Fables & Rhymes

There's a neat little clock,--
  In the schoolroom it stands,--
And it points to the time
  With its two little hands.

And may we, like the clock,
  Keep a face clean and bright,
With hands ever ready
  To do what is right.

 

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Piping hot, smoking hot.
    What I've got
    You have not.
Hot gray pease, hot, hot, hot;
Hot gray pease, hot.
 

Dame Trot and her cat
  Led a peaceable life,
When they were not troubled
  With other folks' strife.

When Dame had her dinner
  Pussy would wait,
And was sure to receive
  A nice piece from her plate.
 

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Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee
    Resolved to have a battle,
For Tweedle-dum said Tweedle-dee
    Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew by a monstrous crow,
    As big as a tar barrel,
Which frightened both the heroes so,
    They quite forgot their quarrel.

Three children sliding on the ice
    Upon a summer's day,
As it fell out, they all fell in,
    The rest they ran away.

Oh, had these children been at school,
    Or sliding on dry ground,
Ten thousand pounds to one penny
    They had not then been drowned.

Ye parents who have children dear,
    And ye, too, who have none,
If you would keep them safe abroad
    Pray keep them safe at home.
 

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Cross patch, draw the latch,
  Sit by the fire and spin;
Take a cup and drink it up,
  Then call your neighbors in.

 

Dear, dear! what can the matter be?
Two old women got up in an apple-tree;
One came down, and the other stayed till Saturday.

 

Old Mother Goose, when
  She wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
  On a very fine gander.
 

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"Lend me thy mare to ride a mile."
"She is lamed, leaping over a stile."

"Alack! and I must keep the fair!
I'll give thee money for thy mare."

"Oh, oh! say you so?
Money will make the mare to go!"

  Here am I, little jumping Joan,
When nobody's with me
    I'm always alone.
 

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Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree,
Up went Pussy-Cat, down went he,
Down came Pussy-Cat, away Robin ran,
Says little Robin Redbreast: "Catch me if you can!"

Little Robin Redbreast jumped upon a spade,
Pussy-Cat jumped after him, and then he was afraid.
Little Robin chirped and sang, and what did Pussy say?
Pussy-Cat said: "Mew, mew, mew," and Robin flew away.

 

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Trip upon trenchers,
And dance upon dishes,
My mother sent me for some barm, some barm;
She bid me go lightly,
And come again quickly,
For fear the young men should do me some harm.
Yet didn't you see, yet didn't you see,
What naughty tricks they put upon me?
They broke my pitcher
And spilt the water,
And huffed my mother,
And chid her daughter,
And kissed my sister instead of me.

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Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
February has twenty-eight alone,
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting leap-year, that's the time
When February's days are twenty-nine.
 

Hush, baby, my dolly, I pray you don't cry,
And I'll give you some bread, and some milk by-and-by;
Or perhaps you like custard, or, maybe, a tart,
Then to either you're welcome, with all my heart.


 

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A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay;
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon;
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.

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Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day;
Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,
And come with your playfellows into the street.
Come with a whoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will or not at all.
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A half-penny roll will serve us all.
You find milk, and I'll find flour,
And we'll have a pudding in half an hour.

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If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
If turnips were watches, I would wear one by my side.
    And if "ifs" and "ands"
    Were pots and pans,
There'd be no work for tinkers!

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To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.
Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggety jog.
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

Robin and Richard were two pretty men,
They lay in bed till the clock struck ten;
Then up starts Robin and looks at the sky,
"Oh, brother Richard, the sun's very high!
You go before, with the bottle and bag,
And I will come after on little Jack Nag."

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    There was a little man,
    Who wooed a little maid,
And he said, "Little maid, will you wed, wed, wed?
    I have little more to say,
    So will you, yea or nay,
For least said is soonest mended-ded, ded, ded."

    The little maid replied,
    "Should I be your little bride,
Pray what must we have for to eat, eat, eat?
    Will the flame that you're so rich in
    Light a fire in the kitchen?
Or the little god of love turn the spit, spit, spit?"
 

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      Here goes my lord
A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,
      Here goes my lady
A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!

      Here goes my young master
Jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch!
      Here goes my young miss
An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!

The footman lags behind to tipple ale and wine,
And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

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There were two birds sat on a stone,
    Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;
One flew away, and then there was one,
    Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;
The other bird flew after,
And then there was none,
    Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;
And so the stone
Was left alone,
    Fa, la, la, la, lal, de.

 

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Leg over leg,
As the dog went to Dover;
When he came to a stile,
Jump, he went over.

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Barber, barber, shave a pig.
How many hairs will make a wig?
Four and twenty; that's enough.
Give the barber a pinch of snuff.

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Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy.
 

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Three wise men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl;
If the bowl had been stronger
My song had been longer.

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Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree top!
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall;
Down will come baby, bough, cradle and all.

