Sing a Song of Sixpence Part 1

SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE.

by Mary Holdsworth.

Sing a Song of Sixpence.

A brand new sixpence fresh from the Mint! How it sparkled and glittered in the dancing sunlight! Such a treasure for a small girl to possess!

But then, on the other hand, what a heavy responsibility!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Nellie]

All day long it had been burning a hole in her pocket, and as for learning lessons, not an idea would enter her head. Everything went in at one ear and out of the other, as Miss Primmer sternly remarked when Nellie could not say her poetry. But, indeed, Nellie _did_ try hard to learn her lessons; she squeezed her eyes together as tightly as possible, though how shutting her eyes was to prevent the lessons from coming out of her ears was not very clear. "But _I must_ learn them now," she sighed, "or Miss Primmer will keep me in to-morrow, and I shan't be able to go out with Nursie and Reggie to spend my sixpence.

Oh dear! I wish I could learn my poetry and keep it in, I guess I'd better get a bit of cotton wool to put in my ears and then it _can't_ come out. There, now!

"'Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went The lamb was sure to go.'

"That's lovely! I wish I'd a lamb. I think I'll buy one with my sixpence. Won't it be nice? And I can keep it in the garden, and me and Reggie can take it out for a walk. Oh, and have a blue ribbon round its neck and a sash on! He shall have my blue sash, and I'll save it some of my milk from breakfast. Unless it's chocolate creams. How many should I get for sixpence? Loads, I should think! I _love_ chocs., but I'd like a lamb too! I'll buy them both--a lamb and some chocs. Lemme see now. What was I saying? Oh, my poetry.

"'It followed her to school one day'--

Oh, and take it to school. Won't it be fun? What will Miss Primmer say when she sees my lamb? She won't say nothing to a dear, darling little lamb! I _love_ lambs! Me and Reggie will have some wool off it to make some stockings for Pa. I'll make them all by myself, and Pa will think I'm dreffle clever, won't he? And some for Ma, and Uncle d.i.c.k. Oh, and Aunt Euphemia shall have some for her n.i.g.g.e.rs. Where's my sixpence gone? It was in my pocket. Oh, here it is! What do they put the Queen's head on it for? And a crown. It does look funny, as though it would tumble off. I wish I was the Queen and wore a crown. I'd have lots of sixpences. I'd go to Miss Primmer's and give all the little girls one each, and then they could all have a lamb each and some chocs.

And I'd have lots of chocs.--_loads_ of them. I wish it was to-morrow to spend my sixpence."

Nellie sat gazing dreamily into the nursery fire, with wide-open blue eyes, "Lemme say my poetry again.

"'Mary had a little lamb'--

With a blue sash on. What shall I call my lamb?" She went on gazing with loving eyes at her bright new sixpence. "I think I'll call her the Queen. You won't mind my calling my lamb after you, do you?" she said to her Majesty, who was looking very dignified indeed; at least, as dignified as it was possible to look when she had to hold her head as stiff as possible to keep the crown from toppling off. It must have given her a crick in her neck.

Her Majesty smiled graciously.

"Oh, not at all, don't mention it," she said politely.

"Thank you so much," said Nellie, who was sitting in front of the fire with her hands clasped across her knee.

"Get up and make your curtsey; I suppose you know how," said her Majesty.

"Oh yes, Miss Primmer always makes us curtsey when we come in and go out," answered Nellie, getting up and making the best one she could.

"That is not very graceful. This is the way," the Queen said, coming forward and showing her how to do it. "Only you see I have to keep my head steady to keep the crown on, so it's rather awkward."

Nellie bowed as she was directed, and the Queen returned the bow with great dignity. Nellie was much impressed. Fancy the Queen bowing to her! What lovely tales she would have to tell to-morrow!

"What are you going to do with your new sixpence?" asked her Majesty, when she had seated herself again.

"I thought I'd buy a lamb, and then I could make a pair of socks for Pa with the wool."

The Queen smiled. "Very sensible indeed," she said, patting Nellie on the head; "and you might make me a pair too, you know."

Nellie's eyes sparkled. "And will you really wear them?" she asked eagerly.

"I _always_ wear stockings," said the Queen in an offended tone. "You don't suppose I go about barefoot, do you?"

"I did not mean that!" cried Nellie, aghast. The bare idea of such a thing!

"And don't make them too large," went on the Queen; "I am very particular about the fit."

"I'd like to be a queen and wear a crown," said Nellie, after a pause.

Her Majesty smiled. "Indeed! And pray, what would you do if you were?"

"I'd buy a lamb for all the children at Miss Primmer's. Oh, and chocs.--such lots of chocs. And I'd put on my best frock every day, and have cake every time I wanted it, and I'd have as many sixpences as I liked, and----"

"Stop, that will do," said the Queen; "if you always wore your best frock you'd soon want a new one, and then where would all your sixpences be? And as for the cake, I always keep _my_ cupboards locked, so that no one can take a piece without asking for it; and the honey cupboard.

I am very fond of honey."

"Yes, I know, we sing about it in school," said Nellie.

"Oh, indeed? you do, do you? That's very nice. But what do you sing about me?"

"Oh, we sing:--

"'Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds baking in a pie.

When the pie was opened the birds began to sing, Was not that a dainty dish to set before a king?

The king was in his counting house, counting out his money, The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey, The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes, There came a little blackbird and snapped off her nose.'"

"That's very pretty," said her Majesty; "I wish I could write poetry like that."

"Can't you?" asked Nellie, looking surprised; she thought queens could do everything.

"No," said her Majesty with a sigh; "I never could, though I've often tried."

"Try, try, try again," said Nellie. "We sing that in school too."

"Well, what shall it be about?" asked the Queen.

"Oh, about my lamb," said Nellie promptly.

"Where is it?" asked the Queen, putting on her spectacles. "I think I'll write about you."

"Here I am," cried a funny squeaky little voice, and there, if you please, was the prettiest, fleeciest little white lamb you ever saw in your life, with a blue ribbon round its neck, and Nellie's best blue sash tied in a bow round its tail.

"Oh, how sweet!" cried the Queen, clapping her hands.

The lamb tossed its head proudly.