Mother, may I go out to play?
No, my child, it’s such a wet day.
Look how the sun shines, mother.
Well, make three round curtseys and be off away.
[Child goes, returns, knocks at door. Mother says, “Come in.”]
What have you been doing all this time?
Brushing Jenny’s hair and combing Jenny’s hair.
What did her mother give you for your trouble?
A silver penny.
Where’s my share of it?
Cat ran away with it.
Where’s the cat?
In the wood.
Where’s the wood?
Fire burnt it.
Where’s the fire?
Moo-cow drank it.
Where’s the moo-cow?
Butcher killed it.
Where’s the butcher?
Eating nuts behind the door, and you may have the nutshells.
—London (Miss Dendy, from a maid-servant).
Please, mother, may I go a-maying?
Why, daughter, why?
Because it is my sister’s birthday.
Make three pretty curtseys and walk away.
Where is your may?
I met puss, and puss met me, and puss took all my may away.
Where is puss?
Run up the wood.
Where is the wood?
Fire burnt it.
Where is the fire?
Water quenched it.
Where is the water?
Ducks have drunk it.
Where are the ducks?
Butcher killed them.
Where is the butcher?
Behind the churchyard, cracking nuts, and leaving you the shells.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
Please, mother, may we go out to play?
Yes, if you don’t frighten the chickens.
No, mother, we won’t frighten the chickens.
[They all go out and say, “Hush! hush!” to pretended chickens.]
Where have you been?
To grandmother’s.
What for?
To go on an errand.
What did you get?
Some plums.
What did you do with them?
Made a plum-pudding.
What did she give you?
A penny.
What did you do with it?
Bought a calf.
What did you do with it?
Sold it.
What did you do with the money?
Gave it to the butcher, and he gave me a penny back, and I bought some nuts with it.
What did you do with them?
Gave them to the butcher, and he’s behind the churchyard cracking them, and leaving you the shells.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).