One said it was the moon, The other he said nay; The third said it was a cheese, And half o't cut away. 129 THERE WAS A LITTLE MAN There was a little man, And he had a little gun, And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead; He went to a brook, And fired at a duck, And shot it through the head, head, head. He carried it home To his old wife Joan, And bade her a fire to make, make, make, To roast the little duck, He had shot in the brook, And he'd go and fetch her the drake, drake, drake. The drake was a-swimming, With his curly tail; The little man made it his mark, mark, mark! He let off his gun, But he fired too soon, And the drake flew away with a quack, quack, quack. 130 TAFFY Taffy was a Welshman; Taffy was a thief; Taffy came to my house, And stole a piece of beef. I went to Taffy's house; Taffy wasn't home; Taffy came to my house, And stole a marrow-bone. I went to Taffy's house; Taffy was in bed; I took up the marrow-bone And flung it at his head! 131 SIMPLE SIMON 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 haven't any." Simple Simon went a fishing Just 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 pricked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon whistle. 132 A FARMER WENT TROTTING A farmer went trotting upon his gray mare, Bumpety, bumpety, bump! With his daughter behind him so rosy and fair, Lumpety, lumpety, lump! A raven cried "Croak!" and they all tumbled down, Bumpety, bumpety, bump! The mare broke her knees, and the farmer his crown, Lumpety, lumpety, lump! The mischievous raven flew laughing away, Bumpety, bumpety, bump! And vowed he would serve them the same the next day, Lumpety, lumpety, lump! 133 TOM THE PIPER'S SON Tom he was a piper's son, He learned to play when he was young, But all the tunes that he could play, Was "Over the hills and far away"; _Over the hills, and a great way off,_ _And the wind will blow my top-knot off._ Now Tom with his pipe made such a noise, That he pleased both the girls and boys, And they stopped to hear him play, "Over the hills and far away."