Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories Part 20

Puddy he'd a-wooin' ride, Cuddy alone, Cuddy alone; Sword and pistol by his side, Cuddy alone and I.

Puddy came to the Mousie's home; "Mistress Mouse, are you within?"

Kickmaleerie, cowden down, Cuddy alone and I.

And which goes forward narrating the almost identically same story: which story, homely and simple as it appears, is of surprising antiquity. In 1580, the Stationers' Company licensed "a ballad of a most strange wedding of the frogge and the mouse;" and that same ballad Dr.

Robert Chambers printed from a small quarto ma.n.u.script of poems formerly in the possession of Sir Walter Scott, dated 1630. This very old version begins:--

Itt was ye frog in ye wall, Humble doune, humble doune; And ye mirrie mouse in ye mill, Tweidle, tweidle, twino.

And the closing lines tell that

Quhen ye supper they war at, The frog, mouse, and evin ye ratt.

There com in Gib our cat, And chaught ye mouse evin by ye back.

Then did they all seperat, And ye frog lap on ye floor so flat.

Then in com d.i.c.k our drack, And drew ye frog evin to ye lack.

Ye rat ran up ye wall, A goodlie companie, ye devall goe with all.

Of meaner antiquity, perhaps, but no less a favourite with the young, is the amusing ditty of

THE CARRION CROW.

A Carrion Crow sat on an oak, Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, eye ding do, Watching a tailor shape his coat; Sing he, sing ho, the old carrion crow, Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, eye ding do!

Wife, bring me my old bent bow, Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, eye ding do, That I may shoot yon carrion crow; Sing he, sing ho, the old carrion crow, Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, eye ding do!

The tailor shot, and missed his mark, Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, eye ding do, But shot the pig right through the heart; Sing he, sing ho, the old carrion crow, Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, eye ding do.

The next, though it has engaged the attention of the adult population, is a prime old-time favourite with the children as well.

MY PRETTY MAID.

"Where are you going to, my pretty maid?"

"I am going a-milking, sir," she said.

"May I go with you, my pretty maid?"

"You're kindly welcome, sir," she said.

"What is your father, my pretty maid?"

"My father's a farmer, sir," she said.

"What is your fortune, my pretty maid?"

"My face is my fortune, sir," she said.

"Then I won't marry you, my pretty maid."

"n.o.body asked you, sir," she said.

The original of the following, which has delighted particularly the children of Scotland for many generations, appears with its pleasing air in Johnson's _Musical Museum_:--

CAN YOU SEW CUs.h.i.+ONS?

O can ye sew cus.h.i.+ons?

Or can ye sew sheets?

An' can ye sing ba-la-loo When the bairnie greets?

An' hee an' ba, birdie, An' hee an' ba, lamb, Ah' hee an' ba, birdie, My bonnie wee man.

Hee O, wee O, what'll I do wi' ye?

Black is the life that I lead wi' ye; Owre mony o' ye, little to gie ye, Hee O, wee O, what'll I do wi' ye?

Now hush-a-ba, lammie, An' hush-a-ba, dear; Now hush-a-ba, lammie, Thy minnie is here, The wild wind is ravin', Thy minnie's heart's sair; The wild wind is ravin', An' ye dinna care.

Hee O, wee O, etc.

Sing ba-la-loo, lammie, Sing bo-la-loo, dear; Does wee lammie ken That his daddie's no here?

Ye're rockin' fu' sweetly On mammie's warm knee, But daddie's a-rockin'

Upon the saut sea.

Hee O, wee O, etc.

O I hung thy cradle On yon holly top, An' aye as the wind blew Thy cradle did rock.

An' hush-a-ba, baby, O ba-lilly-loo; An' hee an' ba, birdie, My bonnie wee doo!

Hee O, wee O, etc.

We see continually how dear to the songs of childlife are the mention of birds and all things sweet in the round of everyday life. Here now--

HUSH-A-BA BIRDIE, CROON.

Hush-a-ba birdie, croon, croon, Hush-a-ba birdie, croon; The sheep are gane to the silver wood, And the coos are gane to the broom, broom, And the coos are gane to the broom.