I had a little pony,

His name was Dapple-grey,

I lent him to a lady,

To ride a mile away;

She whipped him, she slashed him,

She rode him through the mire;

I would not lend my pony now

For all the lady's hire.

There was a crooked man,

And he went a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence,

Upon a crooked stile,

He bought a crooked cat,

Which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together,

In a little crooked house.

— Mother Goose

Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree,

Up went Pussy Cat and down went he;

Down came Pussy Cat, away Robin ran,

Said little Robin Redbreast,

"Catch me if you can."

Little Robin Redbreast jumped upon a wall,

Pussy Cat jumped after him,

and got a little fall.

Little Robin sang and sang;

and what did Pussy say?

Pussy Cat said, "Mew, mew, mew,"

and Robin flew away.

— Mother Goose

If all the seas were one sea,

What a great sea that would be!

If all the trees were one tree,

What a great tree that would be!

If all the axes were one axe,

What a great axe that would be!

If all the men were one man,

What a great man he would be!

And if that great man took the great axe,

And cut down the great tree,

And let it fall into the great sea,

What a splash, splash, that would be!

— Mother Goose

Simple Simon met a pieman,

Going to the fair;

Said Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Let me taste your ware."

Said the pieman to Simple Simon,

"Show me first your penny;"

Said Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Indeed I have not any."

Simple Simon went a-fishing,

For to catch a whale;

All the water that he had

Was in his mother's pail.

He went to catch a dicky-bird,

And thought he could not fail,

Because he'd got a little salt

To put upon its tail.

— Mother Goose

There was an old woman tossed up

in a basket,

Nineteen times as high as the moon.

Where she was going I couldn't but ask it,

For in her hand she carried a broom.

"Old woman, old woman, old woman,"

said I,

"O whither, O whither, O whither so high?"

"To brush the cobwebs off the sky!"

"Shall I go with you?" "Aye, by and by."

— Mother Goose

Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard

To get her poor dog a bone;

But when she got there

The cupboard was bare.

And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker

To buy him some bread,

But when she got back

The poor dog was dead.

She went to the joiner

To buy him a coffin,

But when she came back

The poor dog was laughing.

She went to the hatter

To buy him a hat,

But when she came back

He was feeding the cat,

She went to the barber

To buy him a wig,

But when she came back

He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiter

To buy him some fruit,

But when she came back

He was playing a flute.

She went to the tailor

To buy him a coat,

But when she came back

He was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler

To buy him some shoes,

But when she came back

He was reading the news.

She went to the hosier

To buy him some hose,

But when she came back

He was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a courtesy,

The dog made a bow,

The dame said, "Your servant,"

The dog said, "Bow-wow."

— Mother Goose

Three little kittens lost their mittens

And they began to cry,

"O, mother dear,

We very much fear

That we have lost our mittens."

"Lost your mittens!

You naughty kittens!

Then you shall have no pie."

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow."

"No, you shall have no pie."

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow."

The three little kittens found their mittens,

And they began to cry,

"O, mother dear,

See here, see here!

See! we have found our mittens."

"Put on your mittens,

You little kittens,

And you may have some pie."

"Purr, purr, purr,

Oh, let us have the pie.

Purr, purr, purr."

The three little kittens put on their mittens,

And soon ate up the pie;

"O, mother dear,

We very much fear

That we have soiled our mittens."

"Soiled your mittens!

You naughty kittens!"

Then they began to sigh,

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow."

Then they began to sigh,

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow."

The three little kittens washed their mittens,

And hung them out to dry;

"O, mother dear,

Do you not hear,

That we have washed our mittens?"

"Washed your mittens!

Good little kittens!

But I smell a rat close by!"

"Hush, hush! mee-ow, mee-ow!

We smell a rat close by!

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!"

— Mother Goose