The Nursery Rhyme Book Read online

  The less he spoke the more he heard.

  Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?

  Old King Cole

  Old King Cole

  Was a merry old soul,

  And a merry old soul was he;

  He called for his pipe,

  And he called for his bowl,

  And he called for his fiddlers three.

  Every fiddler, he had a fiddle,

  And a very fine fiddle had he;

  Oh, there’s none so rare

  As can compare

  With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

  The Queen Of Hearts

  The Queen of Hearts

  She made some tarts,

  All on a summer’s day;

  The Knave of Hearts

  He stole the tarts,

  And took them clean away.

  The King of Hearts

  Called for the tarts,

  And beat the Knave full sore;

  The Knave of Hearts

  Brought back the tarts

  And vowed he’d steal no more.

  As I was Going To St. Ives

  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 there going to St. Ives?

  Pease Pudding Hot

  Pease pudding hot,

  Pease pudding cold,

  Pease pudding in the pot

  Nine days old.

  Some like it hot,

  Some like it cold,

  Some like it in the pot

  Nine days old.

  Sing A Song Of Sixpence

  Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye;

  Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.

  When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing;

  Oh, wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the king?

  The king was in his counting-house, counting out his money;

  The queen was in the parlour, eating bread and honey.

  The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes,

  When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose.

  What Are Little Boys Made Of?

  What are little boys made of?

  Frogs and snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails,

  That’s what little boys are made of!

  What are little girls made of?

  Sugar and spice and all things nice,

  That’s what little girls are made of!

  Incy Wincy Spider

  Incy Wincy spider climbed up the water spout;

  Down came the rain and washed the spider out.

  Out came the sun and dried up all the rain;

  Now Incy Wincy spider went up the spout again!

  Who Killed Cock Robin?

  ‘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.’

  ‘Who’ll make the shroud?’ ‘I,’ said the Beetle,

  ‘With my thread and needle, I’ll make the 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 Robin.

  Little Polly Flinders

  Little Polly Flinders

  Sat among the cinders,

  Warming her pretty little toes.

  Her mother came and caught her,

  And whipped her little daughter

  For spoiling her nice new clothes.

  Hickory, Dickory, Dock

  Hickory, dickory, dock,

  The mouse ran up the clock.

  The clock struck one,

  The mouse ran down,

  Hickory, dickory, dock.

  See-saw Margery Daw

  See-saw, Margery Daw,

  Johnny shall have a new master.

  He shall earn but a penny a day,

  Because he can’t work any faster.

  Star Light, Star Bright

  Star light, star bright,

  First star I see tonight,

  I wish I may, I wish I might,

  Have the wish I wish tonight.

  The Owl And The Pussy-Cat

  The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea

  In a beautiful pea-green boat.

  They took some honey, and plenty of money,

  Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

  The Owl looked up to the stars above,

  And sang to a small guitar,

  ‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

  What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,

  What a beautiful Pussy you are.’

  Pussy said to the Owl,

  ‘You elegant fowl,

  How charmingly sweet you sing.

  O let us be married, too long we have tarried;

  But what shall we do for a ring?’

  They sailed away, for a year and a day,

  To the land where the Bong-tree grows,

  And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

  With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,

  With a ring at the end of his nose.

  ‘Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?’

  Said the Piggy, ‘I will.’

  So they took it away, and were married next day

  By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

  They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

  Which they ate with a runcible spoon.

  And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

  They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,

  They danced by the light of the moon.

  Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

  Here we go round the mulberry bush,

  The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.

  Here we go round the mulberry bush,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we wash our clothes,

  Wash our clothes, wash our clothes.

  This is the way we wash our clothes,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we iron our clothes,

  Iron our clothes, iron our clothes.

  This is the way we iron our clothes,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we scrub the floor,

  Scrub the floor, scrub the floor.

  This is the way we scrub the floor,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we mend our clothes,

/>   Mend our clothes, mend our clothes.

  This is the way we mend our clothes,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we sweep the house,

  Sweep the house, sweep the house.

  This is the way we sweep the house,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we bake our bread,

  Bake our bread, bake our bread.

  This is the way we bake our bread,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  This is the way we go to church,

  Go to church, go to church.

  This is the way we go to church,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  Here we go round the mulberry bush,

  The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.

  Here we go round the mulberry bush,

  On a cold and frosty morning.

  I Had A Little Nut Tree

  I had a little nut tree,

  Nothing would it bear

  But a silver nutmeg

  And a golden pear.

  The King of Spain’s daughter

  Came to visit me,

  And all for the sake

  Of my little nut tree.

  I skipped over water,

  I danced over sea,

  And all the birds in the air

  Couldn’t catch me.

  Christmas Is Coming

  Christmas is coming,

  The geese are getting fat.

