HARRY’S LADDER TO LEARNING.
PART III.
HARRY’S NURSERY SONGS.
NURSERY SONGS.
Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green;
Father’s a nobleman, mother’s a queen;
And Betty’s a lady, and wears a gold ring;
And Harry’s a drummer, and drums for the king.
Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree-top!
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,
Down will come baby, cradle, and all.
Bye, oh, my baby!
When I was a lady,
Oh then my poor babe didn’t cry!
But my baby is weeping
For want of good keeping.
Oh, I fear my poor baby will die.
Hush-a-bye, babby, lie still with thy daddy;
Thy mammy is gone to the mill
To get some wheat, to make some meat,
So pray, my dear babby, lie still.
How many days has my baby to play?
Saturday, Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Hush-a-bye, baby,
Daddy is near,
Mammy’s a lady,
And that’s very clear.
| Dance to your daddy My bonny laddy, Dance to your ninny, My sweet lamb; You shall have a fishy In a little dishy, And a whirligiggy, And some nice jam. |
Dance to your daddy
My bonny laddy,
Dance to your ninny,
My sweet lamb;
You shall have a fishy
In a little dishy,
And a whirligiggy,
And some nice jam.
Dance, little baby, dance up high,
Never mind, baby, mother is nigh;
Crow and caper, caper and crow;
There, little baby, there you go,
Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,
Backwards and forwards, round and round;
Dance, little baby, and mother will sing,
With the merry coral, ding, ding, ding!
Here we go up, up, up,
And here we go down, down, downy,
And here we go backwards and forwards,
And here we go round, round, roundy.
| Danty baby diddy, What can mammy do wid’e? Sit in her lap, And she’ll give you some pap, Danty baby diddy! |
Bye, baby bunting,
Father’s gone a-hunting,
To get a little rabbit-skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
Not all the king’s horses, nor all the king’s men,
Could set Humpty Dumpty up again.
A Long-tail’d pig,
Or a short-tail’d pig,
Or a pig without a tail?
A sow-pig, or a boar-pig,
Or a pig with a curly tail?
| Little Tom Tucker Sings for his supper: What shall he eat? White bread and butter. How shall he cut it Without e’er a knife? How will he be married Without e’er a wife? |
Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker’s man;
So I will, master, as fast as I can;
Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with B,
And toss it in the oven for baby and me.
See-saw, Margery-daw,
Harry shall have a new master;
He shall not have but a penny a-day,
Because he won’t work any faster.
The man in the moon
Came down too soon,
And ask’d his way to Norwich;
He went by the south,
And burnt his mouth
With eating cold plum-porridge.
| Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner, Eating a Christmas pie; He put in his thumb And pull’d out a plum, And said, “What a brave boy am I!” |
See-saw, sacaradown,
Which is the way to London town?
One foot up, the other foot down,
That is the way to London town.
One, two, buckle my shoe;
Three, four, shut the door;
Five, six, pick up sticks;
Seven, eight, lay them straight;
Nine, ten, a good fat hen;
Eleven, twelve, who will delve?
Thirteen, fourteen, draw the curtain;
Fifteen, sixteen, the maid’s in the kitchen;
Seventeen, eighteen, she’s a-waiting;
Nineteen, twenty, my plate’s empty;
Please, mamma, give me some dinner.
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see an old woman ride on a white horse,
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.
There was an old woman lived under a hill,
And if she ben’t gone she lives there still.
1. This little pig went to market;
2. This little pig stayed at home;
3. This little pig had roast meat;
4. This little pig had none;
5. This little pig said, “Wee, wee, wee,
I can’t find my way home!”
⁂ Addressed to the five toes.
The girl in the lane,
That couldn’t speak plain,
Cried gobble, gobble,
Gobble:
The man on the hill,
That couldn’t stand still,
Went hobble, hobble,
Hobble.
| Bah, bah, black sheep, Have you any wool? Yes, marry, have I, Three bags full: One for my master, And one for my dame, And one for the little boy Who lives in the lane. |
A Dillar a dollar,
A ten o’clock scholar,
What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o’clock,
But now you come at noon.
| One, two, three, four, five, I caught a hare alive; Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, And let it go again. |
Hark! hark! the dogs do bark,
Beggars are coming to town,
Some in jags, and some in rags,
And some in velvet gown.
Four little mice sat down to spin,
Pussy pass’d by and she peep’d in;
“What are you at, my fine little men?”
“Making coats for gentlemen.”
“Shall I come in, and cut off your thread?”
“No! no! Miss Pussy, you’ll bite off our head.”
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun.
Home again, home again, market is done.
There was a piper who had a cow,
But he had no hay to give her;
So he took his pipes and played a tune,
Consider, old cow, consider!
| There was an old woman Who lived in a shoe, She had so many children She didn’t know what to do; She gave them some broth Without any bread, She whipp’d them all soundly And sent them to bed. |
Lady-bird, lady-bird,
Fly away home,
Your house is on fire,
Your children will burn.
Rain, rain,
Go away,
Come again
Another day,
Little Harry
Wants to play.
