THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG.   A little old woman, who lived in a house, Too small for a giant, too big for a mouse,— Was sweeping her chambers, (though she had not many,) When she found, by good fortune, a bright silver penny! [2] Delighted she seized it, and, dancing a jig, Exclaim’d, “With this money I’ll purchase a pig.” So saying, away to the market she went, And the fruits of her fortunate... more...

PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE. Once upon a time there were three Princesses, named Roussette, Brunette, and Blondine, who lived in retirement with their mother, a Princess who had lost all her former grandeur. One day an old woman called and asked for a dinner, as this Princess was an excellent cook. After the meal was over, the old woman, who was a fairy, promised that their kindness should be rewarded, and immediately disappeared. Shortly after, the... more...

THE THREE JOVIAL HUNTSMEN.               It's of three jovial huntsmen, an' a hunting they did go;An' they hunted, an' they hollo'd, an' they blew their horns alsoLook ye there!   An' one said, "Mind yo'r e'en, an' keep yo'r noses reet i' th' wind   An' then, by scent or seet, we'll leet o' summat to our mind."Look ye there!             They hunted,... more...

TRADITIONAL NURSERY SONGS. A diller, a dollar,A ten o'clock scholar,What makes you come so soon?You used to come at ten o'clock,And now you come at noon. A long tailed pig, or a short tailed pig,Or a pig without a tail,A sow pig, or a boar pig,Or a pig with a curly tail. As I was going up Pippen hill,Pippen hill was dirty;There I met a pretty Miss,And she dropt me a curtsey. Little Miss, pretty Miss,Blessings light upon... more...

MASTER WILLIE. There was once a little boy called Willie. I never knew his other name, and as he lived far off behind the mountain, we cannot go to inquire. He had fair hair and blue eyes, and there was something in his face that, when you had looked at him, made you feel quite happy and rested, and think of all the things you meant to do by-and-by when you were wiser and stronger. He lived all alone with the tall aunt, who was very rich, in the... more...

PRICE SIXPENCE.   Oh! on this green and mossy seat, In my hours of sweet retreat; Thus I would my soul employ, With sense of gratitude and joy.   ! farewell! the trumpet calls,The banner waves in view;And I must bid these friendly halls,One long! one last adieu!   The dappled herd of grazing deer,That seek the shades by day;Now started from their path with fear,To give the stranger way.... more...

LITTLE BO-PEEP. 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 dreamt 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... more...

THE SHADOW SHOW   Trains with wheels and clouds of smoke,Funny crowds of dodging folk,Trams that run along with sparks,Sofa games and pillow larks,Grubs and ponies, worms and tigers,Sparrows on the tree,Oh!What a lot of lots of thingsFor little boys to see! Aeroplanes and paper darts,Woodmen driving broken carts,Minahs on the chimney tops,Swallows dodging near the shops,Barking pups that make the postmanFall down off his bike;Oh!What a... more...

Milkmaid. An Old Song exhibited & explainedin many designs by R. Caldecott.   A Lady said to her Son—a poor young Squire: “You must seek a Wife with a Fortune!”                   “Where are you going, my Pretty Maid?” “I'm going a-milking, Sir,” she said.               “Shall I go with... more...

TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood. One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures. The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes. And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with... more...