How could there be a cherry without any stones?
Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie,
Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.
How could there be a book which no man could read?
How could there be a blanket without a thread?
Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie,
Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.
When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones,
When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie,
Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.
When the book's in ye press no man it can read;
When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie,
Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.
Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on Wednesday, receive a letter;
Sneeze on Thursday, something better;
Sneeze on Friday, expect sorrow;
Sneeze on Saturday, joy to-morrow.
It costs little Gossip her income for shoes,
To travel about and carry the news.
[Illustration]
Here's Sulky Sue,
What shall we do?
Turn her face to the wall
Till she comes to.
Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot nine days old.
Spell me _that_ with a P
And a clever scholar you will be.
Three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh! mammy dear,
We sadly fear,
Our mittens we have lost!"
"What! lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens,
Then you shall have no pie."
Miew, miew, miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew.
The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry.
"Oh! mammy dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found."
"What! found your mittens,
You little kittens,
Then you shall have some pie."
Purr, purr, purr, purr,
Purr, purr, purr, purr.
The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
"Oh! mammy dear,
We greatly fear,
Our mittens we have soil'd."
"What! soil'd your mittens,
You naughty kittens!"
Then they began to sigh,
Miew, miew, miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew.
The three little kittens they washed their mittens,
And hung them up to dry;
"Oh! mammy dear,
Look here, look here,
Our mittens we have wash'd."
"What! wash'd your mittens,
You darling kittens!
But I smell a rat close by!
Hush! hush!" Miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew.
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
She thought he was dead.
She went to the joiner's
To buy him a coffin,
But when she came back
The sly 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 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
He 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 a 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 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.
[Illustration]
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!"
This wonderful Dog
Was Dame Hubbard's delight;
He could sing, he could dance,
He could read, he could write.
She gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected a monument
When he was dead.
Peter White
Will ne'er go right.
Would you know the reason why?
He follows his nose,
Wherever he goes,
And that stands all awry.
A, B, C, tumble down D,
The cat's in the cupboard, and can't see me.
A was an Archer, and shot at a frog,
B was a Butcher, and had a great dog.
C was a Captain, all covered with lace,
D was a Dunce, with a very sad face.
E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow,
F was a Farmer, and followed the plough.
G was a Gamester, who had but ill-luck,
H was a hunter, and hunted a buck.
I was an Innkeeper, who lov'd to bouse,
J was a Joiner, and built up a house.
K was a King, so mighty and grand,
L was a Lady, who had a white hand.
M was a Miser, who hoarded up his gold,
N was a Nobleman, gallant and bold.
O was an Oysterman, and went about town,
P was a Parson, and wore a black gown.
Q was a Quack, with a wonderful pill,
R was a Robber, who wanted to kill.
S was a Sailor, and spent all he got,
T was a Tinker, and mended a pot.
U was a Usurer, a miserable elf,
V was a Vintner, who drank all himself.
W was a Watchman, and guarded the door,
X was expensive, and so became poor.
Y was a Youth, that did not love school,
Z was a Zan, a poor harmless fool.
[Illustration]
Needles and pins, needles and pins,
When a man marries, his trouble begins.
It's raining, it's pouring,
The old man is snoring.
Doctor Foster went to Gloster,
In a shower of rain.
He stepped in a puddle,
Up to the middle,
And never went there again.
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the Sparrow,
With my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin.
Who saw him die?
I, said the Fly,
With my little eye,
I saw him die.
Who caught his blood?
I, said the Fish,
With my little dish,
I caught his blood.
[Illustration]
Who'll make his shroud?
I, said the Beetle,
With my thread and needle,
I'll make his shroud.
Who'll dig his grave?
I, said the Owl,
With my spade and show'l,
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 him to the grave?
I, said the Kite,
If it's not in the night,
I'll carry him to the grave.
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,
For I mourn for my love,
I'll be chief mourner.
Who'll sing a psalm?
I, said the Trush,
As she sat in a bush,
I'll sing a psalm.
Who'll toll the bell?
I, said the Bull,
Because I can pull;
So, Cock Robin, farewell.
_All the birds of the air
Fell a-sighing and sobbin',
When they heard the bell toll
For Poor Cock Robin._
Upon my word and honor,
As I went to Bonner
I met a pig,
Without a wig,
Upon my word and honor.
Little King Boggen he built a fine hall,
Pie-crust and pastry-crust, that was the wall,
The windows were made of black puddings and white,
And slated with pancakes,--you ne'er saw the like.
To market, to market, a gallop, a trot,
To buy some meat to put in the pot;
Five cents a quarter, ten cents a side,
If it hadn't been killed, it must have died.
A diller, a dollar,
A ten o'clock scholar,
What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
But now you come at noon.
Yankee Doodle went to town
Upon a little pony;
He stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it Macaroni.
The lion and the unicorn
Were fighting for the crown;
The lion beat the unicorn
All round about the town.
Some gave them white bread,
And some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum-cake,
And sent them out of town.
Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
And he called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
"Tweedle dee, tweedle dee," said the fiddlers:
"Oh, there's none so rare as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three."
Rowley Powley, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the girls come out to play
Rowley Powley runs away.
[Illustration]
=F= for a fig,
=I= for a jig, and
=N= for knuckle-bones,
=I= for John the waterman, and
=S= for sack of stones.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Page vi, "porgey" changed to "Porgey" (Georgey Porgey, pudding)
Page vi, "Dickory Sackory" changed to "Dickory, sackory" (Dickory,
sackory down)
Page x, "Riddle me, riddle me, ree" changed to "Riddle-me, riddle-me,
riddle-me-ree".
Page xi, "sacradown, sacradown" changed to "sacaradown, sacaradown".
Page 35, "pickleem" changed to "pickeleem" ("Pickeleem, pickeleem)
Page 49, "fed" changed to "feed" (nor yet feed)
Page 68, end quote added to (Mary so," the eager)
Page 76, final two letters added to "wedding" (when your wedding)
Page 195, final period added to the line "Is never long dry."
Page 165, "cubboard" changed to "cupboard" (cat's in the cupboard)
Page 184, opening quote added to ("That Froggy and I)
One instance each of treetop, tree top and tree-top were retained.
Varied capitalization on the riddle answers was retained.