The man in the wilderness asked me
How many strawberries grew in the sea?
I answered him, as I thought good,
As many red herrings as grew in the wood.
Hiccory, diccory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hiccory, diccory, dock.
Daffy-down-dilly has come up to town,
In a yellow petticoat and a green gown.
Hey, my kitten, my kitten,
And hey, my kitten, my deary,
Such a sweet pet as this
Was neither far nor neary.
| Hey diddle diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jump’d over the moon; The little dog laugh’d To see such craft, And the dish ran away with the spoon. |
| |
Two little dogs were basking in the cinders;
Two little cats were playing in the windows;
When two little mice popped out of a hole,
And up to a fine piece of cheese they stole.
The two little dogs cried, “Cheese is nice!”
But the two little cats jumped down in a trice,
And cracked the bones of the two little mice.
Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs,
In his night-gown;
Tapping at the window,
Crying at the lock,
“Are the babes in their bed?
For it’s now ten o’clock.”
Little boy blue, come blow me your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn;
Where is the little boy tending the sheep?
Under the haycock fast asleep.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
I’ve been to London to see the queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under the chair.
High diddle doubt, my candle’s out,
And my little dame’s not at home:
So saddle my hog, and bridle my dog,
And fetch my little dame home.
| As I was going up Pippen Hill, Pippen Hill was dirty, There I met a pretty miss, And she dropp’d me a curtsey. Little miss, pretty miss! Blessings light upon you! If I had half-a-crown a-day, I’d spend it all upon you. |
I had a little husband, no bigger than my thumb,
I put him in a pint-pot, and there I bid him drum;
I bought him a little handkerchief to wipe his little nose,
And a pair of little garters, to tie his little hose.
There was 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.
I’ll sing you a song,
It’s not very long:
The woodcock and the sparrow,
The little dog has burnt his tail,
And he shall be hang’d to-morrow.
There were three crows sat on a stone,
Fal la, la la lal de.
Two flew away, and then there was one,
Fal la, la la lal de.
The other crow finding himself alone,
Fal la, la la lal de.
He flew away, and then there was none,
Fal la, la la lal de.
1. Let us go to the wood, says this pig;
2. What to do there? says that pig;
3. To look for my mother, says this pig;
4. What to do with her? says that pig;
5. To kiss her and love her, says this pig.
⁂ This is said to each finger.
Cold and raw the north wind doth blow,
Bleak in the morning early;
All the hills are cover’d with snow,
And winter’s now come fairly.
Needles and pins,
Needles and pins,
When a man marries
His trouble begins.
| Cock a doodle doo! My dame has lost her shoe; Master’s broke his fiddling stick, And don’t know what to do. |
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his breeches on;
One shoe off, the other shoe on,
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.
Dingty, diddledy, my mammy’s maid,
She stole oranges, I am afraid.
Some in her pocket, some in her sleeve,
She stole oranges, I do believe.
There was a man of our town,
And he was wondrous wise:
He jump’d into a bramble-bush,
And scratch’d out both his eyes;
And when he saw his eyes were out,
With all his might and main
He jump’d into another bush,
And scratch’d them in again.
Sing! sing! what shall I sing?
The cat’s run away with the pudding-bag string.
Snail! snail! come out of your hole,
Or else I’ll beat you as black as a coal.
Two little blackbirds sat upon a hill,
One named Jack, the other named Gill;
Fly away, Jack; fly away, Gill;
Come again, Jack; come again, Gill.
If all the world was apple-pie,
And all the sea was ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What should we have for drink?
It’s enough to make an old man
Scratch his head and think.
| There was an old man, And he had a calf; And that’s half: He took him out of the stall, And put him on the wall; And that’s all. |
Mary, Mary,
Quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells,
And cockle-shells,
And pretty maids all of a row.
We’re all dry with drinking on’t,
We’re all dry with drinking on’t;
The piper kiss’d the fiddler’s wife,
And I can’t sleep for thinking on’t.
I had a little wife, the prettiest ever seen,
She wash’d all the dishes and kept the house clean;
She went to the mill to fetch me some flour,
She brought it home safe in less than half an hour;
She baked me my bread, she brew’d me my ale,
She sat by the fire and told a fine tale.
Handy-spandy, Jack-a-Dandy
Loves plum-cake and sugar-candy.
He bought some at a grocer’s shop,
And pleased, away went, hop, hop, hop.
| Here stands a fist, Who set it there? A better man than you, Touch him if you dare! |
Four-and-twenty tailors
Went to kill a snail,
The best man among 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 e’en now.
| Long legs, crooked thighs, Little head, and no eyes. What’s that? |
Great A, little A, bouncing B!
The cat’s in the cupboard, and she can’t see.
The north wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will poor Robin do then?
Poor thing!
He’ll sit in a barn,
And keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing.
Poor thing!
When I was a bachelor,
I lived by myself,
And all the bread and cheese I got,
I put upon the shelf.
