"Thank you, kind sir, I hear you very clearly."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THERE was an old woman toss'd up in a basket Nineteen times as high as the moon; Where she was going I couldn't but ask it, For in her hand she carried a broom.

"Old woman, old woman, old woman," quoth I, "O whither, O whither, O whither, so high?"

"To brush the cobwebs off the sky!"

"Shall I go with thee?" "Ay, by-and-by."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

A LITTLE old man and I fell out; "How shall we bring this matter about?"

"Bring it about as well as you can; Get you gone, you little old man!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

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!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THERE was an old woman Lived under a hill; She put a mouse in a bag, And sent it to mill.

The miller declar'd By the point of his knife, He never took toll Of a mouse in his life.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SHE HAD SO MANY CHILDREN SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO]

THERE was an old woman had three sons, Jerry, and James, and John: Jerry was hung, James was drowned, John was lost and never was found, And there was an end of the three sons, Jerry, and James, and John!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

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."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THERE was an old woman of Norwich, Who lived upon nothing but porridge; Parading the town, She turned cloak into gown, This thrifty old woman of Norwich.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THERE was an old woman called Nothing-at-all, Who rejoiced in a dwelling exceedingly small; A man stretched his mouth to its utmost extent, And down at one gulp house and old woman went.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

OLD Betty Blue Lost a holiday shoe, What can old Betty do?

Give her another To match the other, And then she may swagger in two.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

OLD Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard To get 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 joiner's To buy him a coffin, But when she came back The poor dog was laughing.

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

She went to the fishmonger's To buy him some fish, And when she came back He was licking the dish.

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

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

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 fruiterer's To buy him some fruit, But when she came back He was playing the flute.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He was dancing a jig]

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 cobbler's To buy him some shoes, But when she came back He was reading the news.

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

She went to the hosier's To buy him some hose, But 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."

[Ill.u.s.tration: GAMES]

[Ill.u.s.tration: There were three jovial Welshmen]

THERE were three jovial Welshmen, As I have heard them say, And they would go a-hunting Upon St. David's day.

All the day they hunted, And nothing could they find But a ship a-sailing, A-sailing with the wind.