Verse and Prose for Beginners in Reading Part 7

Three wise men of Gotham Went to sea in a bowl; If the bowl had been stronger, My song would have been longer.

See, saw, sacradown, Which is the way to London town?

One foot up, the other foot down, And that is the way to London town.

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 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.

PRETTY COW.

Thank you? pretty cow, that made Pleasant milk to soak my bread, Every day and every night, Warm, and fresh, and sweet, and white.

Do not chew the hemlock rank, Growing on the weedy bank; But the yellow cowslips eat, That will make it very sweet.

Where the purple violet grows, Where the bubbling water flows, Where the gra.s.s is fresh and fine.

Pretty cow, go there and dine.

THE STAR.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star; How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.

When the glorious sun is set, When the gra.s.s with dew is wet, Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

In the dark blue sky you keep, And often through my curtains peep; For you never shut your eye Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark, Lights the traveller in the dark, Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

MARY'S LAMB.

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

He followed her to school one day,-- That was against the rule; It made the children laugh and play, To see a lamb at school.

So the teacher turned him out, But still he lingered near, And waited patiently about, Till Mary did appear.

Then he ran to her, and laid His head upon her arm, As if he said, "I'm not afraid,-- You'll keep me from all harm."

"What makes the lamb love Mary so?"

The eager children cry.

"Oh, Mary loves the lamb, you know,"

The teacher did reply.

PROVERBS AND POPULAR SAYINGS.

A watched pot never boils.

After dinner sit awhile; after supper walk a mile.

All his fingers are thumbs.

All is fish that comes to the net.

All is not gold that glitters.

All's well that ends well.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

All your geese are swans.

Always taking out of the meal tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom.

An inch on a man's nose is much.

An old bird is not caught with chaff.

An old dog will learn no new tricks.

As bare as the back of my hand.

Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Worse on Friday, Died on Sat.u.r.day, Buried on Sunday: This is the end Of Solomon Grundy.

The King of France went up the hill, With twenty thousand men; The King of France came down the hill, And ne'er went up again.

The man in the wilderness asked me, How many strawberries grew in the sea.

I answered him, as I thought good, As many red herrings as grew in the wood.

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile: He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse, And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Tom, Tom, the piper's son, Stole a pig and away he run!

The pig was eat, and Tom was beat, And Tom went roaring down the street.