Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories Part 19

She went a little farther, and she met some water. So she said:--

"Water, water, quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the water would not.

She went a little farther, and she met an ox. So she said:--

"Ox, ox, drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the ox would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a butcher. So she said:--

"Butcher, butcher, kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the butcher would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rope. So she said:--

"Rope, rope, hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the rope would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said:--

"Rat, rat, gnaw rope; Rope won't hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the rat would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a cat. So she said:--

"Cat, cat, kill rat; Rat won't gnaw rope; Rope won't hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the cat said to her, "If you will go to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat." So away went the old woman to the cow, and said:--

"Cow, cow, give me a saucer of milk; Cat won't kill rat; Rat won't gnaw rope; Rope won't hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the cow said to her, "If you will go to yonder haymakers, and fetch me a wisp of hay, I'll give you the milk." So away went the old woman to the haymakers, and said:--

"Haymakers, give me a wisp of hay; Cow won't give milk; Cat won't kill rat; Rat won't gnaw rope; Rope won't hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Piggy won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night!"

But the haymakers said to her, "If you will go to yonder stream, and fetch us a bucket of water, we'll give you the hay." So away the old woman went. But when she got to the stream, she found the bucket was full of holes. So she covered the bottom with pebbles, and then filled the bucket with water, and she went back with it to the haymakers, and they gave her a wisp of hay.

As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat. As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk--

The cat began to kill the rat; The rat began to gnaw the rope; The rope began to hang the butcher; The butcher began to kill the ox; The ox began to drink the water; The water began to quench the fire; The fire began to burn the stick; The stick began to beat the dog; The dog began to bite the pig; The little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; So the old woman got home that night!

A FROG HE WOULD A-WOOING GO.

A Frog he would a-wooing go, Heigho, says Roly!

Whether his mother would let him or no, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

So off he set in his coat and hat, Heigho, says Roly!

And on the way he met a Rat, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

"Please, Mr. Rat, will you go with me?"

Heigho, says Roly!

"Good Mrs. Mousie for to see?"

With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

When they came to the door of Mousie's hole, Heigho, says Roly!

They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

"Please, Mrs. Mouse, are you within?"

Heigho, says Roly!

"Oh yes, dear sirs, I am sitting to spin,"

With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

"Please, Mrs. Mouse, will you give us some beer?"

Heigho, says Roly!

"For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer,"

With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

"Please, Mr. Frog, will you give us a song?"

Heigho, says Roly!

"But let it be something that's not very long,"

With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

But while they were making a terrible din, Heigho, says Roly!

The cat and her kittens came tumbling in, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

The cat she seized Mr. Rat by the crown, Heigho, says Roly!

The kittens they pulled Mrs. Mousie down, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright, Heigho, says Roly!

He took up his hat and he wished them good-night, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

But as Froggy was crossing over a brook, Heigho, says Roly!

A lily-white duck came and swallowed him up, With a roly-poly, gammon and spinach, Heigho, says Anthony Roly!

There are various versions of the above narrative of a sadly disastrous expedition, in English and in Scotch alike. _The Ballad Book_, a curious collection, of which thirty copies only were printed, in 1824, embraces one beginning:--

There lived a Puddy in a well, Cuddy alone, Cuddy alone; There lived a Puddy in a well, Cuddy alone and I.

There lived a Puddy in a well, And a Mousie in a mill; Kickmaleerie, cowden down, Cuddy alone and I.