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A man went a-hunting at Reigate,
And wished to leap over a high gate.
  Says the owner, "Go round,
  With your gun and your hound,
For you never shall leap over my gate."

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Burnie bee, burnie bee,
Tell me when your wedding be?
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.
 

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Little Polly Flinders
Sat among the cinders
    Warming her pretty little toes;
Her mother came and caught her,
Whipped her little daughter
    For spoiling her nice new clothes.
 

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"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 frightened a little mouse
    Under the chair."

 

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Mister East gave a feast;
Mister North laid the cloth;
Mister West did his best;
Mister South burnt his mouth
Eating cold potato.
 

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Ride away, ride away,
  Johnny shall ride,
And he shall have pussy-cat
  Tied to one side;
And he shall have little dog
  Tied to the other,
And Johnny shall ride
  To see his grandmother.
 

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As I was going up Pippen Hill,
    Pippen Hill was dirty;
There I met a pretty Miss,
    And she dropped me a curtsy.

Little Miss, pretty Miss,
    Blessings light upon you;
If I had half-a-crown a day,
    I'd spend it all upon you.

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    Clap, clap handies,
Mammie's wee, wee ain;
    Clap, clap handies,
Daddie's comin' hame,
Hame till his bonny wee bit laddie;
    Clap, clap handies,
    My wee, wee ain.

A carrion crow sat on an oak,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
Watching a tailor shape his cloak;
    Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!

Wife, bring me my old bent bow,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
That I may shoot yon carrion crow;
    Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
    Fol de riddle, loi de riddle, hi ding do!

The tailor he shot, and missed his mark,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!
And shot his own sow quite through the heart;
    Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!

Wife! bring brandy in a spoon,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!
For our old sow is in a swoon;
    Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!

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Great A, little a,
  Bouncing B!
The cat's in the cupboard,
  And can't see me.

Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye,
And a long tail which she let fly;
And every time she went through a gap,
A bit of her tail she left in a trap.
 

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see an old lady upon a white horse.
Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

 

There was a man in our town,
    And he was wondrous wise,
He jumped into a bramble bush,
    And scratched out both his eyes;
But when he saw his eyes were out,
    With all his might and main,
He jumped into another bush,
    And scratched 'em in again.

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Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play,
Georgy Porgy ran away.

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For every evil under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none.
If there be one, seek till you find it;
If there be none, never mind it.

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Cushy cow, bonny, let down thy milk,
And I will give thee a gown of silk;
A gown of silk and a silver tee,
If thou wilt let down thy milk to me.
 

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Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs, in his nightgown;
Rapping at the window, crying through the lock,
"Are the children in their beds? Now it's eight o'clock."

Robin-a-Bobbin
Bent his bow,
Shot at a pigeon,
And killed a crow.

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Is John Smith within?
Yes, that he is.
Can he set a shoe?
Ay, marry, two.
Here a nail, there a nail,
Tick, tack, too.

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About the bush, Willie,
    About the beehive,
About the bush, Willie,
    I'll meet thee alive.

 

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Simple Simon met a pieman,
    Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
    "Let me taste your ware."

Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
    "Show me first your penny,"
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
    "Indeed, I have not any."

Simple Simon went a-fishing
    For to catch a whale;
All the water he could find
    Was in his mother's pail!

Simple Simon went to look
    If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
    Which made poor Simon whistle.

He went to catch a dicky bird,
    And thought he could not fail,
Because he had a little salt,
    To put upon its tail.

He went for water with a sieve,
    But soon it ran all through;
And now poor Simple Simon
    Bids you all adieu.
 

This little pig went to market;
This little pig stayed at home;
This little pig had roast beef;
This little pig had none;
This little pig said, "Wee, wee!
I can't find my way home."


 

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Three blind mice! See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.
Did you ever see such a thing in your life
As three blind mice?

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There was a little man, and he had a little gun,
  And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead;
He went to the brook, and saw a little duck,
  And shot it right through the head, head, head.

He carried it home to his old wife Joan,
  And bade her a fire to make, make, make.
To roast the little duck he had shot in the brook,
  And he'd go and fetch the drake, drake, drake.

The drake was a-swimming with his curly tail;
  The little man made it his mark, mark, mark.
He let off his gun, but he fired too soon,
  And the drake flew away with a quack, quack, quack.

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Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his breeches on,
One stocking off, and one stocking on;
Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.

Jerry Hall, he was so small,
A rat could eat him, hat and all.
 

As the days grow longer
The storms grow stronger.

 

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Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.

Little Nanny Etticoat
In a white petticoat,
And a red nose;
The longer she stands
The shorter she grows.

 

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

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One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
But I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
The little one upon the right.
 

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The dove says coo, coo, what shall I do?
I can scarce maintain two.
Pooh, pooh! says the wren, I've got ten,
And keep them all like gentlemen.
 

