Rhymes Old and New Part 9

Is she sleeping, or waking, or what is she at?"

"I am not asleep, I am quite wide awake, Perhaps you would know what I'm going to make; I'm melting some b.u.t.ter, and warming some beer, Will it please you sit down and partake of my cheer?"

Three cats sat at the fireside, With a basketful of coal dust, Coal dust! coal dust!

With a basketful of coal dust.

Said one little cat, To the other little cat, "If you don't speak, I must; I must, If you don't speak, I must."

Here is puss in the study; how cunning she looks!

She likes rats and mice far better than books.

Ah! that poor little mouse, it is out of its pain, And will never feel p.u.s.s.y's sharp talons again.

I hope it has not left some young ones at home, Who with hunger may die ere their mother shall come.

And yet 'twould be wrong to say puss is not good, For the rats and the mice, you know, serve her for food; And though we may pity the poor little mice, Yet we don't like to lose our cheese, b.u.t.ter, and rice.

THE COW

Most parts of the cow are useful and good, For leather, for lanthorns, for candles, or food; And before she is dead, we owe much to the cow, Her uses are great--let us think of them now.

Every morning and evening how quiet she stands When the farmer's boy comes, stool and pail in his hands; And when he returns with the milk fresh and sweet, To most little children it proves a great treat.

Mama likes the cream to put into the tea, And to make us nice puddings some milk there must be; Then from milk we have b.u.t.ter and cheese too, you know, So that all these good things we receive from the cow.

The cow has a horn, and the fish has a gill; The horse has a hoof, and the duck has a bill; The bird has a wing, that on high he may sail; And the lion a mane, and the monkey a tail; And they swim, or they fly, or they walk, or they eat, With fin, or with wing, or with bill, or with feet.

And Charles has two hands, with five fingers to each, On purpose to hold with, to work, and to reach; No birds, beasts, or fishes, for work or for play, Has anything half so convenient as they: But if he don't use them, and keep them in use, He'd better have had but two legs like a goose.

There was a piper had a cow, And he had nocht to give her, He took his pipes and play'd a spring, And bade the cow consider; The cow consider'd with hersel'

That music wad ne'er fill her; "Gie me a pickle clean ait-strae, And sell your wind for siller."

"Let us go to the wood," says this pig; "What to do there?" says that pig; "To look for my mother," says this pig; "What to do with her?" says that pig; "Kiss her to death," says this pig.

CORNWALL

"Whose little pigs are these, these, these, And whose little pigs are these?"

"They are Johnny Cook's, I know them by their looks, And I found them among the peas."

"Go pound them! go pound them!"

"I dare not for my life, For though I don't love Johnny Cook, I dearly love his wife."

I had a little hobby-horse, His name was Neddy Grey, His head was stuffed with pea-straw, His tail was made of hay.

He could nibble, he could trot, He could carry the mustard pot, From the table to the shop.

Whoa! Neddy Grey.

THE NANNY-GOAT IN THE GARDEN

(_From the French._)

"Ho! Johnnie!" cries the master, "Ho!

To chase that Nanny quickly go, She eats my grapes with eager haste, My garden soon will be a waste."

Johnnie goes, but returns not, Nor chases the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

"Ho! Dog!" says the master, "Go bite that Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden."

The Dog goes, but returns not, Nor bites the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

"Ho! Whip!" says the master, "Go thrash that Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden."

The Whip goes, and returns not, Nor thrashes the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

"Ho! Fire!" says the master, "Go burn that Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden."

The Fire goes, and returns not, Nor burns the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

"Ho! Water!" says the master, "Go drown that Fire, That burns not the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden."

The Water goes, and returns not, Nor drowns the Fire, That burns not the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

"Ho! a.s.s!" says the master, "Go drink that Water, That drowns not the Fire, That burns not the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden."

The a.s.s goes, and returns not, Nor drinks the Water, That drowns not the Fire, That burns not the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

"Ho! Sword!" says the master, "Go kill that a.s.s there, That drinks not the Water, That drowns not the Fire, That burns not the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden."

The Sword goes, and returns not, Nor kills the a.s.s, That drinks not the Water, That drowns not the Fire, That burns not the Whip, That thrashes not the Doggie, That bites not the Johnnie, Who chases not the Nanny, that eats the grapes, Down in the garden.

Says the master: "Then 'tis I That thither to the chase must hie;"

He takes a bound across the gra.s.s, And the Sword runs to kill the a.s.s, The a.s.s to Water runs and drinks, When Water runs the Fire shrinks, The Fire to burn the Whip now hastens, The Whip in haste the slow Dog chastens, And Johnnie now he runs to bite, Who quick on Nanny vents his spite, Nanny who ate the grapes of late, And master shuts the garden gate.

The fox looked out one moonlight night, And called to the stars to give him light, For he'd a long way to go, over the snow, Before he could reach his den-oh!

Old Mother Prittle-Prattle jumped out of bed, And out of the window she popped her head, "John! John! John! the grey goose is gone, And the fox is off to his den-oh!"

The fox he got quite safe to his den, And to his little ones--eight--nine--ten, The fox and his wife they ate the goose, And the little ones picked the bones-oh!

Poor Dog Bright!

Ran off with all his might, Because the cat was after him, Poor Dog Bright!

Poor cat Fright!

Ran off with all her might, Because the dog was after her, Poor Cat Fright!

CHARM FOR AN INJURED HORSE