“ Seven bright weather-cocks shining in the sun;
Seven slim race-horses ready for a run;
Seven golden butterflies flitting overhead;
Seven red roses blowing in a garden bed;
Seven white lilies, with honey bees inside them;
Seven round rainbows, with clouds to divide them;
[Pg 99] Seven pretty little girls, with sugar on their lips;
Seven witty little boys, whom everybody tips;
Seven nice fathers, to call little maids joys;
Seven nice mothers, to kiss the little boys;
Seven nights running I dreamt it all plain;
With bread and jam for supper I could dream it all again. ”

“ Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
I let it go again.
“Why did you let it go?”
“Because it bit my finger so.”
“Which finger did it bite?”
“The little finger on the right.”
Dragon fly! dragon fly! fly about the brook,
Sting all the bad boys who for the fish look;
But let the good boys catch all they can,
And then take them home to be fried in a pan,
With nice bread and butter they shall sup up their fish,
While all the little naughty boys shall only lick the dish. ”

“ Red sky at night, is the shepherd’s delight,
Red sky at morning, is the shepherd’s warning.
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
And never, never, come again.
Rain, rain, rattle stone,
Pray, hold up till I get home.
[Pg 5]
If the cat washes her face o’er the ear,
’Tis a sign that the weather’ll be fine and clear.
A robin red-breast in a cage
Puts all Heaven in a rage.
A skylark wounded on the wing,
Doth make a cherub cease to sing.
He who shall hurt the little wren
Shall never be beloved by men.
The wanton boy that kills the fly
Shall feel the spider’s enmity. ”

“ And autumn takes his turn to reign,
I know as sure as I’m a sinner,
When leaves are scattered o’er the plain,
And grapes are eaten after dinner.
WINTER
Winter is known by frost and snow,
To all the little girls and boys ”

“ A lane through heaps of slaughter’d Grecians made!
And now my deeds still braver I’ll evince,
I am no less than Edward the Black Prince.
“Give way, ye coward French!” As this he spoke,
And aim’d in fancy a sufficient stroke
To fix the fate of Cressy or Poitiers
(The Muse relates the Hero’s fate with tears) ,
He struck his milk-white hand against a nail,
Sees his own blood, and feels his courage fail. ”

“ They grew up handsome as could be;
Velvet-skin lay on the knee,
Catch-the-Mouse for mice went seeking;
In the barn went Softly-Sneaking;
Thief-o’-th’-House indulged his wishes
’Mid the kitchen plates and dishes.
“What is she doing, Miss Cat?
Is she sleeping, or waking, or what is she at?”
“I am not asleep, I am quite wide awake,
Perhaps you would know what I’m going to make;
I’m melting some butter, and warming some beer,
Will it please you sit down and partake of my cheer?”
Three cats sat at the fireside,
With a basketful of coal dust,
Coal dust! coal dust! ”

“ I’ll wash you in milk, and dress you in silk,
And write down your name with a gold pen and ink.
SINGING GAME
Rosy apple, lemon, and pear,
Bunch of roses she shall wear,
Gold and silver by her side,
Choose the one to be your bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her across the water,
Give her kisses, one, two, three,
Mrs Rose’s daughter.
APPLE PIPS
One I love, two I love, three I love, I say
Four I love with all my heart, five I cast away;
Six he loves, seven she loves, eight they both love ”

“ It said, “Mary, my dear, if there’s no gooseberry jam,
I can lunch very well on potatoes and ham.”
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bade thee feed
By the stream and o’er the mead;
[Pg 52] Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee;
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee;
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child. ”

“ She likes rats and mice far better than books.
Ah! that poor little mouse, it is out of its pain,
And will never feel pussy’s sharp talons again.
I hope it has not left some young ones at home,
Who with hunger may die ere their mother shall come.
And yet ’twould be wrong to say puss is not good,
For the rats and the mice, you know, serve her for food;
And though we may pity the poor little mice,
Yet we don’t like to lose our cheese, butter, and rice.
THE COW
Most parts of the cow are useful and good,
For leather, for lanthorns, for candles, or food ”