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Master I have, and I am his man,
    Gallop a dreary dun;
Master I have, and I am his man,
    And I'll get a wife as fast as I can;
With a heighty gaily gamberally,
    Higgledy piggledy, niggledy, niggledy,
    Gallop a dreary dun.
 

Goosey, goosey, gander,
  Whither dost thou wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
  And in my lady's chamber.

There I met an old man
  Who wouldn't say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
  And threw him down the stairs.

"Cock, cock, cock, cock,
I've laid an egg,
Am I to gang ba--are-foot?"

"Hen, hen, hen, hen,
I've been up and down
To every shop in town,
And cannot find a shoe
To fit your foot,
If I'd crow my hea--art out."

I had a little boy,
  And called him Blue Bell;
Gave him a little work,--
  He did it very well.

I bade him go upstairs
  To bring me a gold pin;
In coal scuttle fell he,
  Up to his little chin.

He went to the garden
  To pick a little sage;
He tumbled on his nose,
  And fell into a rage.

He went to the cellar
  To draw a little beer;
And quickly did return
  To say there was none there.

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Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
  To give her poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
  And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's
  To buy him some bread;
When she came back
  The dog was dead.

She went to the undertaker's
  To buy him a coffin;
When she got back
  The dog was laughing.

She took a clean dish
  To get him some tripe;
When she came back
  He was smoking a pipe.

She went to the alehouse
  To get him some beer;
When she came back
  The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern
  For white wine and red;
When she came back
  The dog stood on his head.

She went to the hatter's
  To buy him a hat;
When she came back
  He was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's
  To buy him a wig;
When she came back
  He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer's
  To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
  He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's
  To buy him a coat;
When she came back
  He was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler's
  To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
  He was reading the news.

She went to the sempster's
  To buy him some linen;
When she came back
  The dog was a-spinning.

She went to the hosier's
  To buy him some hose;
When she came back
  He was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsy,
  The dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant,"
  The dog said, "Bow-wow."

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Johnny shall have a new bonnet,
  And Johnny shall go to the fair,
And Johnny shall have a blue ribbon
  To tie up his bonny brown hair.

And why may not I love Johnny?
  And why may not Johnny love me?
And why may not I love Johnny
  As well as another body?

And here's a leg for a stocking,
  And here's a foot for a shoe,
And he has a kiss for his daddy,
  And two for his mammy, I trow.

And why may not I love Johnny?
  And why may not Johnny love me?
And why may not I love Johnny
  As well as another body?

 

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    Jack Sprat
    Could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean;
    And so,
    Betwixt them both,
They licked the platter clean.

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Daffy-down-dilly has come to town
In a yellow petticoat and a green gown.
 

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Hush-a-bye, baby, lie still with thy daddy,
  Thy mammy has gone to the mill,
To get some meal to bake a cake,
  So pray, my dear baby, lie still.

 

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The girl in the lane, that couldn't speak plain,
  Cried, "Gobble, gobble, gobble":
The man on the hill that couldn't stand still,
  Went hobble hobble, hobble.

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Nancy Dawson was so fine
She wouldn't get up to serve the swine;
She lies in bed till eight or nine,
So it's Oh, poor Nancy Dawson.

And do ye ken Nancy Dawson, honey?
The wife who sells the barley, honey?
She won't get up to feed her swine,
And do ye ken Nancy Dawson, honey?

 

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Handy Pandy, Jack-a-dandy,
Loves plum cake and sugar candy.
He bought some at a grocer's shop,
And out he came, hop, hop, hop!

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
  To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
  And Jill came tumbling after.

Then up Jack got and off did trot,
  As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
  With vinegar and brown paper.

 

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A, B, C, and D,
Pray, playmates, agree.
E, F, and G,
Well, so it shall be.
J, K, and L,
In peace we will dwell.
M, N, and O,
To play let us go.
P, Q, R, and S,
Love may we possess.
W, X, and Y,
Will not quarrel or die.
Z, and ampersand,
Go to school at command.

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Dance to your daddie,
My bonnie laddie;
Dance to your daddie, my bonnie lamb;
You shall get a fishy,
On a little dishy;
You shall get a fishy, when the boat comes home.

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Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
    Is in the mickle wood!
Little John, Little John,
    He to the town is gone.

Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
    Telling his beads,
All in the greenwood
    Among the green weeds.

Little John, Little John,
    If he comes no more,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
    We shall fret full sore!

Rain, rain, go to Spain,
And never come back again.

One misty moisty morning,
    When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man,
    Clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment
    And I began to grin.
How do you do? And how do you do?
    And how do you do again?


 

There came an old woman from France
Who taught grown-up children to dance;
    But they were so stiff,
    She sent them home in a sniff,
This sprightly old woman from France.

 

Thirty white horses upon a red hill,
Now they tramp, now they champ, now they stand still.
 

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A robin and a robin's son
Once went to town to buy a bun.
They couldn't decide on plum or plain,
And so they went back home again.
 

