Tiddle-de-dumpty, tiddle-de-dee--
The spider courted the frisky flea;
Tiddle-de-dumpty, tiddle-de-doo--
The flea ran off with the bugaboo!
"Oh, tiddle-de-dee!"
Said the frisky flea--
For what cared she
For the miseree
The spider knew,
When, tiddle-de-doo,
The flea ran off with the bugaboo!
Rumpty-tumpty, pimplety-pan--
The flubdub courted a catamaran
But timplety-topplety, timpity-tare--
The flubdub wedded the big blue bear!
The fun began
With a pimplety-pan
When the catamaran,
Tore up a man
And streaked the air
With his gore and hair
Because the flubdub wedded the bear!
"I remember with what dignity the fairy queen used to reprove the flea
for his inane levity:
Nay, futile flea; these verses you are making
Disturb the child--for, see, he is awaking!
Come, little cricket, sing your quaintest numbers,
And they, perchance, shall lull him back to slumbers.
"Upon this invitation the cricket, who is justly one of the most famous
songsters in the world, would get his pretty voice in tune and sing as
follows: