Verse and Prose for Beginners in Reading Part 4

Baa! Baa!" said the sheep; "oh, no, I wouldn't treat a poor bird so."

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee!

Will you listen to me?

Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?"

"Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link!

Now what do you think?

Who stole a nest away From the plum-tree, to-day?"

"Coo-coo! Coo-coo! Coo-coo!

Let me speak a word, too!

Who stole that pretty nest From little yellow-breast?"

"Caw! Caw!" cried the crow; "I should like to know What thief took away A bird's nest to-day?"

"Cluck! Cluck!" said the hen; "Don't ask me again, Why, I haven't a chick Would do such a trick.

We all gave her a feather, And she wove them together.

I'd scorn to intrude On her and her brood.

Cluck! Cluck!" said the hen, "Don't ask me again."

"Chirr-a-whirr! Chirr-a-whirr!

All the birds make a stir!

Let us find out his name, And all cry 'for shame!'"

"I would not rob a bird,"

Said little Mary Green; "I think I never heard Of anything so mean."

"It is very cruel, too,"

Said little Alice Neal; "I wonder if he knew How sad the bird would feel?"

A little boy hung down his head, And went and hid behind the bed, For he stole that pretty nest From poor little yellow-breast; And he felt so full of shame, He didn't like to tell his name.

I saw a s.h.i.+p a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea; And oh, it was all laden With pretty things for thee!

There were comfits in the cabin, And apples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were made of gold!

The four and twenty sailors, That stood between the decks, Were four and twenty white mice, With chains about their necks.

The captain was a duck, With a packet on his back; And when the s.h.i.+p began to move.

The captain said, "Quack! Quack!"

Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water; Jack fell down, and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep, And can't tell where to find them; Leave them alone, and they'll come home, And bring their tails behind them.

Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep, And dreamed she heard them bleating; But when she awoke, she found it a joke, For they were still a-fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook, Determined for to find them; She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, For they'd left all their tails behind 'em.

Little boy blue, come blow your horn, The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn; Where's the little boy that tends the sheep?

He's under the hayc.o.c.k, fast asleep.

Go wake him, go wake him. Oh, no, not I; For if I awake him, he'll certainly cry.

Little girl, little girl, where have you been?

Gathering roses to give to the queen.

Little girl, little girl, what gave she you?

She gave me a diamond as big as my shoe.

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner, Eating a Christmas pie; He put in his thumb, and he took out a plum, And said, "What a good boy am I!"

Little Johnny Pringle had a little pig; It was very little, so was not very big.

As it was playing beneath the shed, In half a minute poor Piggie was dead.

So Johnny Pringle he sat down and cried, And Betty Pringle she lay down and died.

There is the history of one, two, and three, Johnny Pringle, Betty Pringle, and Piggie Wiggie.

Little Miss m.u.f.fet She sat on a tuffet, Eating of curds and whey; There came a black spider, And sat down beside her, Which frightened Miss m.u.f.fet away.

There was a little man, And he had a little gun, And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead; He went to the brook.

And he saw a little duck, And shot it through the head, head, head.

He carried it home To his wife Joan, And bade her a fire to make, make, make, To roast the little duck, He had shot in the brook, And he'd go and fetch the drake, drake, drake.

Little Tommy Tucker Sing for your supper.

What shall I sing?

White bread and b.u.t.ter.

How shall I cut it Without any knife?

How shall I marry Without any wife?

PROVERBS AND POPULAR SAYINGS.