Harry's Ladder to Learning Part 7

Wife, wife! bring me brandy in a spoon; Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do, For our old sow has fall'n down in a swoon, Sing heigh ho! the carrion crow, Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do.

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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 drown'd.

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.

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Old Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard, To give her poor dog a bone; But when she came there The cupboard was bare, And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's To buy him some bread, And when she came back Poor doggy was dead.

She went to the joiner's To buy him a coffin, And when she came back The dog was a-laughing.

She took a clean dish To get him some tripe, And when she came back He was smoking his pipe.

She went to the ale-house To get him some beer, And when she came back Doggy sat in a chair.

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She went to the tavern For white wine and red, And when she came back The dog stood on his head.

She went to the hatter's To buy him a hat, And when she came back He was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's To buy him a wig, And when she came back He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer's To buy him some fruit, And when she came back He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's To buy him a coat, And when she came back He was riding a goat.

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She went to the cobbler's To buy him some shoes, And when she came back He was reading the news.

She went to the sempstress To buy him some linen, And when she came back The dog was a-spinning.

She went to the hosier's To buy him some hose, And when she came back He was dress'd in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsey, The dog made a bow; The dame said, "Your servant,"

The dog said, "Bow, wow!"

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."

Simple Simon went to town To get a piece of meat; He would not buy a calf's head, Because it had no feet.

Simple Simon went a-fis.h.i.+ng, For to catch a whale: All the water he had got Was in his mother's pail.

Simple Simon went to look If plums grew on a thistle He p.r.i.c.ked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon whistle.

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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, And was not that a dainty dish to set before the king?

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The king was in the parlour, counting out his money;

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The queen was in the pantry, eating bread and honey The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes; There came a little blackbird and peck'd off her nose.

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There was an old woman, as I've heard tell, She went to the market her eggs for to sell, She went to the market, all on a market day, And she fell asleep on the king's highway.

There came a little pedler, his name it was Stout, He cut off her petticoats all round about; He cut off her petticoats up to her knees, Until her poor knees began for to freeze.

When the little old woman began to awake, She began to s.h.i.+ver, and she began to shake; Her knees began to freeze, and she began to cry, "Oh lawk! oh mercy on me! this surely can't be I.

If it be not I, as I suppose it be, I have a little dog at home, and he knows me; If it be I, he will wag his little tail, But if it be not I, he'll bark and he'll rail."

Up jump'd the little woman, all in the dark, Up jump'd the little dog, and he began to bark; The dog began to bark, and she began to cry, "Oh lawk! oh mercy on me! I see it is not I."

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