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There was an old man
In a velvet coat,
He kissed a maid
And gave her a groat.
The groat it was crack'd
And would not go,--
Ah, old man, do you serve me so?

I won't be my father's Jack,
  I won't be my father's Jill;
I will be the fiddler's wife,
  And have music when I will.
      T'other little tune,
      T'other little tune,
      Prithee, Love, play me
      T'other little tune.

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Hey, my kitten, my kitten,
  And hey, my kitten, my deary!
Such a sweet pet as this
  Was neither far nor neary.

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If all the seas were one sea,
What a great sea that would be!
And if all the trees were one tree,
What a great tree that would be!
And if all the axes were one axe,
What a great axe that would be!
And if all the men were one man,
What a great man he would be!
And if the great man took the great axe,
And cut down the great tree,
And let it fall into the great sea,
What a splish splash that would be!
 

Great A, little a,
This is pancake day;
Toss the ball high,
Throw the ball low,
Those that come after
May sing heigh-ho!

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Flour of England, fruit of Spain,
  Met together in a shower of rain;
Put in a bag tied round with a string;
  If you'll tell me this riddle,
  I'll give you a ring.
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If you are to be a gentleman,
    As I suppose you'll be,
You'll neither laugh nor smile,
    For a tickling of the knee.

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"I am a gold lock."
"I am a gold key."
"I am a silver lock."
"I am a silver key."
"I am a brass lock."
"I am a brass key."
"I am a lead lock."
"I am a lead key."
"I am a don lock."
"I am a don key!"
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The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown,
The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown,
Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town.
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Hey diddle dinkety poppety pet,
The merchants of London they wear scarlet,
Silk in the collar and gold in the hem,
So merrily march the merchant men.

I had a little husband no bigger than my thumb,
I put him in a pint pot, and there I bid him drum,
I bought a little handkerchief to wipe his little nose,
And a pair of little garters to tie his little hose.
 

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How many miles is it to Babylon?--
    Threescore miles and ten.
Can I get there by candle-light?--
    Yes, and back again.
If your heels are nimble and light,
You may get there by candle-light.
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  Sleep, baby, sleep,
Our cottage vale is deep:
The little lamb is on the green,
With woolly fleece so soft and clean--
  Sleep, baby, sleep.
  Sleep, baby, sleep,
Down where the woodbines creep;
Be always like the lamb so mild,
A kind, and sweet, and gentle child.
  Sleep, baby, sleep.

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Cry, baby, cry,
Put your finger in your eye,
And tell your mother it wasn't I.
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Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, marry, have I,
Three bags full;

One for my master,
One for my dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane.

When little Fred went to bed,
  He always said his prayers;

He kissed mamma, and then papa,
  And straightway went upstairs.


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    Hey, diddle, diddle!
    The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
    The little dog laughed
    To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

I do not like thee, Doctor Fell;
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell!
 

Hickery, dickery, 6 and 7,
Alabone, Crackabone, 10 and 11,
Spin, spun, muskidun,
Twiddle 'em, twaddle 'em, 21.
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"Jacky, come and give me thy fiddle,
  If ever thou mean to thrive."
"Nay, I'll not give my fiddle
  To any man alive.

"If I should give my fiddle,
  They'll think that I've gone mad;
For many a joyous day
  My fiddle and I have had."
 

  Buttons, a farthing a pair!
Come, who will buy them of me?
They're round and sound and pretty,
And fit for girls of the city.
Come, who will buy them of me?
  Buttons, a farthing a pair!
 

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Ladies and gentlemen come to supper--
Hot boiled beans and very good butter.

I like little Pussy,
  Her coat is so warm,

And if I don't hurt her
  She'll do me no harm;

So I'll not pull her tail,
  Nor drive her away,

But Pussy and I
  Very gently will play.

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Little Tommy Tittlemouse
Lived in a little house;
He caught fishes
In other men's ditches.
 

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush,
Here we go round the mulberry bush.
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands,
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we wash our clothes.
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes,
This is the way we wash our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we go to school,
Go to school, go to school,
This is the way we go to school,
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we come out of school,
Come out of school, come out of school,
This is the way we come out of school,
On a cold and frosty morning.
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I had a little hobby-horse,
    And it was dapple gray;
Its head was made of pea-straw,
    Its tail was made of hay.

I sold it to an old woman
    For a copper groat;
And I'll not sing my song again
    Without another coat.

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If I'd as much money as I could tell,
I never would cry young lambs to sell;
Young lambs to sell, young lambs to sell;
I never would cry young lambs to sell.

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There was an old woman tossed in a basket,
  Seventeen times as high as the moon;
But where she was going no mortal could tell,
  For under her arm she carried a broom.

"Old woman, old woman, old woman,"said I,
  "Whither, oh whither, oh whither so high?"
"To sweep the cobwebs from the sky;
  And I'll be with you by-and-by."

