it’s funny how adult sensibility was taught to children as rhymes. the melody of these verses really mask the true depth of what was recited. what would kids today think of these verses…
*****
I love
sixpence, jolly, jolly, sixpence,
I love sixpence as my life.
I spent a penny of it, I spent a penny of it,
I took a penny home to my wife.
I love fourpence, jolly, jolly fourpence,
I love fourpence as my life.
I spent twopence of it,I spent twopence of it,
I took twopence home to my wife.
I have nothing, jolly, jolly nothing
I love nothing as my life.
I spent nothing of it, I spent nothing of it,
I took nothing home to my wife.
…
Little Polly
Flinders
Sat among the cinders,
Warming her pretty little toes.
Mother came and caught her,
And whipped her little daughter
For spoiling her nice new clothes.
…
Some little
mice
Sat in a barn to spin;
Pussy came by
And popped her head in;
"Shall I come in
And cut your threads off?"
"Oh, no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off!".
…
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 home;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a marrow bone.
I went to Taffy’s house,
Taffy was not in;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a silver pin.
I went to Taffy’s house,
Taffy was in bed;
I took up a poker
And threw it at his head
…
The Barber
shaved the Mason,
As I suppose
Cut off his nose,
And popped it in a basin.
…
There was an
old woman
Called Nothing-at-all,
Who lived in a dwelling
Exceedingly small;
A man stretched his mouth
To its utmost extent,
And down at one gulp
House and old woman went
…
There was an
old woman
Tossed up in a basket
Seventeen times as high as the moon.
Where she was going
I just had to ask it,
For in her hand she carried a broom.
"Old woman, old woman,
Old woman," said I,
"Please tell me, please tell me,
Why you’re up so high?"
"I’m sweeping the cobwebs
Down from the sky,
And I’ll be with you
By and by."
…
Three children
sliding on the ice,
Upon a summer’s day;
It so 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 eke you that have none,
If you would have them safe abroad,
Pray keep them safe at home
…
Goosey Goosey Gander where shall I wander,
Upstairs, downstairs and in my lady’s chamber
There I met an old man who wouldn’t say his prayers,
I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs.
…
Hush a bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
…
Ladybug ladybug fly away home,
Your house in on fire and your children are gone,
All except one and that’s little Ann,
For she crept under the frying pan.
…
Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.
…
"Oranges and lemons" say the Bells of St. Clement’s
"You owe me five farthings" say the Bells of St.
Martin’s
"When will you pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch
"When will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney
"I do not know" say the Great Bells of Bow
"Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
Chip chop chip chop – the Last Man’s Dead."
…
"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.
…
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 – Perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat;
Fancy that to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the 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 – Perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog;
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the 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 – Perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don’t know how she swallowed a cow;
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the 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 – Perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse…
She’s dead, of course!
…
There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.
And they all lived together in a little crooked house
…
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.
http://www.rhymes.org
…
There once were two cats of Kilkenny,
Each thought there was one cat too many,
So they fought and they fit,
And they scratched and they bit,
Till, excepting their nails
And the tips of their tails,
Insteads of two cats, there weren’t any.
http://www.mamalisa.com/house/kilkenny.html
…
It’s raining, it’s pouring,
the old man is snoring,
he bumped his head and went to bed
and never woke up in the morning.
www.akpcep.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3675
…
Mary Ann Cotton
She’s dead and she’s rotten.
She lies in her bed
With her eyes wide oppen.
There once was a man named Ed
Who wouldn’t take a woman to bed.
When he wanted to diddle,
He cut out the middle,
And hung the rest in a shed.
…
Da Vixta is a funny ‘un
her head is a pickled onion
her nose is a squashed tomato
and her legs are two pegs
…
tell tale tit
tongue cut a slit
and every little dickie bird
shall have a little bit
…
"Don’t you ever laugh as a hearse goes by,
for you may be the next to die.
They wrap you up in a big white sheet,
And cover you up from your head down to your feet.
They put you in a big black box,
And cover you up with dirt and rocks.
All goes well for about a week,
And then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle* on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.
A big green worm with rolling eyes,
Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And pus pours out like whipping cream.
You spread it out on a slice of bread,
And that’s what you eat when you are dead."
…
"Mamma had scarcely turn’d her back,
The thumb was in, alack! alack!
The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legged scissorman.
Oh! children, see! the tailor’s come
And caught our little Suck-a-Thumb.
Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go;
And Conrad cries out – Oh! Oh! Oh!
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;
That both his thumbs are off at last.
Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;-
"Ah!" said Mamma "I knew he’d come
To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb."
…
ring a ring a roses
a pocket full of posies
atishoo atishoo
we all fall down
ashes in the water
ashes in the sea
atishoo atishoo
we all rise again
…
Her skin of silk, her eyes acharm,
Her voice of glass, her flaming hair.
I sense her lust, she means me harm,
My heart is hers, I do not care.
Sing, sing, in love I sigh
Without her touch, I’ll surely die.
Weep, weep, my death is nigh,
And by her lips I die.
My heart is ice, my tongue is stone,
My blood runs cold, my spirit fled.
Dead fields of joy where salt is sown,
My love has gone and left me dead.
http://www.blueblood.net/boards/showthread.php?t=174
…
hehehe.
most of them don’t really sound morbid. but if you know the story behind the rhyme…
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