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Curriculum Suggestions |
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Expand your students' cultural literacy by introducing them to these verses...
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.
The Brown Owl sits in the ivy-bush,
And she looketh wondrous wise,
With a horny beak beneath her cowl,
And a pair of large round eyes.
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.
Coo-oo, Coo-oo,
It's as much as a pigeon can do,
To maintain two;
But the little wren can maintain ten,
And bring them all up like gentlemen.
Who did kill Cock Robbin?
I, said the sparrow,
With my bow and arrow,
And I did kill Cock Robbin.
Who did see him die?
I, said the fly,
With my little eye,
And I did see him die.
And who did catch his blood?
I, said the fish,
With my little dish,
And I did catch his blood.
And who did make his shroud?
I, said the Beetle,
With my little needle,
And I did make his shroud.
Who'll dig his grave?
I, said the Owl,
With my pick and shovel,
I'll dig his grave.
Who'll be the parson?
I, said the Rook,
With my little book,
I'll be the parson.
Who'll be the clerk?
I, said the Lark,
If it's not in the dark,
I'll be the clerk.
Who'll carry the link?
I, said the linnet,
I'll fetch it in a minute,
I'll carry the link.
Who'll be chief mourner?
I, said the Dove,
I mourn for my love,
I'll be chief mourner.
Who'll carry the coffin?
I, said the kite,
If it's not through the night,
I'll carry the coffin.
Who'll bear the pall?
We, said the wren,
Both the cock and the hen,
We'll bear the pall.
Who'll sing a psalm?
I, said the thrush,
As she sat on a bush,
I'll sing a psalm.
Who'll toll the bell?
I, said the bull,
Because I can pull,
I'll toll the bell.
All the birds of the air
Fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll
For poor Cock Robbin.
All of a row,
Bend the bow,
Shot at a pigeon
And killed a crow.
Little Poll Parrot
Sat in his garret
Eating of toast and tea;
A little brown mouse,
Jumped into the house
And stole it all away.
A cat came fiddling out of a barn,
With a pair of bag-pipes under her arm;
She could sing nothing but, Fiddle cum fee,
The mouse has married the humble-bee.
Pipe, cat; dance, mouse;
We'll have a wedding at our good house.
Ding dong bell,
The cat is in the well,
Who put her in?
Little Johnny Green,
Who pulled her out?
Little Tommy Stout.
What a naughty boy was that,
To drown poor pussy cat,
Who never did any harm,
And killed the mice in his father's barn.
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 her chair.
Three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
That we have lost our mittens.
What! lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,
No, you shall have no pie.
The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
For we have found our mittens.
Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,
Oh, let us have some pie.
The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear
That we have soiled our mittens.
What! soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,
Then they began to sigh.
The three little kittens they washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh! mother dear, do you not hear
That we have washed our mittens?
What! washed your mittens, then you're good kittens,
But I smell a rat close by.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,
We smell a rat close by.
Hie, hie, says Anthony,
Puss in the pantry
Gnawing, gnawing
A mutton mutton-bone;
See how she tumbles it,
See how she mumbles it,
See how she tosses
The mutton mutton-bone.
A cat may look at a king,
And sure I may look at an ugly thing.
Sing, sing, what shall I sing?
The cat's run away with the pudding string!
Do, do, what shall I do?
The cat has bitten it quite in two!
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.
She shall sit by my side,
And I'll give her some food;
And pussy will love me
Because I am good.
Who's that ringing at my door bell?
A little pussy cat that isn't very well.
Rub its nose with a little mutton fat,
That's the best cure for a little pussy cat.
There once were 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.
Diddlety, diddlety, dumpty,
The cat ran up the plum tree;
Half a crown
To fetch her down,
Diddlety, diddlety, dumpty.
Pussy cat eat the dumplings, the dumplings,
Pussy cat eat the dumplings,
Mamma stood by,
And cried, Oh, fie!
Why did you eat the dumplings?
