Rhymes Old and New Part 2

Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and Christmas treat.

The moon and the weather May change together; But change of the moon Does not change the weather; If we'd no moon at all, And that may seem strange, We still should have weather That's subject to change.

Autumn wheezy, sneezy, freezy; Winter slippy, drippy, nippy; Spring showery, flowery, bowery; Summer hoppy, croppy, poppy.

As I sat under a sycamore tree, sycamore tree, sycamore tree, I looked me out upon the sea, A Christmas day in the morning.

I saw three s.h.i.+ps a sailing there, sailing there, sailing there, The Virgin Mary and Christ they bare, A Christmas day in the morning.

He did whistle and she did sing, she did sing, she did sing, And all the bells on earth did ring, A Christmas day in the morning.

And now we hope to taste your cheer, taste your cheer, taste your cheer, And wish you all a happy New Year, A Christmas day in the morning.

The rose is red, the violet blue, The gillyflower sweet, and so are you; These are the words you bade me say, For a pair of new gloves on Easter-day.

WORCESTERs.h.i.+RE CAROL

Here we come a whistling, through the fields so green; Here we come a singing, so far to be seen.

G.o.d send you happy, G.o.d send you happy, Pray G.o.d send you a Happy New Year!

The roads are very dirty, my boots are very thin, I have a little pocket, to put a penny in.

G.o.d send you happy, G.o.d send you happy, Pray G.o.d send you a Happy New Year!

Bring out your little table, and spread it with a cloth, Bring out some of your old ale, likewise your Christmas loaf.

G.o.d send you happy, G.o.d send you happy, Pray G.o.d send you a Happy New Year!

G.o.d bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress too; And all the little children that round the table strew.

G.o.d send you happy, G.o.d send you happy, Pray G.o.d send you a Happy New Year!

If Christmas Day on Thursday be, A windy winter you shall see; Windy weather in each week, And hard tempests strong and thick; The summer shall be good and dry, Corn and beasts shall multiply; That year is good for lands to till, Kings and princes shall die by skill; If a child that day born should be It shall happen right well for thee, Of deeds he shall be good and stable, Wise of speech and reasonable; Whoso that day goes thieving about, He shall be punished with doubt; And if sickness that day betide, It shall quickly from thee glide.

April, June, and September Thirty days have as November; Each month else doth never vary From thirty-one, save February, Which twenty-eight doth still confine, Save on leap year, then twenty-nine.

If Sat.u.r.day's moon Come once in seven years, It comes too soon.

HOLLANTIDE, 1st NOVEMBER

If ducks do slide at Hollantide, At Christmas they will swim; If ducks do swim at Hollantide, At Christmas they will slide.

If New Year's Eve night wind blows south, It betokeneth warmth and growth; If west, much milk, and fish in the sea; If north, much cold and storms there will be; If east, the trees will bear much fruit; If north-east, flee it man and brute.

ST VINCENT'S DAY

January 22nd, Old Style.

February 3rd, New Style.

Remember in St Vincent's day If the sun his beams display, 'Tis a token, bright and clear, That you will have a prosperous year.

Remember, remember, The fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot, I hope that night will never be forgot.

The king and his train Had like to be slain; Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder Set below London to blow London up!

Holla boys! Holla boys!

Let the bells ring!

Holla boys! Holla boys!

G.o.d save the King!

A stick or a stake For Victoria's sake, And pray ye remember the bonfire night.

LINCOLNs.h.i.+RE HARVEST HOME

I rent my s.h.i.+rt and tore my skin To get my master's harvest in.

Hip! hip! hurrah!

Harvest in and harvest home, We'll get a good fat hen and bacon bone, Hip! hip! hurrah!

Farmer Brown has got his corn Well mown and well shorn.

Hip! hip! hurrah!

Never turned over and never stuck fast, The harvest cart has come home at last.

Hip! hip! hurrah!

February borrowed from fair April Three days, and paid them back all ill.

First of them was ra' and weet, The second of them was sna' and sleet, And the third of them was sic a freeze, The birds they stickit upon the trees.

February fill the dike, Be it black, or be it white!

If it be white, it's the better to like.

Oak before ash, There'll be a splash; Ash before oak, There'll be a choke.

ESs.e.x

Winter thunder, Rich man's food, And poor man's hunger.