Young Canada's Nursery Rhymes

 
 
 
Ba-a, Ba-a, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full:
One for my master, one for my dame,
And one for the little boy that lives in our lane.
 
 
As I was going up Pippen Hill,
Pippen Hill was dirty,
There I met a pretty miss,
And she dropped me a curtsey.
Little mis, pretty miss,
Blessings shine upon you!
If I had half a crown a day,
I'd spend it all upon you.
 
 
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see what Tommy can buy;
A penny white loaf, a penny white cake,
And a twopenny apple pie.
 
 
See, saw, Margery Daw,
Jenny shall have a new master;
She shall have but a penny a day,
Because she can't work any faster.
 
 
When I was a batchelor, I lived by myself,
And all the meat I got, I put upon the shelf;
The rats and the mice did lead me such a life,
That I went to London to get myself a wife,
The streets were so broad and the lanes were so narrow,
I could not get my wife home without a wheelbarrow;
The wheelbarrow broke, my wife got a fall,
Down tumbled wheelbarrow, little wife and all.
 
 
I had a little pony,
His name was Dapple-gray,
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away.
She whipped him, she slashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.
 
 
Come, let's to bed,
Says Sleepy Head,
Tary a while,
Says Slow'
Put on the pan,
Says Greedy Nan,
Let's sup before we go.
 
 
Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the Pieman,
"Let me taste your ware."
Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
"Show me first your penny."
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Indeed, I have not any."
 
 
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
My dame has lost her shoe;
My master's lost his fiddling stick,
And don't know what to do.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
What is my dame to do?
Till master finds his fiddling stick,
She'll dance without her shoe.
 
 
Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree,
Up went Pussy-cat, and down went he;
Down came Pussy-cat, and away Robin ran;
Says little Robin Redbreast, "Catch me if you can."
Little Robin Redbreast flew upon a wall,
Pussy-cat jumped after him, and almost got a fall;
Little Robin chirp'd and sang, and what did Pussy say?
Pussy-cat said "Mew," and Robin flew away.
 
 
A little cock-sparrow sat on a tree,
Looking as happy as happy could be,
Till a boy came by, with his bow and arrow,
Says he, I will shoot the little cock-sparrow.
His body will make me a nice stew,
And his giblets will make me a little pie, too.
Says the little cock-sparrow, I'll be shot if I stay,
So he clapped his wings and then flew away.
 
 
Cuckoo, cherry tree,
Catch a bird, and give it me.
Let the tree be high or low,
Let it hail, rain, or snow.
 
 
There was a little man, and he had a little gun,
And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead;
He shot Johnny Sprig through the middle of his wig,
And knocked it right off his head, head, head.
 
 
Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;
Pat it and prick it and mark it with T,
And put in the oven for Tommy and me.
 
 
Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief;
Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef;
I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not at home;
Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow bone.
 
 
In the merry month of May
When green leaves begin to spring,
Little lambs do skip like fairies,
Birds do couple, build, and sing.
 
 
(An Egg)
In marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with a skin as soft as silk,
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear,
No doors there are to this stronghold,