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A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he;
A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow,
Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow.

"This little cock-sparrow shall make me a stew,
And his giblets shall make me a little pie, too."
"Oh, no," says the sparrow "I won't make a stew."
So he flapped his wings and away he flew.

I had two pigeons bright and gay,
They flew from me the other day.
What was the reason they did go?
I cannot tell, for I do not know.

The fair maid who, the first of May,
Goes to the fields at break of day,
And washes in dew from the hawthorn-tree,
Will ever after handsome be.


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Here's Sulky Sue,
What shall we do?
Turn her face to the wall
Till she comes to.

 

On Saturday night
    Shall be all my care
To powder my locks
    And curl my hair.

On Sunday morning
    My love will come in.
When he will marry me
    With a gold ring.


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This is the house that Jack built.
This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built

This is the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the farmer sowing the corn,
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
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Little Jenny Wren fell sick,
    Upon a time;
In came Robin Redbreast
    And brought her cake and wine.

"Eat well of my cake, Jenny,
    Drink well of my wine."
"Thank you, Robin, kindly,
    You shall be mine."

Jenny she got well,
    And stood upon her feet,
And told Robin plainly
    She loved him not a bit.

Robin being angry,
    Hopped upon a twig,
Saying, "Out upon you! Fie upon you!
    Bold-faced jig!"

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Little Bobby Snooks was fond of his books,
  And loved by his usher and master;
But naughty Jack Spry, he got a black eye,
  And carries his nose in a plaster.

I saw a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea;
And, oh! it was all laden
With pretty things for thee!

There were comfits in the cabin,
And apples in the hold;
The sails were made of silk,
And the masts were made of gold.

The four-and-twenty sailors
That stood between the decks,
Were four-and-twenty white mice
With chains about their necks.

The captain was a duck,
With a packet on his back;
And when the ship began to move,
The captain said, "Quack! Quack!"
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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.


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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.
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As soft as silk, as white as milk,
As bitter as gall, a strong wall,
And a green coat covers me all.
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    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.

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Hark, hark! the dogs do bark!
  Beggars are coming to town:
Some in jags, and some in rags,
  And some in velvet gown.

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?

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

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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.
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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!

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A riddle, a riddle, as I suppose,
A hundred eyes and never a nose!
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  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?
 

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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.

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    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!

    When they were asleep,
    I'm told, that to keep
Their eyes open they could not contrive;
    They both walked on their feet,
    And 'twas thought what they eat
Helped, with drinking, to keep them alive!

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Cocks crow in the morn
    To tell us to rise,
And he who lies late
    Will never be wise;

For early to bed
    And early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy
    And wealthy and wise.

There was an old woman had three sons,
Jerry and James and John,
Jerry was hanged, James was drowned,
John was lost and never was found;
And there was an end of her three sons,
Jerry and James and John!
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As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
  Were walking out one Sunday,
Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
  "Wilt marry me on Monday?"

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"Robert Barnes, my fellow fine,
Can you shoe this horse of mine?"
"Yes, good sir, that I can,
As well as any other man;
There's a nail, and there's a prod,
Now, good sir, your horse is shod."

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 The two gray kits,
And the gray kits' mother,
  All went over
The bridge together.

The bridge broke down,
  They all fell in;
"May the rats go with you,"
  Says Tom Bolin.
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Cock-a-doodle-do!
My dame has lost her shoe,
My master's lost his fiddle-stick
And knows not what to do.

Cock-a-doodle-do!
What is my dame to do?
Till master finds his fiddle-stick,
She'll dance without her shoe.

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Twelve pairs hanging high,
Twelve knights riding by,
Each knight took a pear,
And yet left a dozen there.
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At the siege of Belleisle
I was there all the while,
All the while, all the while,
At the siege of Belleisle.

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    Old King Cole
    Was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
    He called for his pipe,
    And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three!
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
    And a very fine fiddle had he.
"Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee," went the fiddlers.
    Oh, there's none so rare
    As can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.
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See, see! What shall I see?
A horse's head where his tail should be.
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Pussy-cat Mew jumped over a coal,
And in her best petticoat burnt a great hole.
Poor Pussy's weeping, she'll have no more milk
Until her best petticoat's mended with silk.
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As round as an apple, as deep as a cup,
And all the king's horses can't fill it up.
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Molly, my sister and I fell out,
And what do you think it was all about?
She loved coffee and I loved tea,
And that was the reason we couldn't agree.

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There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.

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Friday night's dream, on Saturday told,
Is sure to come true, be it never so old.
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The cock's on the housetop blowing his horn;
The bull's in the barn a-threshing of corn;
The maids in the meadows are making of hay;
The ducks in the river are swimming away.


 

You shall have an apple,
YOU shall have a plum,
You shall have a rattle,
When papa comes home.

