Harry's Ladder to Learning Part 4

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 c.o.c.kle-sh.e.l.ls, 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 tripp'd up his heels, and he fell on his nose.