of the window she popped her head;
"Oh, husband! oh, husband! the Geese are all dead,
For the Fox has been through the town, heigho!"
The farmer he loaded his pistol with lead,
And shot the old rogue of a Fox through the head;
"Ah, ha!" said the farmer, "I think you're quite dead,
And no more you'll trouble the town, heigho!"
[188]
Pease pudding hot,
Pease pudding cold,
Pease pudding in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.
Curly-locks, Curly-locks, wilt thou be mine? ”

“ As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat. As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk—
The cat began to kill the rat;
The rat began to gnaw the rope;
The rope began to hang the butcher;
The butcher began to kill the ox;
The ox began to drink the water;
The water began to quench the fire;
The fire began to burn the stick;
The stick began to beat the dog;
The dog began to bite the pig;
[255]
"THE CAT BEGAN TO KILL THE RAT."
The little pig in a fright jumped over the stile ”

“ They had not all been drowned.
You parents all that children have,
And you, too, that have none,
If you would have them safe abroad,
Pray keep them safe at home.
[302]
THE WONDERFUL DERBY RAM.
As I was going to Derby all on a market day,
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay;
Upon hay, upon hay, upon hay;
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay.
This ram was fat behind, sir, this ram was fat before;
This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed he was no more;
No more, no more, no more;
This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed he was no more. ”

“ Early to bed, and early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.
[298]
Old woman, old woman, shall we go a-shearing?
Speak a little louder, sir, I am very thick o' hearing.
Old woman, old woman, shall I kiss you dearly?
Thank you, kind sir, I hear very clearly. ”

“ As soon as he play'd they began for to dance,
Even pigs on their hind-legs would after him prance.
He met Old Dame Trot with a basket of Eggs—
He used his pipe and she used her legs;
She danc'd about till her eggs were all broke,
She began for to fret, but he laugh'd at the joke.
And as Dolly was milking her cow one day,
[133]
Tom took out his pipe and began for to play ”

“ Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town.
Thomas a Tattamus took two T's
To tie two tups to two tall trees,
To frighten the terrible Thomas a Tattamus.
Tell me how many T's there are in all THAT.
[173]
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
They were two bonny lasses,
They built a house upon the lea,
And covered it o'er with rashes.
Bessy kept the garden gate,
And Mary kept the pantry;
Bessy always had to wait,
While Mary lived in plenty.
Little boy, pretty boy, where were you born?
In Lincolnshire, master; come, blow the cow's horn. ”

“ She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.
I'll tell you a story,
About John-a-Nory:
And now my story's begun.
I'll tell you another,
About Jack and his brother:
And now my story's done.
[232]
I LOVE SIXPENCE.
I love sixpence, pretty little sixpence,
I love sixpence better than my life ”

“ C was the Cow that jumped over the moon.
D was the Dish that ran off with the spoon.
E was Elizabeth, Betsey, and Bess.
F was the Forest where stood the bird's-nest.
G Gaffer Longlegs; downstairs he'd a fall. ”

“ They all went together to seek a bird's nest,
They found a bird's nest with five eggs in;
They all took one, and left four in.
[287]
Up hill and down dale,
Butter is made in every vale;
And if Nancy Cook
Is a good girl,
She shall have a spouse,
And make butter anon,
Before her old grandmother
Grows a young man. ”

“ Yet the plaguey old woman would never be quiet.
[320] She went to the baker's to buy some bread;
And when she came home her husband was dead.
She went to the clerk, to toll the great bell;
And when she came back, her husband was well.
Some little mice sat in a barn to spin,
Pussy came by, and she popped her head in.
"Shall I come in and cut your threads off?"
"Oh, no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off."
Transcriber's Notes:
There seemed to be no rhyme nor reason to which poems began with smallcaps and which did not. Without a clear pattern to follow, this was retained as printed. ”

“ I saddled him, and bridled him, and sent him out of town.
I gave him some garters, to garter up his hose,
And a little pocket-handkerchief to wipe his pretty nose.
I have a little sister; they call her Peep, Peep,
She wades the water, deep, deep, deep;
She climbs the mountains, high, high, high.
Poor little thing! she has but one eye.
[193]
[Transcriber's Note: You can play this music (MIDI file) by clicking here.]
Goosey, goosey, gander, whither shall I wander,
Up stairs, and down stairs, and in my lady's chamber. ”

“ Sir JOHN GILBERT, R.A., JOHN TENNIEL, HARRISON WEIR,
WALTER CRANE, W. McCONNELL, J. B. ZWECKER
AND OTHERS
London
George Routledge and Sons
THE BROADWAY, LUDGATE
NEW YORK: 416 BROOME STREET
1877
[iv]
[v]
CONTENTS.
[9]
MOTHER GOOSE'S NURSERY RHYMES.
OLD MOTHER GOOSE.
Old Mother Goose, when
She wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.
Mother Goose had a house,
'Twas built in a wood,
Where an owl at the door
For sentinel stood.
This is her son Jack,
A plain-looking lad,
He is not very good,
Nor yet very bad. ”