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As I walked by myself,
And talked to myself,
  Myself said unto me:
"Look to thyself,
Take care of thyself,
  For nobody cares for thee."

I answered myself,
And said to myself
  In the selfsame repartee:
"Look to thyself,
Or not look to thyself,
  The selfsame thing will be."
 

To make your candles last for aye,
You wives and maids give ear-O!
To put them out's the only way,
Says honest John Boldero.

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Tommy's tears and Mary's fears
Will make them old before their years.
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Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for its living,
But the child that's born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
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Black within and red without;
Four corners round about.
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Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!
Your house is on fire, your children all gone,
All but one, and her name is Ann,
And she crept under the pudding pan.

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There were once two cats of Kilkenny.
Each thought there was one cat too many;
So they fought and they fit,
And they scratched and they bit,
  Till, excepting their nails,
  And the tips of their tails,
Instead of two cats, there weren't any.

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Old Grimes is dead, that good old man,
     We ne'er shall see him more;
He used to wear a long brown coat
     All buttoned down before.

There was a man and he had naught,
    And robbers came to rob him;
He crept up to the chimney pot,
    And then they thought they had him.

But he got down on t'other side,
    And then they could not find him;
He ran fourteen miles in fifteen days,
    And never looked behind him.
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Four and Twenty tailors
    Went to kill a snail;
The best man among them
    Durst not touch her tail;
She put out her horns
    Like a little Kyloe cow.
Run, tailors, run, or
    She'll kill you all e'en now.
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Intery, mintery, cutery corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, brier, limber-lock,
Five geese in a flock,
Sit and sing by a spring,
O-u-t, and in again.
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  Bow-wow-wow!
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog,
  Bow-wow-wow!

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Around the green gravel the grass grows green,
And all the pretty maids are plain to be seen;
Wash them with milk, and clothe them with silk,
And write their names with a pen and ink.
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As I was going along, along,
A-singing a comical song, song, song,
The lane that I went was so long, long, long,
And the song that I sang was so long, long, long,
And so I went singing along.

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green;
Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen;
And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring;
And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king.
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"Billy, Billy, come and play,
While the sun shines bright as day."

"Yes, my Polly, so I will,
For I love to please you still."

"Billy, Billy, have you seen
Sam and Betsy on the green?"

"Yes, my Poll, I saw them pass,
Skipping o'er the new-mown grass."

"Billy, Billy, come along,
And I will sing a pretty song."
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The man in the wilderness
    Asked me
How many strawberries
    Grew in the sea.
I answered him
    As I thought good,
As many as red herrings
    Grew in the wood.

Hector Protector was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him,
No more did the King;
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
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Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
    Eating of Christmas pie:
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
    And said, "What a good boy am I!"

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
  How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells,
  And pretty maids all of a row.

Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
  They were two bonny lasses;
They built their house upon the lea,
  And covered it with rushes.

Bessy kept the garden gate,
  And Mary kept the pantry;
Bessy always had to wait,
  While Mary lived in plenty.

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Away, birds, away!
Take a little and leave a little,
And do not come again;
For if you do,
I will shoot you through,
And there will be an end of you.
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Needles and pins, needles and pins,
When a man marries his trouble begins.

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Pussy-cat ate the dumplings, the dumplings,
    Pussy-cat ate the dumplings.
Mamma stood by, and cried, "Oh, fie!
    Why did you eat the dumplings?"
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Mary had a pretty bird,
  Feathers bright and yellow,
Slender legs--upon my word
  He was a pretty fellow!

The sweetest note he always sung,
  Which much delighted Mary.
She often, where the cage was hung,
  Sat hearing her canary.

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Birds of a feather flock together,
    And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
    And so will I have mine.
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Margaret wrote a letter,
Sealed it with her finger,
Threw it in the dam
For the dusty miller.
Dusty was his coat,
Dusty was the siller,
Dusty was the kiss
I'd from the dusty miller.
If I had my pockets
Full of gold and siller,
I would give it all
To my dusty miller.

Higher than a house, higher than a tree.
Oh! whatever can that be?
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The greedy man is he who sits
    And bites bits out of plates,
Or else takes up an almanac
    And gobbles all the dates.

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A diller, a dollar, a ten o'clock scholar!
    What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
    But now you come at noon.

Oh, my pretty cock, oh, my handsome cock,
  I pray you, do not crow before day,
And your comb shall be made of the very beaten gold,
  And your wings of the silver so gray.

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  Lives in winter,
    Dies in summer,
And grows with its roots upward!
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    Over the water,
    And under the water,
And always with its head down.
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Willy, Willy Wilkin
Kissed the maids a-milking,
    Fa, la, la!
And with his merry daffing
He set them all a-laughing,
    Ha, ha, ha!
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There was an old woman of Leeds,
Who spent all her time in good deeds;
    She worked for the poor
    Till her fingers were sore,
This pious old woman of Leeds!

