The Home Book of Verse Volume I Part 14

One, two, Buckle my shoe; Three, four, Shut the door; Five, six, Pick up sticks; Seven, eight, Lay them straight; Nine, ten, A good fat hen; Eleven, twelve, Who will delve?

Thirteen, fourteen, Maids a-courting; Fifteen, sixteen, Maids a-kissing; Seventeen, eighteen, Maids a-waiting; Nineteen, twenty, My stomach's empty.

THE DIFFERENCE

Eight fingers, Ten toes, Two eyes, And one nose.

Baby said When she smelt the rose, "Oh! what a pity I've only one nose!"

Ten teeth In even rows, Three dimples, And one nose.

Baby said When she smelt the snuff, "Deary me!

One nose is enough."

Laura E. Richards [1850-

FOOT SOLDIERS

'Tis all the way to Toe-town, Beyond the Knee-high hill, That Baby has to travel down To see the soldiers drill.

One, two, three, four, five, a-row-- A captain and his men-- And on the other side, you know, Are six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

John Banister Tabb [1845-1909]

TOM THUMB'S ALPHABET

A was an Archer, who shot at a frog; B was a Butcher, who had a great dog; C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a Drunkard, and had a red face; E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow; F was a Farmer, and followed the plow; G was a Gamester, who had but ill luck; H was a Hunter, who hunted a buck; I was an Innkeeper, who loved to bouse; J was a Joiner, who built up a house; K was a King, so mighty and grand; L was a Lady, who had a white hand; M was a Miser, and h.o.a.rded his gold; N was a n.o.bleman, gallant and bold; O was an Oysterman, who went about town; P was a Parson, and wore a black gown; Q was a Quack, with a wonderful pill; R was a Robber, who wanted to kill; S was a Sailor, who spent all he got; T was a Tinker, and mended a pot; U was an Usurer, a miserable elf; V was a Vintner, who drank all himself; W was a Watchman, who guarded the door; X was Expensive, and so became poor; Y was a Youth, that did not love school; Z was a Zany, a poor harmless fool.

GRAMMAR IN RHYME

Three little words, you often see, Are articles A, An, and The.

A Noun is the name of anything, As School, or Garden, Hoop, or Swing.

Adjectives tell the kind of Noun, As Great, Small, Pretty, White, or Brown.

Instead of Nouns the p.r.o.nouns stand, Her head, His face, Your arm, My hand.

Verbs tell something being done-- To Read, Count, Laugh, Sing, Jump, or Run.

How things are done the Adverbs tell, As Slowly, Quickly, Ill, or Well.

Conjunctions join the words together-- As men And women, wind Or weather.

The Preposition stands before A noun, as In or Through a door, The Interjection shows surprise, As Oh! how pretty! Ah! how wise!

The Whole are called nine parts of speech, Which reading, writing, speaking teach.

DAYS OF THE MONTH

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have thirty-one; February twenty-eight alone,-- Except in leap year, at which time February's days are twenty-nine.

THE GARDEN YEAR

January brings the snow, Makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes, loud and shrill, To stir the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs Skipping by their fleecy dams.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children's hands with posies.

Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots, and gillyflowers.

August brings the sheaves of corn, Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm September brings the fruit; Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasant; Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

Dull November brings the blast; Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.

Sara Coleridge [1802-1852]

RIDDLES

There was a girl in our town, Silk an' satin was her gown, Silk an' satin, gold an' velvet, Guess her name, three times I've telled it.

(Ann.)

As soft as silk, as white as milk, As bitter as gall, a thick green wall, And a green coat covers me all.

(A walnut.)

Make three fourths of a cross, And a circle complete; And let two semicircles On a perpendicular meet; Next add a triangle That stands on two feet; Next two semicircles, And a circle complete.