A black-nosed kitten will slumber all day,
A white-nosed kitten is ever glad to play,
A yellow-nosed kitten will answer to your call,
And a gray-nosed kitten I wouldn't have at all.
Great A, little a,
Bouncing B;
The cats in the cupboard,
And she can't see.
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits;
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?
Oh my Kitten a Kitten
And oh my Kitten my deary
Such a sweet pap is this
There is not far nor neary.
Here we go up up up,
Here we go down down down,
Here we go backwards and forwards,
And here we go roundroundround.
Pussy cat Mole 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.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, wilt thou be mine,
Thou shalt neither wash dishes nor feed the swine:
But sit on a cushion and sew a silk seam,
And eat fine strawberries, sugar and cream.
Cat on the roof; bow, wow, says Towzer;
Don't hurt Puss, for she is a mouser.
Old Mother Shuttle
Lived in a coal-scuttle
Along with her dog and her cat;
What they ate I can't tell,
But 'tis known very well
That not one of the party was fat.
Old Mother Shuttle
Scoured out her coal-scuttle,
And washed both her dog and her cat;
The cat scratched her nose,
So they came to hard blows,
And who was the gainer by that?
Poor Dog Bright
Ran off with all his might,
Because the cat was after him--
Poor Dog Bright!
Poor Cat Fright
Ran off with all her might,
Because the dog was after her--
Poor Cat Fright!
Ride away, ride away,
Johnny shall ride,
He shall have a pussy cat
Tied to one side;
He shall have a little dog
Tied to the other,
And Johnny shall ride
To see his grandmother.
Pussy sits beside the fire,
How can she be fair?
In comes the little Dog,
Pussy, are you there?
So, so, Mistress Pussy,
Pray how do you do?
Thank you, thank you, little dog,
I'm very well just now.
There was a man, and his name was Dob,
And he had a wife, and her name was Mob,
And he had a dog, and he called it Cob,
And she had a cat, called Chitterabob.
Cob, says Dob,
Chitterabob, says Mob,
Cob was Dob's dog,
Chitterabob Mob's cat.
Hoddley, poddley, puddles and fogs,
Cats are to marry poodle dogs;
Cats in blue jackets and dogs in red hats,
What will become of the mice and the rats?
There was a piper had a cow,
And he had nought 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."
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.
Snow, snow faster,
The cow's in the pasture.
Snow, snow, give over,
The cow's in clover!
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 will let down thy milk to me.
There was an old woman had three cows,
Rosy and Colin and Dun.
Rosy and Colin were sold at the fair,
And Dun broke her heart in a fit of despair,
So there was an end of her three cows,
Rosy and Colin and Dun.
When a cow tries to scratch her ear,
It means a shower is very near.
When she thumps her ribs with her tail,
Lookout for thunder, lightning, and hail.
Charley Warley had a cow,
Black and white around the brow;
Open the gate and let her go through,
Charley Warley's old cow!
Wooley Foster had a cow,
Black and white about the brow;
Open the gate and let her throgh,
Wooley Foster's old cow!
There was an old soldier of Bister,
Went walking one day with his sister;
When a cow at a poke,
Tossed her into an oak,
Before the old gentleman missed her.
A-milking, a-milking my maid,
"Cow, take care of your heels," she said;
"And you shall have some nice new hay,
If you'll quietly let me milk away."
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To fetch 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;
But when she came back
The poor dog was dead.
She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin;
But when she came back
The poor dog was laughing.
She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit;
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor's
To buy him a coat;
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat;
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig;
But when she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes;
But when she came back
He was reading the news.
She went to the seamstress
To buy him some linen;
But when she came back
The dog was a-spinning.
She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose;
But when she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsey,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, Your servant,
The dog said, Bow-wow.
Bow, wow, wow,
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog,
Bow, wow, wow.
There was a king met a king
In a narrow lane;
Said the king to the king,
Where have you been?
I have been a hunting
The buck and the doe.
Will you lend me your dog?
