Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories Part 2

Or:--

Cam' ye by the kirk?

Cam' ye by the steeple?

Saw ye our gudeman, Riding on a ladle?

Foul fa' the bodie, Winna buy a saddle, Wearing a' his breeks, Riding on a ladle!

Or again:--

The cattie rade to Pa.s.selet, To Pa.s.selet, to Pa.s.selet, The cattie rade to Pa.s.selet, Upon a harrow-tine, O.

'Twas on a weetie Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: 'Twas on a weetie Wednesday, I missed it aye sin syne, O.

Lighting a stick, and making it wave to and fro, so as to form a semi-circle of red fire before the child's eyes, the nurse will sing or croon:--

Dingle, dingle dousy, The cat's at the well, The dog's awa' to Musselbro'

To buy the bairn a bell.

Greet, greet bairnie, And ye'se get a bell; If ye dinna greet faster, I'll keep it to mysel'.

Or again, dandling the child, the entertainment may be what some Perths.h.i.+re children know well:--

Riding on a horsie, never standing still, Doun by St. Martins, and owre by Newmill, In by Guildtown and round by Cargill, Richt up Burstbane, and owre by Gallowhill, Yont by the Harelaw, and doun to Wolfhill, And that's the way to ride a horse and never stand still.

Or the universal favourite may ensue:--

Ride a c.o.c.k-Horse to Banbury Cross, To see an old woman ride on a white horse; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes.

Or:--

Hey diddle diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; The little dog laughed, To see such sport, And the dish ran away with the spoon.

In a reposeful att.i.tude, such rhymes as follow may be employed:--

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.

Shoo shuggie, owre the glen, Mammie's pet, and daddie's hen.

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?

Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full; One for the master, one for the dame, One for the little boy that lives in the lane.

Goosey, Goosey Gander, Where shall I wander?

Upstairs, downstairs, And in my lady's chamber.

There I met an old man Who wouldn't say his prayers, I took him by the left leg, And threw him downstairs.

Old Mother Hubbard, she went to the cupboard, To fetch her poor doggie a bone; But when she got there, the cupboard was bare, And so the poor doggie got none.

Little Polly Flinders Sat among the cinders, Warming her pretty little toes, Her mother came and caught her, And whipped her little daughter For spoiling her nice new clothes.

Tom, Tom, the piper's son, Stole a pig and away he run; Pig was eat, and Tom was beat, And Tom went roaring down the street.

Little Betty Blue Has lost her holiday shoe, Give her another To match the other, And then she will walk in two.

Three blind mice; three blind mice; See how they run; see how they run; They all ran after the farmer's wife, Who cut off their tails with a carving knife, Did ever you see such fools in your life?

Three blind mice!

Mary, Mary, Quite contrairy, How does your garden grow?

Silver bells, And c.o.c.kle sh.e.l.ls, And pretty-maids all in a row.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man!

Bake a cake as fast as you can; p.r.i.c.k it, and pat it, and mark it with T, And put it in the oven for Tommy and me.

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

Jack Sprat could eat no fat, His wife could eat no lean; And so, betwixt them both, you see, They licked the platter clean.

Little Tom Tucker Sang for his supper.

What shall we give him?

Brown bread and b.u.t.ter.

How shall he cut it Without any a knife?

How shall he marry Without any wife?

See-saw, Margery Daw, Jenny shall have a new master; She shall have but a penny a day, Because she can't work any faster.

Roun', roun' rosie, cuppie, cuppie sh.e.l.l, The dog's awa' to Hamilton, to buy a new bell; If you don't tak' it, I'll tak' it to mysel', Roun', roun' rosie, cuppie, cuppie sh.e.l.l.

There was a little man, and he had a little gun, And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead; He shot Johnnie Twig through the middle of his wig, And knocked it right off his head, head, head.

Hickety, pickety, my black hen, Lays eggs for gentlemen, Whiles ane, whiles twa, Whiles a bonnie black craw.

For slightly more matured wits will be provided:--