A History of Nursery Rhymes Part 17

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle doo, my dame has lost her shoe; My master's lost his fiddling stick and doesn't know what to do.

c.o.c.k-a-doodle doo, what is my dame to do?

Till master finds his fiddling stick she'll dance without her shoe.

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle doo, my dame has found her shoe, and master's found his fiddling stick.

Sing doodle, doodle doo--c.o.c.k-a-doodle doo, My dame will dance with you, While master fiddles his fiddling stick For dame and doodle doo."

The third-century monarch, King Cole, is seriously libelled in the nursery jingle of--

"Old King Cole was a merry old soul, A merry old soul was he, He called for his gla.s.s, he called for his pipe, He called for his fiddlers three."

"Rowsty dowt, my fire's all out, My little Dame Trot is not at home! Oh my!

But I'll saddle my c.o.c.k and bridle my hen, And fetch my little dame home again! Home again!

Home she came, tritty-ti-trot, She asked for some dinner she left in the pot; Some she ate and some she shod, And the rest she gave to the truckler's dog.

She took up the ladle and knocked its head, And now poor dapsy dog is dead!"

"There was a little man and he had a little gun, And his bullets they were made of lead, He went to the brook and shot a little duck Right through its head, head, head.

"He took it home to his wife Joan And bade her a good fire to make, While he went to the brook where he shot the little duck To see if he could shoot the little drake.

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

The Creole's slave-song to her infant is built on the same lines, and runs--

"If you were a little bird And myself a gun, I would shoot you.

b.u.m! b.u.m! b.u.m!

"Oh! my precious little jewel Of mahogany, I love you As a hog loves mud."

"Some say the devil's dead, And buried in cold harbour; Some say he's alive again, And 'prenticed to a barber."

"I had a little pony, his name was Dapple Grey; I lent him to a lady, to ride a mile away.

She whipped him and she lashed him, She rode him through the mire; I would not lend my pony now For all that lady's hire."

"Little Blue Betty, she lived in a den, She sold good ale to gentlemen.

Gentlemen came every day, And little Blue Betty she skipped away.

She hopped upstairs to make her bed, But tumbled down and broke her head."

TOM, TOM, THE PIPER'S SON.

"Tom, he was a piper's son, He learned to play when he was young; But the only tune that he could play Was 'Over the hills and far away.'

Over the hills and a great way off, And the wind will blow my top-knot off.

"Now Tom with his pipe made such a noise That he pleased both the girls and boys, And they stopped to hear him play 'Over the hills and far away.'

"Tom on his pipe did play with such skill That those who heard him could never keep still; Whenever they heard him they began to dance, Even pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.

"As Dolly was milking the cows one day Tom took out his pipe and began to play; So Doll and the cows danced the Cheshire cheese round, Till the pail was broke and the milk spilt on the ground.

"He met old Dame Trot with a basket of eggs, He used his pipe, she used her legs.

She danced, he piped, the eggs were all broke; Dame Trot began to fret, Tom laughed at his joke.

"He saw a cross fellow beating an a.s.s Laden with pots, pans, dishes, and gla.s.s; Tom took out his pipe and played a tune, And the jacka.s.s's load was lightened full soon."

"OH DEAR, WHAT CAN THE MATTER BE?"

"Oh dear, what can the matter be?

Oh dear, what can the matter be?

Oh dear, what can the matter be?

Johnny's so long at the fair.

He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbons To tie up my bonny brown hair."

SIMPLE SIMON.

"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 p.r.i.c.ked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon whistle.

"Simple Simon went to town To buy a piece of meat, He tied it to his horse's tail To keep it clean and sweet."

"I SAW A SHIP A-SAILING."

"I saw a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea, And it was filled with pretty things For baby and for me.

There were raisins in the cabin, Sugar kisses in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were made of gold.

Gold--gold--gold!

The masts were made of gold.

"There were four-and-twenty sailors A-sitting on the deck, And these were little white mice, With rings around their neck.

The captain was a duck, With a jacket on his back, And when the ship began to sail The captain cried 'Quack! quack!'

Quack!--quack!--quack!

The captain cried 'Quack! quack!'"