The Real Mother Goose

by Unknown

THIRTY DAYS HATH SEPTEMBER Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; February has twenty-eight alone, All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting leap-year, that's the time When February's days are twenty-nine. BABY DOLLY Hush, baby, my dolly, I pray you don't cry, And I'll give you some bread, and some milk by-and-by; Or perhaps you like custard, or, maybe, a tart, Then to either you're welcome, with all my heart.

BEES A swarm of bees in May Is worth a load of hay; A swarm of bees in June Is worth a silver spoon; A swarm of bees in July Is not worth a fly.

IF WISHES WERE HORSES If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If turnips were watches, I would wear one by my side. And if "ifs" and "ands" Were pots and pans, There'd be no work for tinkers! TO MARKET To market, to market, to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggety jig. To market, to market, to buy a fat hog, Home again, home again, jiggety jog. To market, to market, to buy a plum bun, Home again, home again, market is done.

COME OUT TO PLAY Girls and boys, come out to play, The moon doth shine as bright as day; Leave your supper, and leave your sleep, And come with your playfellows into the street. Come with a whoop, come with a call, Come with a good will or not at all. Up the ladder and down the wall, A half-penny roll will serve us all. You find milk, and I'll find flour, And we'll have a pudding in half an hour. OLD CHAIRS TO MEND If I'd as much money as I could spend, I never would cry old chairs to mend; Old chairs to mend, old chairs to mend; I never would cry old chairs to mend. If I'd as much money as I could tell, I never would cry old clothes to sell; Old clothes to sell, old clothes to sell; I never would cry old clothes to sell.

ROBIN AND RICHARD Robin and Richard were two pretty men, They lay in bed till the clock struck ten; Then up starts Robin and looks at the sky, "Oh, brother Richard, the sun's very high! You go before, with the bottle and bag, And I will come after on little Jack Nag."

A MAN AND A MAID There was a little man, Who wooed a little maid, And he said, "Little maid, will you wed, wed, wed? I have little more to say, So will you, yea or nay, For least said is soonest mended-ded, ded, ded." The little maid replied, "Should I be your little bride, Pray what must we have for to eat, eat, eat? Will the flame that you're so rich in Light a fire in the kitchen? Or the little god of love turn the spit, spit, spit?" HERE GOES MY LORD Here goes my lord A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot, Here goes my lady A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter! Here goes my young master Jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch! Here goes my young miss An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble! The footman lags behind to tipple ale and wine, And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

THE CLEVER HEN I had a little hen, the prettiest ever seen, She washed me the dishes and kept the house clean; She went to the mill to fetch me some flour, She brought it home in less than an hour; She baked me my bread, she brewed me my ale, She sat by the fire and told many a fine tale.

TWO BIRDS There were two birds sat on a stone, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de; One flew away, and then there was one, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de; The other bird flew after, And then there was none, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de; And so the stone Was left alone, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de. LEG OVER LEG Leg over leg, As the dog went to Dover; When he came to a stile, Jump, he went over.

LUCY LOCKET Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it; Nothing in it, nothing in it, But the binding round it. WHEN JENNY WREN WAS YOUNG 'Twas once upon a time, when Jenny Wren was young, So daintily she danced and so prettily she sung, Robin Redbreast lost his heart, for he was a gallant bird. So he doffed his hat to Jenny Wren, requesting to be heard. "Oh, dearest Jenny Wren, if you will but be mine, You shall feed on cherry pie and drink new currant wine, I'll dress you like a goldfinch or any peacock gay, So, dearest Jen, if you'll be mine, let us appoint the day." Jenny blushed behind her fan and thus declared her mind: "Since, dearest Bob, I love you well, I'll take your offer kind. Cherry pie is very nice and so is currant wine, But I must wear my plain brown gown and never go too fine."

BARBER Barber, barber, shave a pig. How many hairs will make a wig? Four and twenty; that's enough. Give the barber a pinch of snuff. SOLOMON GRUNDY Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday. This is the end Of Solomon Grundy.

THE FLYING PIG Dickory, dickory, dare, The pig flew up in the air; The man in brown soon brought him down, Dickory, dickory, dare.

HUSH-A-BYE 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, bough, cradle and all. BURNIE BEE Burnie bee, burnie bee, Tell me when your wedding be? If it be to-morrow day, Take your wings and fly away.

THREE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM Three wise men of Gotham Went to sea in a bowl; If the bowl had been stronger My song had been longer. THE HUNTER OF REIGATE A man went a-hunting at Reigate, And wished to leap over a high gate. Says the owner, "Go round, With your gun and your hound, For you never shall leap over my gate."

LITTLE POLLY FLINDERS Little Polly Flinders Sat among the cinders Warming her pretty little toes; Her mother came and caught her, Whipped her little daughter For spoiling her nice new clothes. RIDE AWAY, RIDE AWAY Ride away, ride away, Johnny shall ride, And he shall have pussy-cat Tied to one side; And he shall have little dog Tied to the other, And Johnny shall ride To see his grandmother. PIPPEN HILL As I was going up Pippen Hill, Pippen Hill was dirty; There I met a pretty Miss, And she dropped me a curtsy. Little Miss, pretty Miss, Blessings light upon you; If I had half-a-crown a day, I'd spend it all upon you.

PUSSY-CAT AND QUEEN "Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, Where have you been?" "I've been to London To look at the Queen." "Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, What did you there?" "I frightened a little mouse Under the chair." THE WINDS Mister East gave a feast; Mister North laid the cloth; Mister West did his best; Mister South burnt his mouth Eating cold potato.

CLAP HANDIES Clap, clap handies, Mammie's wee, wee ain; Clap, clap handies, Daddie's comin' hame, Hame till his bonny wee bit laddie; Clap, clap handies, My wee, wee ain.

JUST LIKE ME "I went up one pair of stairs." "Just like me." "I went up two pairs of stairs." "Just like me." "I went into a room." "Just like me." "I looked out of a window." "Just like me." "And there I saw a monkey." "Just like me."