The Nursery Rhyme Book Part 20

She put out her horns like a little Kyloe cow; Run, tailors, run, or she'll kill you all e'en now.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THE cuckoo's a fine bird: He sings as he flies; He brings us good tidings; He tells us no lies.

He sucks little birds' eggs To make his voice clear; And when he sings "Cuckoo!"

The summer is near.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

"CROAK!" said the Toad, "I'm hungry, I think; To-day I've had nothing to eat or to drink; I'll crawl to a garden and jump through the pales, And there I'll dine nicely on slugs and on snails."

"Ho, ho!" quoth the Frog, "is that what you mean?

Then I'll hop away to the next meadow stream; There I will drink, and eat worms and slugs too, And then I shall have a good dinner like you."

[Ill.u.s.tration: There was a piper, he'd a cow]

THERE was a piper, he'd a cow, And he'd no hay to give her; He took his pipes and played a tune: "Consider, old cow, consider!"

The cow considered very well, For she gave the piper a penny, That he might play the tune again, Of "Corn rigs are bonnie."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

A PIE sate on a pear-tree, A pie sate on a pear-tree, A pie sate on a pear-tree.

Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!

Once so merrily hopp'd she, Twice so merrily hopp'd she, Thrice so merrily hopp'd she.

Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

ONCE I saw a little bird Come hop, hop, hop; So I cried, "Little bird, Will you stop, stop, stop?"

And was going to the window, To say, "How do you do?"

But he shook his little tail, And far away he flew.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THE winds they did blow; The leaves they did wag; Along came a beggar boy, And put me in his bag.

He took me up to London; A lady did me buy, Put me in a silver cage, And hung me up on high,

With apples by the fire, And nuts for to crack, Besides a little feather bed To rest my little back.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

c.o.c.k ROBIN got up early At the break of day, And went to Jenny's window, To sing a roundelay.

He sang c.o.c.k Robin's love To the pretty Jenny Wren; And when he got unto the end, Then he began again.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

BETTY PRINGLE had a little pig, Not very little and not very big; When he was alive he lived in clover; But now he's dead, and that's all over.

So Billy Pringle he laid down and cried, And Betty Pringle she laid down and died; So there was an end of one, two, and three: Billy Pringle he, Betty Pringle she, And the piggy wiggy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A long-tail'd pig, or a short-tail'd pig]

A LONG-TAIL'D pig, or a short-tail'd pig, Or a pig without e'er a tail, A sow-pig, or a boar-pig, Or a pig with a curly tail.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

A LITTLE c.o.c.k-sparrow sat on a green tree (_tris_), And he cherruped, he cherruped, so merry was he (_tris_); A little c.o.c.k-sparrow sat on a green tree, And he cherruped, he cherruped, so merry was he.

A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow (_tris_), Determined to shoot this little c.o.c.k-sparrow (_tris_); A naughty, &c.

Determined, &c.

"This little c.o.c.k-sparrow shall make me a stew (_tris_), And his giblets shall make me a little pie too" (_tris_); "Oh, no," said the sparrow, "I _won't_ make a stew;"

So he flapped his wings, and away he flew.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

LITTLE Robin Red-Breast Sat upon a rail: Niddle-naddle went his head!

Wiggle-waggle went his tail.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dame, what makes your ducks to die?]

Dame, what makes your ducks to die?

What the pize ails 'em? what the pize ails 'em?

They kick up their heels, and there they lie; What the pize ails 'em now?

Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!

Dame, what makes your ducks to die?

What a pize ails 'em? what a pize ails 'em?

Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!

Dame, what ails your ducks to die?

Eating o' polly-wigs, eating o' polly-wigs.

Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

IN the month of February, When green leaves begin to spring, Little lambs do skip like fairies, Birds do couple, build, and sing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

p.u.s.s.y cat sits by the fire; How did she come there?

In walks the little dog, Says, "p.u.s.s.y! are you there?"

"How do you do, Mistress p.u.s.s.y?

Mistress p.u.s.s.y, how d'ye do?"

"I thank you kindly, little dog, I fare as well as you!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]