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A little boy went into a barn,
  And lay down on some hay.
An owl came out, and flew about,
  And the little boy ran away.

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Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more,
On the King's kitchen door,
All the King's horses,
And all the King's men,
Couldn't drive Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more,
Off the King's kitchen door.
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Long legs, crooked thighs,
Little head, and no eyes.
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Little Jack Jingle, He used to live single;
But when he got tired of this kind of life,
He left off being single and lived with his wife.
Now what do you think of little Jack Jingle?
Before he was married he used to live single.

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  Shoe the colt,
  Shoe the colt,
Shoe the wild mare;
  Here a nail,
  There a nail,
Yet she goes bare.
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    Little Betty Blue
    Lost her holiday shoe;
What shall little Betty do?
    Give her another
    To match the other
And then she'll walk upon two.

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THAT'S ALL

The Man in the Moon looked out of the moon,
  Looked out of the moon and said,
"'Tis time for all children, on the earth
  To think about getting to bed!"

Dance, little Baby, dance up high!
Never mind, Baby, Mother is by.
Crow and caper, caper and crow,
There, little Baby, there you go!
Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,
Backwards and forwards, round and round;
Dance, little Baby and Mother will sing,
With the merry coral, ding, ding, ding!
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High diddle doubt, my candle's out
  My little maid is not at home;
Saddle my hog and bridle my dog,
  And fetch my little maid home.
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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 horseshoe nail.
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Pease porridge hot,
  Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
  Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
  Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
  Nine days old.

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Ring a ring o' roses,
A pocketful of posies.
Tisha! Tisha!
We all fall down.

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  A duck and a drake,
  And a halfpenny cake,
With a penny to pay the old baker.
  A hop and a scotch
  Is another notch,
Slitherum, slatherum, take her.

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Donkey, donkey, old and gray,
Ope your mouth and gently bray;
Lift your ears and blow your horn,
To wake the world this sleepy morn.
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If all the world were apple pie,
  And all the sea were ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
  What should we have for drink?
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"You owe me five shillings,"
Say the bells of St. Helen's.
"When will you pay me?"
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
"When I grow rich,"
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
"When will that be?"
Say the bells of Stepney.
"I do not know,"
Says the great Bell of Bow.
"Two sticks in an apple,"
Ring the bells of Whitechapel.
"Halfpence and farthings,"
Say the bells of St. Martin's.
"Kettles and pans,"
Say the bells of St. Ann's.
"Brickbats and tiles,"
Say the bells of St. Giles.
"Old shoes and slippers,"
Say the bells of St. Peter's.
"Pokers and tongs,"
Say the bells of St. John's.
 
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"Little girl, little girl, where have you been?"
"Gathering roses to give to the Queen."
"Little girl, little girl, what gave she you?"
"She gave me a diamond as big as my shoe."

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.
 

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

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1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
I caught a hare alive;
6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
I let her go again.
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Read my riddle, I pray.
What God never sees,
What the king seldom sees,
What we see every day.

"To bed! To bed!"
    Says Sleepy-head;
"Tarry awhile," says Slow;
"Put on the pan,"
    Says Greedy Nan;
    "We'll sup before we go."

What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
"Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
And that's what little boys are made of."

What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice, and all that's nice;
And that's what little girls are made of."

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"Little maid, pretty maid, whither goest thou?"
"Down in the forest to milk my cow."
"Shall I go with thee?" "No, not now;
When I send for thee, then come thou."

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As I was going to sell my eggs
I met a man with bandy legs,
Bandy legs and crooked toes;
I tripped up his heels, and he fell on his nose.

As I went to Bonner,
    I met a pig
    Without a wig
Upon my word and honor.

As little Jenny Wren
    Was sitting by her shed.
She waggled with her tail,
    And nodded with her head.
She waggled with her tail,
    And nodded with her head,
As little Jenny Wren
    Was sitting by the shed.
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"Where are you going, my pretty maid?"
"I'm going a-milking, sir," she said.
"May I go with you, my pretty maid?"
"You're kindly welcome, sir," she said.
"What is your father, my pretty maid?"
"My father's a farmer, sir," she said.
"What is your fortune, my pretty maid?"
"My face is my fortune, sir," she said.
"Then I can't marry you, my pretty maid."
"Nobody asked you, sir," she said.


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Multiplication is vexation,
    Division is as bad;
The Rule of Three doth puzzle me,
    And Practice drives me mad.
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Little King Boggen, he built a fine hall,
Pie-crust and pastry-crust, that was the wall;
The windows were made of black puddings and white,
And slated with pan-cakes,--you ne'er saw the like!
 

Bell horses, bell horses, what time of day?
One o'clock, two o'clock, three and away.
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I went to the wood and got it;
I sat me down to look for it
And brought it home because I couldn't find it.
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Young Roger came tapping at Dolly's window,
    Thumpaty, thumpaty, thump!

