The Peter Patter Book of Nursery Rhymes Part 4

A candle, a candle To light me to bed; A pillow, a pillow To tuck up my head.

The moon is as sleepy as sleepy can be, The stars are all pointing their fingers at me, And Missus Hop-Robin, way up in her nest, Is rocking her tired little babies to rest.

So give me a blanket To tuck up my toes, And a little soft pillow To snuggle my nose.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

BAXTER

Baxter had a billy-goat Wall-eyed and double jointed.

He took him to the barber shop And had his head anointed.

LODDY, GIN, AND ELLA ZANDER

Loddy, Gin, and Ella Zander Rode to market on a gander; Bought a crane for half a dollar; Loddy led him by the collar.

Mister Crane said: "Hi there, master, Can't you make your legs work faster?

We can't poke along this way."

Then he slowly flew away.

Loddy held him fast, you bet, And he hasn't come home yet.

AS I WAS GOING DOWN THE HILL

As I was going down the hill In front of Missus Knapp's I saw the little Knapperines All in their winter wraps-- Purple mitts and m.u.f.flers And knitted jersey caps.

As I was coming back again In front of Missus Knapp's I saw that awful lady Give about a dozen slaps To every little Knapperine-- I thought it was, perhaps, Because they gathered stickers In their knitted jersey caps.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GOING DOWN THE HILL IN FRONT OF MRS. KNAPP'S]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

A LITTLE BOY RAN TO THE END OF THE SKY

A little boy ran to the end of the sky With a rag and a pole and a gooseberry pie.

He cried: "Three cheers for the Fourth of July!"

With a rag and a pole and a gooseberry pie.

He saw three little donkeys at play, He tickled their noses to make them bray, And he didn't come back until Christmas Day-- With a rag and a pole and a gooseberry pie.

DISCRETION

A man with a nickel, A sword, and a sickle, A pipe, and a paper of pins Set out for the Niger To capture a tiger-- And that's how my story begins.

When he saw the wide ocean, He soon took a notion 'T would be nicer to stay with his friends.

So he traded his hat For a tortoise-sh.e.l.l cat-- And that's how the chronicle ends.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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A BEETLE ONCE SAT ON A BARBERRY TWIG

A beetle once sat on a barberry twig, And turned at the crank of a thingum-a-jig.

Needles for hornets, nippers for ants, For the b.u.mblebee baby a new pair of pants, For the grizzled old gopher a hat and a wig, The beetle ground out of his thingum-a-jig.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE THIEVES

Tibbitts and Bibbitts and Solomon Sly Ran off one day with a cuc.u.mber pie.

Tibbitts was tossed by a Kensington cow, Bibbitts was hanged on a brambleweed bough, And poor little Solomon--what do you think?

Was drowned one dark night in a bottle of ink.

UPON THE IRISH SEA

Some one told Maria Ann, Maria Ann told me, That kittens ride in coffee cans Upon the Irish Sea.

From quiet caves to rolling waves, How jolly it must be To travel in a coffee can Upon the Irish Sea!