Yes, I will do so;
Call upon him, call upon him.
What is his name?
I have told you twice
And won't tell you again.
Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone?
Oh where, oh where can he be?
With his ears cut short and his tail cut long,
Oh where, oh where is he?
There was once a fish.
(What more could you wish?)
He lived in the sea.
(Where else would he be?)
He was caught on a line.
(Whose line if not mine?)
So I brought him to you.
(What else should I do?)
When I was a little boy,
I washed my Mother's dishes.
I put my finger in my ear
And pulled out little fishes.
My mother called me Good boy,
And bid me pull out more,
I put my finger in my ear,
And pulled out fourscore.
Fishy, fishy in the brook,
Daddy catch him on a hook,
Mommy fry him in a pan,
Johnny eat him like a man.
Terence McDiddler,
The three-stringed fiddler,
Can charm, if you please,
The fish from the seas.
When the sun's perpendicular height
Points out the depths of the sea,
And when the fishes in the water sweat,
Oh my, how hot it will be!
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 had got
Was in his mother's pail.
Put your finger in foxy's hole,
Foxy is not at home:
Foxy is at the back door,
Picking of a bone.
Old Mother Widdle Waddle jumped out of bed,
And out of the casement she popped her head:
Crying the house is on fire, the grey goose is dead,
And the fox is come to the town, oh!
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley, powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.
There was a little guinea-pig,
Who, being little, was not big,
He always walked upon his feet,
And never fasted when he eat.
When from a place he ran away,
He never at that place did stay,
And when he ran, as I am told,
He ne'er stood still for young or old.
He often squeaked and sometimes violent,
And when he squeaked he ne'er was silent;
Though ne'er instructed by a cat,
He knew a mouse was not a rat.
One day, as I am certified,
He took a whim and fairly died;
And as I'm told my men of sense,
He never has been living since.
John Cook had a little grey mare; he, haw, hum:
Her back stood up and her bones were bare; he, haw, hum.
John Cook was riding up Shuter's bank; he, haw, hum:
And there his nag did kick and prank; he, haw, hum.
John Cook was riding up Shuter's hill; he, haw, hum:
His nag fell down and she made her will; he, haw, hum.
The bridle and saddle were laid on the shelf; he, haw, hum:
If you want any more you may sing it yourself; he, haw, hum.
Bell horses, bell horses,
What time o' day?
One a clock, two a clock,
Time to away.
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 him to an old woman
For a copper groat,
And I'll not sing my song again
Without a new coat.
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.
See, see! what shall I see?
A horse's head where his tail should be.
Robert Barnes, 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,
And now, good sir, your horse is shod.
Shoe the horse and shoe the mare,
But let the little colt go bare.
I had a little pony,
His name was Dapple Gray;
I lent him to a lady
To ride a mile away.
She whipped him, she lashed him,
She rode him through the mire
I would not lend my pony now,
For all the lady's hire.
Will you lend me your mare to ride a mile?
No, she is lame leaping over a stile.
Alack! and I must go to the fair,
I'll give you good money for lending your mare.
Oh, oh! say you so?
Money will make the mare to go.
Thirty white horses
Upon a red hill,
Now they tramp,
Now they champ,
Now they stand still.
If wishes were horses
Beggars would ride;
If turnips were watches
I would wear one by my side.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of a rider the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Six little mice sat down to spin;
Pussy passed by and she peeped in.
What are you doing, my little men?
Weaving coats for gentlemen.
Shall I come in and cut off your threads?
No, no, Mistress Pussy, you'd bite off our heads.
Oh, no, I'll not; I'll help you to spin.
That may be so, but you can't come in.
Says Puss: you look so wondrous wise,
I like your whiskers and bright black eyes;
Your house is the nicest house I see,
I think there is room for you and for me.
The mice were so pleased that they opened the door,
And Pussy soon had them all dead on the floor.
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 sight in your life,
As three blind mice?
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 is a little brown mouse?
