Works

Billy Pringle had a little pig,
When it was young it was not very big,
When it was old it lived in clover,
Now it's dead and that's all over.
Billy Pringle he lay down and died,...

1.
Little Bo-Peep, she lost her sheep,
And didn't know where to find them;
Let them alone, they'll all come home
And bring their tails behind them.

2.
Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep,...

Her neck did she CRANE,
As she looked up the LANE
To see the Three Bears pass by.
They all went in, oddly,
At the head of the Bodley
An A.B.C. for to buy.


She went rather nearer...

1

If all the world were paper,
And all the sea were ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What should we do for drink?

2

If all the world were sand--O!...

Il 'tait un petit homm',
A cheval sur un b'ton;
Il s'en allait ' la chass',
A la chass' aux hannetons,
Et ti ton, tain', et ti ton tain',
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
...

1.
"Where are you going to, my pretty maid?
Where are you going to, my pretty maid?"
"I'm going a-milking, Sir," she said,
"Sir," she said, "Sir," she said,
"I'm going a-milking, Sir," she said.
...

Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.

Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,...

Going shares with the Snakes, Porcupine
Said--"the best of the bargain is mine:"
Nor would he back down,
When the snake would disown
The agreement his quills made them sign.
...

"Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?"
"I've been to London to look at the Queen."
"Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?"
"I caught a little mouse under the chair."

Pussy-cat high, Pussy-cat low,
Pussy-cat was a fine teazer of tow.

Pussy-cat she came into the barn,
With her bag-pipes under her arm.

And then she told a tale to me,...

Upon Paul's steeple stands a tree
As full of apples as may be,
The little boys of London town
They run with hooks to pull them down;
And then they run from hedge to hedge
Until they come to London Bridge.

Sur le pont d'Avignon,
Tout le monde y danse, danse;
Sur le pont d'Avignon,
Tout le monde y danse en rond.
Les beaux messieurs font comm' 'a,
Et puis encor' comm' 'a:
Sur le pont d'Avignon,...

A rooster, while scratching for grain,
Found a Pearl. He just paused to explain
That a jewel's no good
To a fowl wanting food,
And then kicked it aside with disdain.
...

How the cunning old Crow got his drink
When 'twas low in the pitcher, just think!
Don't say that he spilled it!
With pebbles he filled it,
Till the water rose up to the brink.

Use Your Wits

I had four brothers over the sea,
Perrie, Merrie, Dixi, Domine;
And they each sent a present unto me.
Petrum, Partrum, Paradisi, Tempore,
Perrie, Merrie, Dixi, Domine.
...

There was a little woman, as I've heard say,
Fol, lol, diddle, diddle dol;
She went to market, her eggs for to sell,
Fol, lol, diddle, diddle dol.
She went to market all on a market day,...

Through the town this good Man & his Son
Strove to ride as to please everyone:
Self, Son, or both tried,
Then the Ass had a ride;
While the world, at their efforts, poked fun.
...

In an old world garden dreaming,
Where the flowers had human names,
Methought, in fantastic seeming,
They disported as squires and dames.

Of old in Rosamond's Bower,...

The Peacock considered it wrong
That he had not the nightingale's song;
So to Juno he went,
She replied, "Be content
With thy having, & hold thy fool's tongue!"

Do Not Quarrel With Nature

1.
My daddy is dead, but I can't tell you how;
He left me six horses to follow the plough;
With my whim wham waddle ho!
Strim stram straddle ho!
Bubble ho! pretty boy, over the brow.

2....