Types of Children's Literature Part 2

Intery, mintery, cutery corn, Apple seed and apple thorn, Wire, brier, limber lock, Three geese in a flock; Along came Tod, With his long rod, And scared them all to Migly-wod.

One flew east, one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo's nest.-- Make your way home, Jack.

Trit-trot, trit-trot, To buy a penny cake; Home again, home again, I met a black-snake.

Pick up a stone And breaky backy-bone Trit-trot, trit-trot All the way home.

Hippity--hop to the barber shop, To buy a stick of candy; One for you, and one for me, And one for Brother Andy.

This little mouse got caught in a trap, And this little mouse she heard it snap, This little mouse did loudly squeak out, And this little mouse did run all about, This little mouse said, "Do not bewail And let us take hold and pull him out by the tail."

[Footnote: Recited on the baby's fingers or toes.]

Here we go up, up, up, Here we go down, down, down-y; Here we go up, and here we go down, And here we go round, round, round-y.

As I went through the garden gap, Whom should I meet but d.i.c.k Red-cap,-- A stick in his hand, A stone in his throat,-- If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a gold fiddle.

(A cherry)

One day I went to my whirly-whicker-whacker, (Fodder field) I met bow-backer, (A hog) I called Tom-tacker (A dog) To drive bow-backer Out of my whirly-whicker-whacker.

One day I went to Body-tot, I met three ladies in a trot, With green heads and yellow toes,-- If you don't tell me this riddle I'll burn your nose.

(Hens)

Big at the bottom and little at the top, A thing in the middle goes flippety-flop.

(A churn)

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.

(An egg)

I have a little sister, she's called Peep-peep; She wades the waters deep, deep, deep; She climbs the mountains high, high, high,-- Poor little thing, she has but one eye.

(A star)

There was a man who had no eyes, He went abroad to view the skies; He saw a tree with apples on it, He took no apples off, yet left no apples on it.

(The man had _one_ eye, and the tree had _two_ apples on it.)

(The following catch depends upon the second child repeating the exact words of the first, except that he changes "lock" to "key.")

1. I am a gold lock.

2. I am a gold key.

1. I am a silver lock, 2. I am a silver key.

1. I am a bra.s.s lock, 2. I am a bra.s.s key.

1. I am a monk lock.

2. I am a monk-key.

As I was _going_ to St. Ives, I _met_ a man with seven wives; Each wife had seven sacks, Each sack had seven cats, Each sack had seven kits,-- Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, How many were _going_ to St. Ives?

Star of light, so bright, so bright, 'Tis the first star I've seen tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might Have the wish I wish tonight.

Marble, marble, roll away, Go find your brother; Marble, marble, come back home, Bring me another.

[Footnote: If you have lost a marble, take another marble and roll it toward the place you lost the first one, repeating this charm. You will find the lost one near the second marble.]

Honest and true, black and blue, You may take your knife and cut me in two.

(An oath)

Come, b.u.t.ter, come, Come, b.u.t.ter, come; Johnny stands at the gate, Waiting for a b.u.t.ter cake,-- Come, b.u.t.ter, come.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Guard the bed that I lie on; One to watch and one to pray, And two to bear my soul away.

Mole on the neck, Money by the peck.