Hickory, Dickory Dock,
A mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one
The mouse fell down.
Hickory, Dickory Dock.
Barber, barber, shave a pig,
How many hairs to make a wig?
Four and twenty, that's enough,
Give the barber a pinch of snuff.
Little Betty Winckle she had a pig,
It was a little pig and not very big;
When he was alive he lived in clover,
But now he's dead, and that's all over;
Johnny Winckle, he
Sat down and cried,
Betty winkle she
Laid down and died;
So there was an end of one, two, and three,
Johnny Winckle He,
Betty Winckle She,
And Piggy Wiggie.
My learned friend and neighbor Pig,
Odds bobs and bills, and dash my wig!
'Tis said that you the weather know;
Please tell me when the wind will blow.
Granfa' Grig had a pig,
In a field of clover;
Piggie died, Granfa' cried,
And all the fun was over.
As I went to Bonner,
I met a pig
Without a wig,
Upon my word of honor.
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.
A little pig found a fifty-dollar note,
And purchased a hat and a very fine coat,
With trousers, and stockings, and shoes,
Cravat, and shirt-collar, and gold-headed cane,
Then proud as could be, did he march up the lane;
Says he, 'I shall hear all the news."
Let us go to the wood, says this little pig;
What to do there? says that pig;
To look for my mother, says this pig;
What to do with her? says that pig;
Kiss her to death, says this pig.
This pig went to the barn.
This eat all the corn.
This said he would tell.
This said he wasn't well.
This went week, week, week, over the door sill.
Whose little pigs are these, these, these?
Whose little pigs are these?
They are Roger the Cook's, I know by their looks;
I found them among my peas.
Go pound them, go pound them.
I dare not on my life,
For though I love not Roger the Cook,
I dearly love his wife.
This little pig went to market,
This little pig stayed home,
This little pig had roast beef,
This little pig had none,
And this little pig cried, Wee-wee-wee
All the way home.
One, two, three,
Four and five,
I caught a hare alive;
Six, seven, eight,
Nine and ten,
I let him go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
The little finger on the right.
Jerry Hall
He is so small,
A rat could eat him,
Hat and all.
There was a rat, for want of stairs,
Went down a rope to say his prayers.
Get ready your money and come to me,
I sell a young lamb for one penny.
Young lambs to sell! Young lambs to sell!
I never would cry young lambs to sell,
If I'd as much money as I could tell,
I never would cry young lambs to sell.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,
That was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb in school.
And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear.
Why does the lamb love mary so?
The eager children cry;
Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,
The teacher did reply.
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them:
Let them alone, and they'll come home,
And bring their tails behind them.
Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamed she heard them bleating:
But when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For they were still all fleeting.
Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they'd left all their tails behind 'em.
It happened one day, as Bo-peep did stray,
Into a meadow hard by;
That 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 hills went stump-o,
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
To tack each again to its rump-o.
Bah, Bah a black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes merry have I,
Three bags full.
One for my master,
One for my dame,
One for my little boy
That lives in the lane.
Dear Sensibility, O la!
I heard a little lamb cry, baa!
Says I, "So you have lost Mamma?"
"Ah!"
The little lamb, as I said so,
Frisking about the fields did go,
And, frisking, trod upon my toe.
"Oh!"
If the evening's red and the morning gray,
It is the sign of a bonny day;
If the evening's gray and the morning red,
The lamb and the ewe will go wet to bed.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy dams.
As I was going to Derby,
Upon a market day,
I met the finest ram, sir,
That ever was fed on hay.
And if you think this is not so,
For maybe you'll think I lie,
Oh you go down to Derby town
And you'll see the same as I.
This ram was fat behind, sir,
This ram was fat before,
This ram was ten yards high, sir,
Indeed he was no more.
The wool upon his back, sir,
Reached up into the sky,
The eagles built their nest there,
For I heard young ones cry.
The wool on this ram's belly, sir,
It grew down in the ground,
The Devil cut it off, sir,
To make himself a gown.
