The Nursery Rhymes of England Part 35

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!"

CCCLXXVIII.

Barney Bodkin broke his nose, Without feet we can't have toes; Crazy folks are always mad, Want of money makes us sad.

CCCLXXIX.

If a man who turnips cries Cries not when his father dies, It is a proof that he would rather Have a turnip than his father.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TWELFTH CLa.s.s--LULLABIES.

CCCLx.x.x.

Hushy baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry, And I'll give you some bread and some milk by and bye; Or, perhaps you like custard, or may-be a tart,-- Then to either you're welcome, with all my whole heart.

CCCLx.x.xI.

Dance, little baby, dance up high, Never mind, baby, mother is by; Crow and caper, caper and crow, There, little baby, there you go; Up to the ceiling, down to the ground.

Backwards and forwards, round and round; Dance, little baby, and mother will sing, With the merry coral, ding, ding, ding!

CCCLx.x.xII.

[The following is quoted in Florio's 'New World of Words,'

fol., London, 1611, p. 3.]

To market, to market, To buy a plum bun: Home again, come again, Market is done.

CCCLx.x.xIII.

Dance to your daddy, My little babby, Dance to your daddy; My little lamb.

You shall have a fishy, In a little dishy; You shall have a fishy When the boat comes in.

CCCLx.x.xIV.

Tom shall have a new bonnet, With blue ribbands to tie on it, With a hush-a-bye and a lull-a-baby, Who so like to Tommy's daddy?

CCCLx.x.xV.

Bye, baby b.u.mpkin, Where's Tony Lumpkin?

My lady's on her death-bed, With eating half a pumpkin.

CCCLx.x.xVI.

[From 'The Pleasant Com[oe]die of Patient Grissell,' 1603.]

Hush, hush, hush, hus.h.!.+

And I dance mine own child, And I dance mine own child, Hush, hush, hush, hus.h.!.+

CCCLx.x.xVII.

Hush thee, my babby, Lie still with thy daddy, Thy mammy has gone to the mill, To grind thee some wheat, To make thee some meat, And so, my dear babby, lie still.

CCCLx.x.xVIII.

Hey, my kitten, my kitten, And hey, my kitten, my deary!

Such a sweet pet as this Was neither far nor neary.

Here we go up, up, up, And here we go down, down, downy; And here we go backwards and forwards, And here we go round, round, roundy.

CCCLx.x.xIX.

I won't be my father's Jack, I won't be my mother's Gill, I will be the fiddler's wife, And have music when I will.

T'other little tune, T'other little tune, Pr'ythee, love, play me T'other little tune.

CCCXC.

Danty baby diddy, What can a mammy do wid'e, But sit in a lap, And give 'un a pap?

Sing danty baby diddy.

CCCXCI.

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green; Father's a n.o.bleman, mother's a queen; And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring; And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king.

CCCXCII.