Harry's Ladder to Learning Read online

  Sing! sing! what shall I sing? The cat's run away with the pudding-bag string.

  Snail! snail! come out of your hole, Or else I'll beat you as black as a coal.

  Two little blackbirds sat upon a hill, One named Jack, the other named Gill; Fly away, Jack; fly away, Gill; Come again, Jack; come again, Gill.

  If all the world was apple-pie, And all the sea was ink, And all the trees were bread and cheese, What should we have for drink? It's enough to make an old man Scratch his head and think.

  There was an old man, And he had a calf; And that's half: He took him out of the stall, And put him on the wall; And that's all.

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

  We're all dry with drinking on't, We're all dry with drinking on't; The piper kiss'd the fiddler's wife, And I can't sleep for thinking on't.

  I had a little wife, the prettiest ever seen, She wash'd all the dishes and kept the house clean; She went to the mill to fetch me some flour, She brought it home safe in less than half an hour; She baked me my bread, she brew'd me my ale, She sat by the fire and told a fine tale.

  Handy-spandy, Jack-a-Dandy Loves plum-cake and sugar-candy. He bought some at a grocer's shop, And pleased, away went, hop, hop, hop.

  Here stands a fist, Who set it there? A better man than you, Touch him if you dare!

  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.

  Long legs, crooked thighs, Little head, and no eyes. What's that?

  Great A, little A, bouncing B! The cat's in the cupboard, and she can't see.

  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!

  When I was a bachelor, I lived by myself, And all the bread and cheese I got, I put upon 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 roads 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, wife, and all.

  A little boy and a little girl Lived in an alley. Said the little boy to the little girl, "Shall I? oh, shall I?" Said the little girl to the little boy, "What will you do?" Said the little boy to the little girl, "I will kiss you."

  Bless you, bless you, bonnie bee: Say, when will your wedding be? If it be to-morrow day, Take your wings and fly away.

  Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief, Taffy came to my house, And stole a piece of beef. I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't at home, Taffy came to my house, And stole a marrow-bone. I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed, I took the marrow-bone, And beat about his head.

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

  Tell-tale, tit! Your tongue shall be slit, And all the dogs in the town Shall have a little bit!

  Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating of curds and whey; There came a little spider, Who sat down beside her, And frighten'd Miss Muffet away.

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

  "Come, let's to bed," says Sleepy-head; "Let's stay awhile," says Slow: "Put on the pot," says Greedy-sot, "We'll sup before we go."

  Robin the Bobbin, the big-bellied 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!

  Tom, Tom, the piper's son, Stole a pig and away he ran. The pig was eat, and Tom was beat, And Tom ran crying down the street.

  Shoe the horse, shoe the colt, Shoe the wild mare; Here a nail, there a nail, Yet she goes bare.

  Goosey goosey gander, Whither dost thou wander? Up stairs, down stairs, In my lady's chamber: There I met an old man Who would not say his prayers; I took him by the left leg, And threw him down the stairs.

  There was an old woman went up in a basket, Seventy times as high as the moon; What she did there I could not but ask it, For in her hand 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 shall be back again by and by."

  Pease-pudding hot, Pease-pudding cold, Pease-pudding in the pot, Nine days old. Some like it hot, Some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, Nine days old.

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

  Little Jack Jingle, He used to live single: But when he got tired of this kind of life, He left off being single, and got him a wife.

  Little Robin Red-breast sat upon a tree, Up went Pussy-cat, and down went he; Down came Pussy-cat, and away Robin ran: Says little Robin Red-breast, "Catch me if you can." Little Robin Red-breast hopp'd upon a wall, Pussy-cat jump'd after him, and almost got a fall. Little Robin chirp'd and sang, and what did Pussy say? Pussy-cat said, "Mew," and Robin flew away.

  There was an old woman, and what do you think? She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink; Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet, Yet this grumbling old woman could never be quiet.

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

  I had a little pony, His name was Dapple Gray, I lent him to a lady, To ride a mile away.

  She whipp'd him, She lash'd him, She rode him Through the mire; I would not lend My pony now For all the lady's hire.

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

  Jack Sprat would eat no fat, His wife would eat no lean; Now was not this a pretty trick To make the platter clean?

  A pie sate on a pear-tree, A pie sate on a pear-tree, A pie sate on a pear-tree, Heigh O! heigh O! heigh O! Once so merrily hopp'd she, Twice so merrily hopp'd she, Thrice so merrily hopp'd she, Heigh O! heigh O! heigh O

  A cat came fiddling out of a barn, With a pair of bagpipes under her arm; She could sing nothing but "Fiddle de dee, The mouse has married the humble bee."

  Remember, remember, The fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot; I see no reason Why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. Hurrah!

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

  I'll tell you a story About Jack-a-Nory, And now my story's begun; I'll tell you another, About Jack and his brother, And now my story's done.

  Ding, dong, bell, Pussy's in the well! Who put her in?-- Little Johnny Green. Who pull'd her out?-- Little Johnny Stout. Oh! what
a naughty Boy was that, To drown his poor Grand-mammy's cat, Which never did him any harm, But kill'd the mice in his father's barn.