“ But the first cock of hay flays the cuckoo away.
STAFFORDSHIRE
Cuckoo oats and Michaelmas hay,
Will make the farmer run away.
A shower of rain in July, when the corn begins to fill,
Is worth a plough of oxen, and all belongs theretill.
[Pg 3]
’Tis time to cock your hay and corn
When the old donkey blows his horn.
’Tween Martinmas and Yule,
Water’s wine in every pool.
HUNTINGDONSHIRE
Farmers’ wives! when the leaves do fall,
’Twill spoil your milk, and butter, and all. ”

“ WEATHER AND SEASON RHYMES January brings the snow,
Makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes loud and shrill,
Stirs the dancing daffodil. ”

“ M married Mary, and taught scholars how to spell.
It went hard at first with N, O, P, and Q,
With R, S, T, with single and double U,
The X and the Y it stuck in their gizzards,
Till they were made friends by the two crooked izzards.
This A, B, C, so little is it thought about,
Although by its aid great knowledge is brought about;
’Tis the groundwork of science, of wisdom the key, sir,
For what does a man know that knows not A, B, C, sir? ”

“ Some rhymes have been taken from those never-failing sources of delight, J. and A. Taylor, C. and M. Lamb, E. Turner, and M. Howitt, some from “Poor Robin’s Almanac,” “The Poetical Aviary,” Ross’s Juvenile Library, 1813-1816, etc., etc.
That others besides “Gladys, Helen, and Jack,” including “children of a larger growth,” may find pleasure in my little collection is the sincere wish of
M. E. S. WRIGHT.
CONTENTS
[Pg 1]
COUPLETS If the grass grow in Janiveer,
’Twill be the worse for't all the year.
If Janiveer calends be summerly gay,
’Twill be wintry weather till the calends of May. ”

“ Spring, the sweet spring, is the year’s pleasant king,
Then bloomes each thing, then maydes dance in a ring;
Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing,
Cuckow, Jugge, Jugge, pu-we to witta woo.
The Palme and May make country houses gay,
Lambs frisk and play, the shepherds pype all day,
And we have aye birds tune this merry lay,
Cuckow, Jugge, Jugge, pu-we to witta woo. ”

“ The lamb and the ewe will go wet to bed.
WILTS
The rainbow in the marnin’
Gies the shepherd warnin’
To car’ his girt cwoat on his back;
The rainbow at night
Is the shepherd’s delight,
For then no girt cwoat will he lack.
Rainbow, rainbow,
Rin away hame;
Come again at Martinmas,
When a’ the corn’s in.
Why, I cannot tell,
But I know full well,
With wind in the east,
Fish bite not in the least.
[Pg 21]
DEVON
The west wind always brings wet weather;
The east wind wet and cold together;
The south wind always brings us rain ”

“ That thither to the chase must hie;”
He takes a bound across the grass,
And the Sword runs to kill the Ass,
The Ass to Water runs and drinks,
When Water runs the Fire shrinks,
[Pg 68] The Fire to burn the Whip now hastens,
The Whip in haste the slow Dog chastens,
And Johnnie now he runs to bite,
Who quick on Nanny vents his spite,
Nanny who ate the grapes of late,
And master shuts the garden gate. ”

“ MISCELLANEOUS RHYMES A SHROPSHIRE BALLAD
It hails, it rains, in Merry-Cock land,
It hails, it rains, both great and small,
And all the little children in Merry-Cock land,
They have need to play at ball. ”

“ Why all love her I can tell,—
It is for washing herself so well.
Pussy sat upon a wall,
Taking a little fresh air,
A neighbour’s little dog came by—
“O Pussy! are you there?”
“Good morning, Mistress Pussy-cat,
Pray tell me how you do,”
“Quite well, I thank you,” Puss replied,
“And, Doggy, how are you?”
[Pg 57]
Pussy-cat Mole
Jumped over a coal,
And in her best petticoat
Burnt a great hole.
Poor pussy’s weeping,
She’ll get no more milk,
Until her best petticoat’s
Mended with silk.
“Leedle! leedle! leedle! our cat’s dead.”
“How did she die?” “Wi’ a sair head.” ”

