The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes Part 19

Long legs, crooked thighs, Little head, and no eyes.

GOING TO ST. IVES

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives; Every wife had seven sacks, Every sack had seven cats, Every cat had seven kits.

Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, How many were there going to St. Ives?

MERRY ARE THE BELLS

Merry are the bells, and merry would they ring; Merry was myself, and merry could I sing; With a merry ding-dong, happy, gay, and free, And a merry sing-song, happy let us be!

Waddle goes your gait, and hollow are your hose; Noddle goes your pate, and purple is your nose; Merry is your sing-song, happy, gay, and free, With a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

Merry have we met, and merry have we been; Merry let us part, and merry meet again; With our merry sing-song, happy, gay, and free, And a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

MORE ABOUT JACK JINGLE

Now what do you think Of little Jack Jingle?

Before he was married He used to live single.

ROBIN, THE BOBBIN

Robin, the Bobbin, the bouncing Ben, He ate more meat than fourscore men; He ate a cow, he ate a calf, He ate a butcher and a half; He ate a church, he ate a steeple, He ate the priest, and all the people!

ALL FOR WANT OF A NAIL

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost, For want of the shoe, the horse was lost, For want of the horse, the rider was lost, For want of the rider, the battle was lost, For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost, And all for the want of a horse-shoe nail!

CURLY LOCKS

Curly locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?

Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine; But sit on a cus.h.i.+on, and sew a fine seam, And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

Good morrow to you, Valentine!

Curl your locks as I do mine;

Two before and three behind; Good morrow to you, Valentine!

THE KING OF FRANCE

The King of France Went up the hill, With twenty thousand men;

The King of France came down the hill, And ne'er went up again.

THE LATEST NEWS

What is the news of the day, Good neighbour, I pray?

They say the balloon is gone up to the moon!

THE LIGHT-HEARTED FAIRY

Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!

As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho, heigh ho?

He dances and sings To the sound of his wings, With a hey, and a heigh, and a ho!

Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!

As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho, heigh ho?

His nectar he sips From a primrose's lips, With a hey, and a heigh, and a ho!