The rats and the mice they made such a strife,
I was forced to go to London to buy me a wife:
The roads 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, wife, and all.
| A little boy and a little girl Lived in an alley. Said the little boy to the little girl, “Shall I? oh, shall I?” Said the little girl to the little boy, “What will you do?” Said the little boy to the little girl, “I will kiss you.” |
Bless you, bless you, bonnie bee:
Say, when will your wedding be?
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.
Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief,
Taffy came to my house,
And stole a piece of beef.
I went to Taffy’s house,
Taffy wasn’t at home,
Taffy came to my house,
And stole a marrow-bone.
I went to Taffy’s house,
Taffy was in bed,
I took the marrow-bone,
And beat about his head.
As I was going to sell my eggs,
I met a man with bandy legs,
Bandy legs and crooked toes,
I tripp’d up his heels, and he fell on his nose.
Tell-tale, tit!
Your tongue shall be slit,
And all the dogs in the town
Shall have a little bit!
| Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating of curds and whey; There came a little spider, Who sat down beside her, And frighten’d Miss Muffet away. |
Robin and Richard were two pretty men,
They lay a-bed till the clock struck ten;
Then up starts Robin and looks at the sky,
“Oh! oh! brother Richard, the sun’s very high;
You go before with bottle and bag,
And I’ll follow after on little Jack Nag.”
“Come, let’s to bed,” says Sleepy-head;
“Let’s stay awhile,” says Slow:
“Put on the pot,” says Greedy-sot,
“We’ll sup before we go.”
Robin the Bobbin, the big-bellied Ben,
He ate more meat than fourscore men;
He ate a cow, he ate a calf,
He ate a butcher and a half;
He ate a church, he ate a steeple,
He ate the priest and all the people!
| Tom, Tom, the piper’s son, Stole a pig and away he ran. The pig was eat, and Tom was beat, And Tom ran crying down the street. |
Shoe the horse, shoe the colt,
Shoe the wild mare;
Here a nail, there a nail,
Yet she goes bare.
Goosey goosey gander,
Whither dost thou wander?
Up stairs, down stairs,
In my lady’s chamber:
There I met an old man
Who would not say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him down the stairs.
There was an old woman went up in a basket,
Seventy times as high as the moon;
What she did there I could not but ask it,
For in her hand she carried a broom.
“Old woman, old woman, old woman,” said I,
“Whither, oh whither, oh whither, so high?”
“To sweep the cobwebs from the sky,
And I shall be back again by and by.”
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.
| Little Nan Etticoat, In a white petticoat, And a red nose; The longer she stands The shorter she grows. |
Little Jack Jingle,
He used to live single:
But when he got tired of this kind of life,
He left off being single, and got him a wife.
Little Robin Red-breast sat upon a tree,
Up went Pussy-cat, and down went he;
Down came Pussy-cat, and away Robin ran:
Says little Robin Red-breast, “Catch me if you can.”
Little Robin Red-breast hopp’d upon a wall,
Pussy-cat jump’d after him, and almost got a fall.
Little Robin chirp’d and sang, and what did Pussy say?
Pussy-cat said, “Mew,” and Robin flew away.
There was an old woman, and what do you think?
She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink;
Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet,
Yet this grumbling old woman could never be quiet.
There was a little man,
And he had a little gun,
And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead;
He went to the brook,
And saw a little duck,
And he shot it through the head, head, head.
He carried it home
To his old wife Joan,
And bid her a fire for to make, make, make;
To roast the little duck
He had shot in the brook,
And he’d go and fetch her the drake, drake, drake.
| I had a little pony, His name was Dapple Gray, I lent him to a lady, To ride a mile away. She whipp’d him, She lash’d him, She rode him Through the mire; I would not lend My pony now For all the lady’s hire. |
| |
Jack Sprat would eat no fat,
His wife would eat no lean;
Now was not this a pretty trick
To make the platter clean?
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
Heigh O! heigh O! heigh O!
Once so merrily hopp’d she,
Twice so merrily hopp’d she,
Thrice so merrily hopp’d she,
Heigh O! heigh O! heigh O
A cat came fiddling out of a barn,
With a pair of bagpipes under her arm;
She could sing nothing but “Fiddle de dee,
The mouse has married the humble bee.”
| Remember, remember, The fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot; I see no reason Why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. Hurrah! |
Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon is shining bright as day;
Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,
And come with your playfellows into the street;
Come with a whoop, and come with a call,
Come with a good will, or come not at all.
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A halfpenny roll will serve us all:
You find milk and I’ll find flour,
And we’ll have a pudding in half-an-hour.
I’ll tell you a story
About Jack-a-Nory,
And now my story’s begun;
I’ll tell you another,
About Jack and his brother,
And now my story’s done.
Ding, dong, bell,
Pussy’s in the well!
Who put her in?—
Little Johnny Green.
Who pull’d her out?—
Little Johnny Stout.
Oh! what a naughty
Boy was that,
To drown his poor
Grand-mammy’s cat,
Which never did him any harm,
But kill’d the mice in his father’s barn.