The horns upon this ram, sir,
They reached up to the moon,
A man went up them in January
And didn't come down till June.
The space between the horns, sir,
Was as far as a man could reach,
And there they built a pulpit,
But no-one in it preached.
This ram had four legs to walk upon,
This ram had four legs to stand,
And every leg he had, sir,
Stood on an acre of land.
And one this ram's teeth, sir,
Was hollow as a horn,
And when they took its measure, sir,
It held a bushel of corn.
Now the man that fed this ram, sir,
He fed him twice a day,
And each time that he fed him, sir,
He ate a rick of hay.
The man that killed this ram, sir,
Was up to his knees in blood,
And the boy that held the pail, sir,
Was carried away in the flood.
The blood it ran for forty miles,
I'm sure it was not more,
It turned the water wheels so fast
It made the mill-stones roar.
The little boys of Derby, sir,
They came to beg his eyes,
To roll around the streets, sir,
They being of football's size,
The wool upon his tail, sir,
Was very fine and thin,
Took all the girls in Derby town
Full seven years to spin.
Indeed, sir, it's the truth, sir,
For I never was taught to lie,
And if you go to Derby, sir,
You may eat a bit of the pie.
When the morning sun is red,
The ewe and the lamb go wet to bed.
The little black dog ran round the house,
And set the bull a roaring,
And drove the monkey in the boat,
Who set the oars a rowing,
And scared the cock upon the rock,
Who cracked his throat with crowing.
Hogs in the garden, catch 'em, Towser;
Cows in the cornfield, run, boys, run!
Cats in the creampot, run, girls, run;
Fire on the mountains, run, boys, run!
I'll sing you a song:
The days are long,
The woodcock and the sparrow:
The little dog he has burnt his tail,
And he must be hanged tomorrow.
Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,
The cow's in the meadow, the sheep in the corn:
But where is the little boy tending the sheep?
He's under the hay-cock fast asleep.
Will you wake him? No, not I,
For if I do, he's sure to cry.
Higglety, pigglety, pop!
The dog has eaten the mop;
The pig's in a hurry,
The cat's in a flurry,
Higglety, pigglety, pop!
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.
He went to catch a dickey-bird
And thought he could not fail,
Because he had a little salt,
To put upon his tail.
He went to ride a spotted cow,
That had got a spotted calf,
She threw him on the ground,
Which made the people laugh.
Then Simple Simon went a-hunting,
For to catch a hare,
He rode a goat about the street,
But he could not find one there.
He went to take a bird's nest,
Was built upon a bough;
A branch gave way, and Simon fell,
Into a dirty slough.
He went to shoot a wild duck,
But the wild duck flew away;
Says Simon, "I can't hit him,
Because he will not stay."
Once Simon made a great snowball,
And brought it in to roast,
He laid it before the fire,
And soon the ball was lost.
He went to slide upon the ice,
Before the ice would bear;
Then he plunged in above his knees,
Which made poor Simon stare.
He washed himself with a blackening-ball,
Because he had no soap;
Then, then, said to his mother,
"I'm a beauty now, I hope!"
He went for water in a sieve,
But soon it all ran through;
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.
Three young rats with black felt hats,
Three young ducks with white straw flats,
Three young dogs with curling tails,
Three young cats with demi-veils,
Went out to walk with two young pigs
In satin vests and sorrel wigs.
But suddenly it chanced to rain
And so they all went home again.
Down with the lambs,
Up with the lark,
Run to bed children
Before it gets dark.
When the cuckoo comes to the bare thorn,
Sell your cow and buy your corn,
But when she comes to the full bit,
Sell your corn and buy your sheep.
Richard Dick upon a stick,
Samson on a sow,
We'll ride away to Colley Fair
To buy a horse to plough.
High diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such craft,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
The calf, the goose, the bee,
The world is ruled by these three.
Fishes swim in water clear,
Birds fly up into the air,
Serpents creep along the ground,
Boys and girls run round and round.
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