“ And to make us nice puddings some milk there must be;
Then from milk we have butter and cheese too, you know,
So that all these good things we receive from the cow.
The cow has a horn, and the fish has a gill;
The horse has a hoof, and the duck has a bill;
The bird has a wing, that on high he may sail ”

“ Come once in seven years,
It comes too soon.
[Pg 13]
HOLLANTIDE, 1st NOVEMBER
If ducks do slide at Hollantide,
At Christmas they will swim;
If ducks do swim at Hollantide,
At Christmas they will slide.
If New Year’s Eve night wind blows south,
It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;
If north, much cold and storms there will be;
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
If north-east, flee it man and brute. ”

“ God made a little boy, and he told lies.
God made the world, as round as a ball,
In jumps Satan, and spoils it all.
God made Satan, and Satan made sin,
God made a little hole to put Satan in.
Essex stiles,
Kentish miles,
Norfolk wiles,
Many men beguiles.
SOMERSET
My grandmother had a three-cornered country-cut handkerchief,
Cut in a three-cornered country-cut way,
If my grandmother had a three-cornered country-cut handkerchief,
Cut in a three-cornered country-cut way,
Why shouldn’t I have a three-cornered country-cut handkerchief,
Cut in a three-cornered country-cut way? ”

“ When ye’re a man ye shall follow yer daddie;
Lift me a coo, and a goat, and a wether,
Bringing them hame tae yer mammie thegither.
Hush ye, my bairnie, my bonnie wee lammie;
Routh o’ guid things ye shall bring tae yer mammie;
Hare frae the meadow, and deer frae the mountain,
Grouse frae the muirlan’, and trout frae the fountain.
Hush ye, my bairnie, my bonnie wee dearie;
Sleep! come and close the een, heavie and wearie;
Closed are the wearie een, rest ye are takin’,
Soun’ be your sleepin’, and bright be yer wakin’. ”

“ I washed my mammie’s dishes,
I put my finger in my eye,
And pulled out golden fishes.
Little King Boggen he built a fine hall,
Pye crust and pastry crust, that was the wall;
The windows were made of black puddings and white,
And slated with pancakes you ne’er saw the like.
[Pg 113]
A CHERRY
Galloway
Riddle me, riddle me, rot, tot, tot,
A wee, wee man in a red, red coat,
A staff in his hand, and a stane in his throat,
Riddle me, riddle me, rot, tot, tot.
PERTH
A penny for the chappin’ stick, [C]
Tuppence for the theevil, [D]
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop goes the weasel. ”

“ Baked in a pudding, and boiled in a pot.”
“Who’ll gu to th’ wood?” says Robin a Bobbin,
“Who’ll gu to th’ wood?” says Richard to Robbin,
“Who’ll gu to th’ wood?” says Johnny alone,
“Who’ll gu to th’ wood, lads, every one?”
“What muns do theer?” says Robbin a Bobbin,
“What muns do theer?” says Richard to Robbin,
“What muns do theer?” says Johnny alone,
“What muns do theer, lads, every one?”
“Gu a-shooting tum-tits,” says Robbin a Bobbin,
“Gu a-shooting tum-tits,” says Richard to Robbin,
“Gu a-shooting tum-tits,” says Johnny alone,
“Gu a-shooting tum-tits, lads, every one.” ”

“ Fal-de-ral, fal-de-ral, daddle-i-day.
PUSSY
Jack Sprat had a cat,
It had but one ear;
That he cut off,
And made small beer.
[Pg 56]
PUSSY
Child
“Wherefore wash you, Pussy, say,
Every half-hour through the day?”
Pussy
“Why? Because ’twould look so bad
If a dirty coat I had;
Little face and little feet,
They too must be always neat.” ”