He asked for admittance; she answered him "No!"
    Frumpaty, frumpaty, frump!

"No, no, Roger, no! as you came you may go!"
    Stumpaty, stumpaty, stump!


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The north wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then,
                    Poor thing?

He'll sit in a barn,
And keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing,
                    Poor thing!

There was an old woman of Harrow,
Who visited in a wheelbarrow;
   And her servant before,
   Knocked loud at each door,
To announce the old woman of Harrow.

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There was a piper had a cow,
    And he had naught to give her;
He pulled out his pipes and played her a tune,
    And bade the cow consider.

The cow considered very well,
    And gave the piper a penny,
And bade him play the other tune,
    "Corn rigs are bonny."
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Up at Piccadilly, oh!
    The coachman takes his stand,
And when he meets a pretty girl
    He takes her by the hand;
Whip away forever, oh!
    Drive away so clever, oh!
All the way to Bristol, oh!
    He drives her four-in-hand.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread.
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
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A little old man of Derby,
How do you think he served me?
He took away my bread and cheese,
And that is how he served me.

 

There was an old woman in Surrey,
Who was morn, noon, and night in a hurry;
    Called her husband a fool,
    Drove the children to school,
The worrying old woman of Surrey.

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Ding, dong, bell,
Pussy's in the well!
Who put her in?
Little Tommy Lin.

Who pulled her out?
Little Johnny Stout.
What a naughty boy was that,
To try to drown poor pussy-cat.
Who never did him any harm,
But killed the mice in his father's barn!
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There was a little boy and a little girl
    Lived in an alley;
Says the little boy to the little girl,
    "Shall I, oh, shall I?"
Says the little girl to the little boy,
    "What shall we do?"
Says the little boy to the little girl,
    "I will kiss you."

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When I was a bachelor
    I lived by myself;
And all the bread and cheese I got
    I laid up on the shelf.

The rats and the mice
    They made such a strife,
I was forced to go to London
    To buy me a wife.

The streets were so bad,
    And the lanes were so narrow,
I was forced to bring my wife home
    In a wheelbarrow.

The wheelbarrow broke,
    And my wife had a fall;
Down came wheelbarrow,
    Little wife and all.

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Sing, sing, what shall I sing?
Cat's run away with the pudding-string!
Do, do, what shall I do?
The cat has bitten it quite in two.

March winds and April showers
Bring forth May flowers.
 

"What is the news of the day,
Good neighbor, I pray?"
"They say the balloon
Is gone up to the moon!"

As I went through the garden gap,
Who should I meet but Dick Red-cap!
A stick in his hand, a stone in his throat,--
If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat.
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Doodle doodle doo,
The Princess lost her shoe:
  Her Highness hopped,--
  The fiddler stopped,
Not knowing what to do.
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There was a little woman, as I've been told,
Who was not very young, nor yet very old;
Now this little woman her living got
By selling codlins, hot, hot, hot!

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Swan, swan, over the sea;
    Swim, swan, swim!
Swan, swan, back again;
    Well swum, swan!

Three straws on a staff
Would make a baby cry and laugh.
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There was an old man of Tobago
Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago,
    Till much to his bliss,
    His physician said this:
"To a leg, sir, of mutton, you may go."

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A sunshiny shower
Won't last half an hour.

A farmer went trotting upon his gray mare,
    Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
With his daughter behind him so rosy and fair,
    Lumpety, lumpety, lump!

A raven cried croak! and they all tumbled down,
    Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
The mare broke her knees, and the farmer his crown,
    Lumpety, lumpety, lump!

The mischievous raven flew laughing away,
    Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
And vowed he would serve them the same the next day,
    Lumpety, lumpety lump!

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"Willy boy, Willy boy, where are you going?
I will go with you, if that I may."
"I'm going to the meadow to see them a-mowing,
I'm going to help them to make the hay."

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Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
And let's drink tea.

Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
They're all gone away.

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Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea,
With silver buckles on his knee:
He'll come back and marry me,
    Pretty Bobby Shaftoe!
Bobby Shaftoe's fat and fair,
Combing down his yellow hair;
He's my love for evermore,
    Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.

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There dwelt an old woman at Exeter;
When visitors came it sore vexed her,
    So for fear they should eat,
    She locked up all her meat,
This stingy old woman of Exeter.

If you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better.
Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, joy to-morrow.
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Pussy-cat sits by the fire;
    How can she be fair?
In walks the little dog;
    Says: "Pussy, are you there?
How do you do, Mistress Pussy?
    Mistress Pussy, how d'ye do?"
"I thank you kindly, little dog,
    I fare as well as you!"
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The little robin grieves
    When the snow is on the ground,
For the trees have no leaves,
    And no berries can be found.

The air is cold, the worms are hid;
    For robin here what can be done?
Let's strow around some crumbs of bread,
    And then he'll live till snow is gone.