  Please to put a penny

  In the old man’s hat.

  If you haven’t got a penny,

  A ha’penny will do;

  If you haven’t got a ha’penny,

  Then God bless you!

  Sleep, Baby, Sleep

  Sleep, baby, sleep,

  Thy papa guards the sheep;

  Thy mama shakes the dreamland tree

  And from it fall sweet dreams for thee,

  Sleep, baby, sleep.

  Sleep, baby, sleep,

  Our cottage vale is deep;

  The little lamb is on the green,

  With woolly fleece so soft and clean,

  Sleep, baby, sleep.

  Sleep, baby, sleep,

  Down where the woodbines creep;

  Be always like the lamb so mild,

  A kind and sweet and gentle child,

  Sleep, baby, sleep.

  Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

  Baa, baa, black sheep,

  Have you any wool?

  Yes, sir, yes, sir,

  Three bags full!

  One for the master,

  One for the dame,

  And one for the little boy

  Who lives down the lane.

  Mary Had A Little Lamb

  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 at 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.

  Georgie Porgie

  Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,

  Kissed the girls and made them cry.

  When the boys came out to play,

  Georgie Porgie ran away.

  Come, Follow

  Come, follow, follow, follow,

  Follow, follow, follow me!

  Whither shall I follow, follow, follow,

  Whither shall I follow, follow thee?

  To the greenwood, to the greenwood,

  To the greenwood, greenwood tree.

  Jack Be Nimble

  Jack be nimble,

  Jack be quick.

  Jack jump over

  The candlestick.

  The North Wind Doth Blow

  The north wind doth blow,

  And we shall have snow,

  And what will poor robin do then?

  Poor thing.

  He’ll sit in a barn,

  And keep himself warm,

  And hide his head under his wing,

  Poor thing.

  Ride A Cock-Horse

  Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,

  To see a fine lady upon a white horse.

  With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,

  She shall have music wherever she goes.

  To Market, To Market

  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.

  There Was An Old Woman

  There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,

  She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.

  So she gave them some broth without any bread,

  And she whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed!

  The Lion And The Unicorn

  The lion and the unicorn

  Were fighting for the crown;

  The lion beat the unicorn

  All around the town.

  Some gave them white bread,

  And some gave them brown;

  Some gave them plum cake

  And drummed them out of town.

  Carrion Crow

  A carrion crow sat on an oak,

  Watching a tailor shape his cloak.

  Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

  Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

  The carrion crow began to rave,

  And called the tailor a crooked knave.

  Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

  Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

  Wife, bring me my old bent bow,

  That I may shoot yon carrion crow.

  Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

  Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

  The tailor shot and missed his mark,

  And shot his own sow through the heart.

  Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

  Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

  Wife, bring brandy in a spoon,

  For our poor sow is in a swoon.

  Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,

  Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

  Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling

  Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,

  Went to bed with his trousers on;

  One shoe off, and one shoe on,

  Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John!

  Three Children Sliding

  Three children sliding on the ice,

  Upon a summer’s day;

  As it fell out, they all fell in,

  The rest they ran away.

  Now had these children been at home,

  Or sliding on dry ground,

  Ten thousand pounds to one penny

  They had not all been drowned.

  You parents that have children dear,

  And you that have got none,

  If you would have them safe abroad,

  Pray keep them safe at home.

  Two Little Dicky Birds

  Two little dicky birds,

  Sitting on a wall;

  One named Peter,

  One named Paul.

  Fly away, Peter!

  Fly away, Paul!

  Come back, Peter!

  Come back, Paul!

  When The Snow Is On The Ground

  The little robin grieves

  When the snow is on the ground,

  For the trees have no leaves,

  And no berries can be found.

  The air is cold, the worms are hi
d;

  For robin here what can be done?

  Let’s strow around some crumbs of bread,

  And then he’ll live till snow is gone.

  Ding, Dong, Bell

  Ding, dong , bell,

  Pussy’s in the well.

  Who put her in?

  Little Johnny Flynn.

  Who pulled her out?

  Little Tommy Stout.

  What a naughty boy was that

  To try to drown poor pussy cat,

  Who never did him any harm,

  But killed all the mice in his father’s barn.

  Jenny Wren

  As little Jenny Wren

  Was sitting by her shed.

  She waggled with her tail,

  And nodded with her head.

  She waggled with her tail,

  And nodded with her head,

  As little Jenny Wren

  Was sitting by the shed.

  There Was An Old Lady

  There was an old lady who swallowed a fly;

  I don’t know why she swallowed a fly –

  perhaps she’ll die!

  There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,

  That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her.

  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;

  I don’t know why she swallowed a fly –

  perhaps she’ll die!

  There was an old lady who swallowed a bird;

  How absurd to swallow a bird.

  She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,

  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;

  I don’t know why she swallowed a fly –