  HARRY'S LADDER TO LEARNING.

  PART IV.

  HARRY'S NURSERY TALES.

  NURSERY TALES.

  Girls and boys come out to play, The moon is shining bright as day; Leave your supper and leave your sleep, And come with your playfellows into the street; Come with a whoop, and come with a call, Come with a good will, or come not at all. Come, let us dance on the open green, And she who holds longest shall be our queen.

  Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep, And cannot tell where to find 'em; Leave them alone, and they'll come home, And bring their tails behind 'em.

  Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep, And dreamt she heard them bleating; When she awoke, she found it a joke, For still they all were fleeting.

  Then up she took her little crook, Determin'd for to find them; She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, For they'd left their tails behind them.

  It happen'd one day, as Bo-peep did stray Unto a meadow hard by: There she espied their tails side by side, All hung on a tree to dry.

  She heaved a sigh, and wiped her eye, And over the hillocks she raced; And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should, That each tail should be properly placed.

  A carrion crow sat upon an oak, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do, Watching a tailor cutting out his cloak Sing heigh ho! the carrion crow, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do.

  Wife, wife! bring me my bow, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do, That I may shoot yon carrion crow; Sing heigh ho! the carrion crow, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do.

  The tailor he shot and miss'd his mark, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do; And shot his own sow quite through the heart; Sing heigh ho! the carrion crow, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do.

  Wife, wife! bring me brandy in a spoon; Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do, For our old sow has fall'n down in a swoon, Sing heigh ho! the carrion crow, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do.

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

  Now, had these children been at home, Or sliding on dry ground, Ten thousand pounds to one penny, They had not all been drown'd.

  You parents that have children dear, And eke you that have none, If you would have them safe abroad, Pray keep them safe at home.

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

  She went to the baker's To buy him some bread, And when she came back Poor doggy was dead.

  She went to the joiner's To buy him a coffin, And when she came back The dog was a-laughing.

  She took a clean dish To get him some tripe, And when she came back He was smoking his pipe.

  She went to the ale-house To get him some beer, And when she came back Doggy sat in a chair.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  She went to the sempstress To buy him some linen, And when she came back The dog was a-spinning.

  She went to the hosier's To buy him some hose, And when she came back He was dress'd in his clothes.

  The dame made a curtsey, The dog made a bow; The dame said, "Your servant," The dog said, "Bow, wow!"

  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 to town To get a piece of meat; He would not buy a calf's head, Because it had no feet.

  Simple Simon went a-fishing, For to catch a whale: All the water he had got 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.

  Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye, Four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. When the pie was opened the birds began to sing, And was not that a dainty dish to set before the king?

  The king was in the parlour, counting out his money;

  The queen was in the pantry, eating bread and honey The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes; There came a little blackbird and peck'd off her nose.

  There was an old woman, as I've heard tell, She went to the market her eggs for to sell, She went to the market, all on a market day, And she fell asleep on the king's highway.

  There came a little pedler, his name it was Stout, He cut off her petticoats all round about; He cut off her petticoats up to her knees, Until her poor knees began for to freeze.

  When the little old woman began to awake, She began to shiver, and she began to shake; Her knees began to freeze, and she began to cry, "Oh lawk! oh mercy on me! this surely can't be I.

  If it be not I, as I suppose it be, I have a little dog at home, and he knows me; If it be I, he will wag his little tail, But if it be not I, he'll bark and he'll rail."

  Up jump'd the little woman, all in the dark, Up jump'd the little dog, and he began to bark; The dog began to bark, and she began to cry, "Oh lawk! oh mercy on me! I see it is not I."

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

  The little maid replied, Some say a little sighed, "But what shall we have for to eat, eat, eat? Will the love that you're so rich in Make a fire in the kitchen? Or the little god of Love turn the spit, spit, spit?"

  I had a little wife, the prettiest ever seen, She wash'd all the dishes and kept the house clean She went to the mill to fetch me some flour, She brought it home safe in less than an hour; She baked me my bread, she brew'd me my ale, She sat by the fire and told a fine tale.

  Did you not hear of Betty Pringle's pig? It was not very little nor yet very big; The pig sat down upon a dunghill. And there poor piggy he made his will.

  Betty Pringle came to see this pretty pig, That was not very little nor yet very big; This little piggy it lay down and died, And Betty Pringle sat down and cried.

  Then Johnny Pringle buried this very pretty pig, That was not very little nor yet very big. So here's an end of the song of all three, Johnny Pringle, Betty Pringle, and little Piggy.

  The queen of hearts, She made some tarts, All on a summer's day; The knave of hearts He stole those tarts, And with them ran away: The king of hearts Call'd for those tarts, And beat the knave full sore; The knave of hearts Brought back those tarts, And said he'd ne'er steal more.

  The king of spades He kiss'd the maids, Which vex'd the queen full sore; The queen of spades She beat those maids And turn'd them out of door; The knave of spades Grieved for those jades, And did for them implore; The queen so gent, She did relent, And vow'd she'd ne'er strike more.