I had a penny,
A bright new penny,
I took my penny
To the market square.
I wanted a rabbit,
A little brown rabbit,
And I looked for a rabbit
’Most everywhere.
For I went to the stall where they sold sweet lavender
(“_Only a penny for a bunch of lavender!_”).
“Have you got a rabbit, ’cos I don’t want lavender?”
But they hadn’t got a rabbit, not anywhere there.
[Illustration: Boy looking at fishmonger’s stall]
I had a penny,
And I had another penny,
I took my pennies
To the market square.
I did want a rabbit,
A little baby rabbit,
And I looked for rabbits
’Most everywhere.
And I went to the stall where they sold fresh mackerel
(“_Now then! Tuppence for a fresh-caught mackerel!_”)
“Have you got a rabbit, ’cos I don’t like mackerel?”
But they hadn’t got a rabbit, not anywhere there.
[Illustration: Boy beside saucepan stall]
I found a sixpence,
A little white sixpence.
I took it in my hand
To the market square.
I was buying my rabbit
(I do like rabbits),
And I looked for my rabbit
’Most everywhere.
So I went to the stall where they sold fine saucepans
(“_Walk up, walk up, sixpence for a saucepan!_”).
“Could I have a rabbit, ’cos we’ve got two saucepans?”
But they hadn’t got a rabbit, not anywhere there.
[Illustration: Boy watching rabbits]
I had nuffin’,
No, I hadn’t got nuffin’,
So I didn’t go down
To the market square;
But I walked on the common,
The old-gold common . . .
_And I saw little rabbits
’Most everywhere!_
So I’m sorry for the people who sell fine saucepans,
I’m sorry for the people who sell fresh mackerel,
I’m sorry for the people who sell sweet lavender,
’Cos they haven’t got a rabbit, not anywhere there!
[Illustration: Daffodils]