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Jack-a-Dandy Handy Spandy, Jack-a-dandy, Loved plum-cake and sugar-candy; He bought some at a grocer's shop, And out he came, hop, hop, hop. |
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My Son John Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John Went to bed with his stockings on; One shoe off, the other shoe on. Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John |
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Jack and Jill Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water; Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after. |
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Who Can Draw Best Willie drew a little pig, Harry drew a mouse, Tommy drew a ladder tall Leaning on a house. |
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Baa, Baa Black Sheep Baa, baa, black sheep, Have you any wool? Yes, marry have I, Three bags full: One for my master, And one for my dame, But none for the little boy Who cries in the lane. |
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Hey diddle diddle Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; The little dog laughed to see such sport, And the dish ran after the spoon. |
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The Quaker's Version "Hey! diddle diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped under the moon; The little dog barked to see such sport And the cat ran after the spoon!" [*] |
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[*]
Our friend, the Quaker, holds that the last verse is the proper
one, as it is the truest; but the wonderful is taken out of it, and
children, accordingly, prefer the first. There is nothing wonderful
in the cow jumping "under" the moon, but there is in the cow jumping
"over" the moon, so with the black-birds baked in a pie. It is the
fact of their singing when the pie is opened that pleases the
children—'twas the wonder of the thing; so with the freaks of
Mother Hubbard's Dog, etc. In nearly all nursery rhymes it is the
ludicrous and wonderful that arrests the attention and pleases. E. W. Cole |
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Frightened Boy 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. |