As soft as silk, as white as milk, As bitter as gall, a strong wall, And a green coat covers me all.
THE MAN IN THE MOON
The Man in the Moon came tumbling down, And asked the way to Norwich; He went by the south, and burnt his mouth With eating cold pease porridge.
ONE, HE LOVES
One, he loves; two, he loves; Three, he loves, they say; Four, he loves with all his heart; Five, he casts away.
Six, he loves; seven, she loves; Eight, they both love.
Nine, he comes; ten, he tarries; Eleven, he courts; twelve, he marries.
BAT, BAT
Bat, bat, Come under my hat, And I"ll give you a slice of bacon; And when I bake I"ll give you a cake If I am not mistaken.
HARK! HARK!
Hark, hark! the dogs do bark!
Beggars are coming to town: Some in jags, and some in rags, And some in velvet gown.
THE HART
The hart he loves the high wood, The hare she loves the hill; The Knight he loves his bright sword, The Lady--loves her will.
MY LOVE
Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the market?
A peck of meal upon her back, A babby in her basket; Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the market?
THE MAN OF BOMBAY
There was a fat man of Bombay, Who was smoking one sunshiny day; When a bird called a snipe Flew away with his pipe, Which vexed the fat man of Bombay.
POOR OLD ROBINSON CRUSOE!
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
They made him a coat Of an old Nanny goat.
I wonder why they should do so!
With a ring-a-ting-tang, And a ring-a-ting-tang, Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
A SIEVE
A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose, A hundred eyes and never a nose!
MY MAID MARY
My maid Mary she minds the dairy, While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn; Gaily run the reel and the little spinning wheel, While I am singing and mowing my corn.
A DIFFICULT RHYME
What is the rhyme for porringer?
The king he had a daughter fair, And gave the Prince of Orange her.
PRETTY JOHN WATTS
Pretty John Watts, We are troubled with rats.
Will you drive them out of the house?
We have mice, too, in plenty, That feast in the pantry, But let them stay And nibble away, What harm in a little brown mouse?
GOOD ADVICE
Come when you"re called, Do what you"re bid, Shut the door after you, And never be chid.
I LOVE SIXPENCE
I love sixpence, a jolly, jolly sixpence, I love sixpence as my life; I spent a penny of it, I spent a penny of it, I took a penny home to my wife.
Oh, my little fourpence, a jolly, jolly fourpence, I love fourpence as my life; I spent twopence of it, I spent twopence of it, And I took twopence home to my wife.
BYE, BABY BUNTING
Bye, baby bunting, Father"s gone a-hunting, Mother"s gone a-milking, Sister"s gone a-silking, And brother"s gone to buy a skin To wrap the baby bunting in.
TOM, TOM, THE PIPER"S SON
Tom, Tom, the piper"s son, Stole a pig, and away he run, The pig was eat, And Tom was beat, And Tom ran crying down the street.
COMICAL FOLK
In a cottage in Fife Lived a man and his wife Who, believe me, were comical folk; For, to people"s surprise, They both saw with their eyes, And their tongues moved whenever they spoke!