The Real Mother Goose

by Unknown

A SURE TEST If you are to be a gentleman, As I suppose you'll be, You'll neither laugh nor smile, For a tickling of the knee. LOCK AND KEY "I am a gold lock." "I am a gold key." "I am a silver lock." "I am a silver key." "I am a brass lock." "I am a brass key." "I am a lead lock." "I am a lead key." "I am a don lock." "I am a don key!"

THE LION AND THE UNICORN The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown, The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town. Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown, Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town. THE MERCHANTS OF LONDON Hey diddle dinkety poppety pet, The merchants of London they wear scarlet, Silk in the collar and gold in the hem, So merrily march the merchant men.

I HAD A LITTLE HUSBAND 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 a little handkerchief to wipe his little nose, And a pair of little garters to tie his little hose. TO BABYLON How many miles is it to Babylon?-- Threescore miles and ten. Can I get there by candle-light?-- Yes, and back again. If your heels are nimble and light, You may get there by candle-light.

I'LL TELL YOU A STORY I'll tell you a story About Jack-a-Nory: And now my story's begun. I'll tell you another About his brother: And now my story is done. A STRANGE OLD WOMAN 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, And yet this old woman could never be quiet.

SLEEP, BABY, SLEEP Sleep, baby, sleep, Our cottage vale is deep: The little lamb is on the green, With woolly fleece so soft and clean-- Sleep, baby, sleep. Sleep, baby, sleep, Down where the woodbines creep; Be always like the lamb so mild, A kind, and sweet, and gentle child. Sleep, baby, sleep. LITTLE FRED When little Fred went to bed, He always said his prayers; He kissed mamma, and then papa, And straightway went upstairs.

CRY, BABY Cry, baby, cry, Put your finger in your eye, And tell your mother it wasn't I. BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP Baa, baa, black sheep, Have you any wool? Yes, marry, have I, Three bags full; One for my master, One for my dame, But none for the little boy Who cries in the lane.

THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE 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 away with the spoon.

DOCTOR FELL I do not like thee, Doctor Fell; The reason why I cannot tell; But this I know, and know full well, I do not like thee, Doctor Fell! A COUNTING-OUT RHYME Hickery, dickery, 6 and 7, Alabone, Crackabone, 10 and 11, Spin, spun, muskidun, Twiddle 'em, twaddle 'em, 21.

JACK AND HIS FIDDLE "Jacky, come and give me thy fiddle, If ever thou mean to thrive." "Nay, I'll not give my fiddle To any man alive. "If I should give my fiddle, They'll think that I've gone mad; For many a joyous day My fiddle and I have had."

BUTTONS Buttons, a farthing a pair! Come, who will buy them of me? They're round and sound and pretty, And fit for girls of the city. Come, who will buy them of me? Buttons, a farthing a pair! HOT BOILED BEANS Ladies and gentlemen come to supper-- Hot boiled beans and very good butter.

LITTLE PUSSY I like little Pussy, Her coat is so warm, And if I don't hurt her She'll do me no harm; So I'll not pull her tail, Nor drive her away, But Pussy and I Very gently will play.

SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye; Four-and-twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie! When the pie was opened The birds began to sing; Was not that a dainty dish To set before the king? The king was in his counting-house, Counting out his money; The queen was in the parlor, Eating bread and honey. The maid was in the garden, Hanging out the clothes; When down came a blackbird And snapped off her nose.

TOMMY TITTLEMOUSE Little Tommy Tittlemouse Lived in a little house; He caught fishes In other men's ditches. THE MULBERRY BUSH Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush. On a cold and frosty morning. This is the way we wash our hands, Wash our hands, wash our hands, This is the way we wash our hands, On a cold and frosty morning. This is the way we wash our clothes. Wash our clothes, wash our clothes, This is the way we wash our clothes, On a cold and frosty morning. This is the way we go to school, Go to school, go to school, This is the way we go to school, On a cold and frosty morning. This is the way we come out of school, Come out of school, come out of school, This is the way we come out of school, On a cold and frosty morning.

THE DERBY RAM As I was going to Derby all on a market-day, I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay; Upon hay, upon hay, upon hay; I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay. This ram was fat behind, sir; this ram was fat before; This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed, he was no more; No more, no more, no more; This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed, he was no more. The horns that grew on his head, sir, they were so wondrous high, As I've been plainly told, sir, they reached up to the sky. The sky, the sky, the sky; As I've been plainly told, sir, they reached up to the sky. The tail that grew from his back, sir, was six yards and an ell; And it was sent to Derby to toll the market bell; The bell, the bell, the bell; And it was sent to Derby to toll the market bell.

THE HOBBY-HORSE I had a little hobby-horse, And it was dapple gray; Its head was made of pea-straw, Its tail was made of hay. I sold it to an old woman For a copper groat; And I'll not sing my song again Without another coat.

YOUNG LAMBS TO SELL If I'd as much money as I could tell, I never would cry young lambs to sell; Young lambs to sell, young lambs to sell; I never would cry young lambs to sell.

BOY AND THE SPARROW A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree, And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he; A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow, Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow. "This little cock-sparrow shall make me a stew, And his giblets shall make me a little pie, too." "Oh, no," says the sparrow "I won't make a stew." So he flapped his wings and away he flew.

OLD WOMAN, OLD WOMAN There was an old woman tossed in a basket, Seventeen times as high as the moon; But where she was going no mortal could tell, For under her arm 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'll be with you by-and-by."

TWO PIGEONS I had two pigeons bright and gay, They flew from me the other day. What was the reason they did go? I cannot tell, for I do not know. THE FIRST OF MAY The fair maid who, the first of May, Goes to the fields at break of day, And washes in dew from the hawthorn-tree, Will ever after handsome be. SULKY SUE Here's Sulky Sue, What shall we do? Turn her face to the wall Till she comes to. SATURDAY, SUNDAY On Saturday night Shall be all my care To powder my locks And curl my hair. On Sunday morning My love will come in. When he will marry me With a gold ring.

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT This is the house that Jack built. This is the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built This is the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the priest all shaven and shorn, That married the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the cock that crowed in the morn, That waked the priest all shaven and shorn, That married the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built. This is the farmer sowing the corn, That kept the cock that crowed in the morn, That waked the priest all shaven and shorn, That married the man all tattered and torn, That kissed the maiden all forlorn, That milked the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.