Nursery rhymes, English; Oral tradition -- England
Can you find me an acre of land,
Parsley, &c.
Between the salt water and the sea sand?
And you, &c.
Can you plough it with a ram's horn,
Parsley, &c.
And sow it all over with one pepper-corn?
And you, &c.
Can you reap it with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, &c.
And bind it up with a peacock's feather?
And you, &c.
When you have done and finish'd your work,
Parsley, &c.
Then come to me for your cambric shirt,
And you, &c.
CCCCLXXVI.
Where have you been to-day, Billy, my son?
Where have you been to-day, my only man!
I've been a-wooing, mother; make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at heart, and fain would lay down.
What have you ate to-day, Billy, my son?
What have you ate to-day, my only man?
I've ate an eel-pie, mother; make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at heart, and shall die before noon!
CCCCLXXVII.
I married my wife by the light of the moon,
A tidy housewife, a tidy one;
She never gets up until it is noon,
And I hope she'll prove a tidy one.
And when she gets up, she is slovenly laced,
A tidy, &c.
She takes up the poker to roll out the paste,
And I hope, &c.
She churns her butter in a boot,
A tidy, &c.
And instead of a churnstaff she puts in her foot,
And I hope, &c.
She lays her cheese on the scullery shelf,
A tidy, &c.
And she never turns it till it turns itself.
And I hope, &c.
CCCCLXXVIII.
There was a little maid, and she was afraid,
That her sweetheart would come unto her;
So she went to bed, and cover'd up her head
And fasten'd the door with a skewer.
CCCCLXXIX.
"Madam, I am come to court you,
If your favour I can gain."
"Ah, Ah!" said she, "you are a bold fellow,
If I e'er see your face again!"
"Madam, I have rings and diamonds,
Madam, I have houses and land,
Madam, I have a world of treasure,
All shall be at your command."
"I care not for rings and diamonds,
I care not for houses and lands,
I care not for a world of treasure,
So that I have but a handsome man."
"Madam, you think much of beauty,
Beauty hasteneth to decay,
For the fairest of flowers that grow in summer
Will decay and fade away."
CCCCLXXX.
Up street, and down street,
Each window's made of glass;
If you go to Tommy Tickler's house,
You'll find a pretty lass.
CCCCLXXXI.
Oh! mother, I shall be married to Mr. Punchinello.
To Mr. Punch,
To Mr. Joe,
To Mr. Nell,
To Mr. Lo.
Mr. Punch, Mr. Joe,
Mr. Nell, Mr. Lo,
To Mr. Punchinello.
CCCCLXXXII.
Little John Jiggy Jag,
He rode a penny nag,
And went to Wigan to woo;
When he came to a beck,
He fell and broke his neck,--
Johnny, how dost thou now?
I made him a hat,
Of my coat-lap,
And stockings of pearly blue.
A hat and a feather,
To keep out cold weather;
So, Johnny, how dost thou now?
CCCCLXXXIII. [Cumberland courtship.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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