COUNTING-OUT RHYME
One-ery, two-ery, tick-ery, ten,
Bobs of vinegar, gentlemen:
A bird in the air,
A fish in the sea,
A bonnie wee lassie come singing to thee,
One, two, three!
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.
They toss’d the ball so high,
They toss’d the ball so low,
Amongst all the Jews’ cattle,
And amongst the Jews below.
Out came one of the Jew’s daughters,
Dressed all in green,
“Come my sweet Saluter,
And fetch the ball again.”
“I durst not come, I must not come,
Unless all my little playfellows come along,
For if my mother sees me at the gate,
She’ll cause my blood to fall.”
She show’d me an apple as green as grass,
She show’d me a gay gold ring,
She show’d me a cherry as red as blood,
And so she entic’d me in.
She took me in the parlour,
She laid me down to sleep,
With a Bible at my head,
And a Testament at my feet.
And if my playfellows quere for me,
Tell them I am asleep.