Poetry Place

Rhymes illustrated in the Mother Goose ABC 

Some of these rhymes have been around for hundreds of years. Their appeal is in their rhythm, simplicity, and the ease with which they stay in the mind.  Hear these rhymes once or twice and they are yours for life.

Some of the rhymes are said to have "hidden" meanings, some are riddles, some are simply silly, happy little ditties that  nestle in the brain and slide off the tongue.

To know more about the rhymes, study is the answer.  However, we can appreciate them and enjoy them whether we know a lot about their origins or not.

A Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N 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 their tails behind them.

It happened one day,
As Bo-peep did stray
Over a meadow hard by,
That there she espied
Their tails side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.

She heaved a sigh,
And gave by and by
Each careless sheep a banging;
And as for the rest,
She thought it was best
Just to leave the tails a-hanging.

B Molly, My Sister and I

Molly, my sister, and I fell out

And what do you think it was all about?

She liked coffee and I liked tea

And that was the reason we couldn't agree.

 

 

 

 

O Sing a Song of Sixpence!

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,           

Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.            

When the pie was opened the birds began to sing     

Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?

The king was in his counting house counting out his money,                                                             

The queen was in the parlor eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,

When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

 

C The Little Bird

Once I saw a little bird

Come hop, hop, hop;                                  

So I cried, “Little bird,                                 

Will you stop, stop, stop?”                            

And was going to the window                        

To say, “How do you do?”                           

But he shook his little tail,                          

And far away he flew.

 

P Rock-a-bye Baby

Hush a bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,
Down will come baby, cradle and all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

D Hark! Hark!

Hark, hark, the dogs do bark,
The beggars are coming to town
Some in rags, and some in jags,
And some in velvet gowns.
 

 

 

 

 

Q Robin Hood and Little John


Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Is in the mickle wood!
Little John, Little John,
He to the town is gone.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Telling his beads,
All in the greenwood
Among the green weeds.
Little John, Little John,
If he comes no more,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
We shall fret full sore!

 

E Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown,.
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up got Jack and home did he trot,
As fast as he could caper;
Went to bed and bound his head,
With vinegar and brown paper.

When Jill came in how she did grin
To see Jack's paper plaster;
Mother vexed, did whip her next;
For causing Jack's disaster.

 

R Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
 

 

 

 

 

F Goosey Goosey Gander

Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither dost thou wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.

There I met an old man
Who wouldn't say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him down the stairs.

S Tom, Tom, The Piper's Son

Tom, Tom the piper's son
Stole a pig and away did run;
The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,
And Tom went crying down the street.

 

 

 

G There Was a Little Man

There was a little man,                                 

Who wooed a little maid,                               

And he said, "Little maid,

will you wed, wed, wed?

I have a little more to say,

So will you, yea or nay,                                

For least said is soonest mended, -ded, -ded,    -ded."

The little maid replied,                                   

"Should I be your bride,                                 

Pray what must we have for to eat, eat, eat?   

Will the flame you're so rich in                         

Light a fire in the kitchen?                             

 Or the little god of love turn the spit, spit, spit?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T 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 have not any."

He went to catch a dickey bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he'd got a little salt,
To put upon his tail.

He went to take a bird's nest,
Was built upon a bough;
The branch gave way and Simon fell
Into a dirty slough.

He went to shoot a wild duck,
But wild duck flew away;
Say Simon, I can't hit him,
Because he will not stay."

Simple Simon went a-fishing,
For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got
Was in his mother's pail.

Simple Simon went a-hunting,
For to catch a hare;
He rode an ass about the streets,
But couldn't find one there.

He went for to eat honey,
Out of the mustard pot;
He bit his tongue until he cried,
That was all the good he got.

He went to ride a spotted cow
That had a little calf;
She threw him down upon the ground,
Which made the people laugh.

Once Simon made a great snowball,
And brought it in to roast;
He laid it down before the fire,
And soon the ball was lost.

He went to slide upon the ice
Before the ice would bear;
Then he plunged in above his knees,
Which made poor Simon stare.


He washed himself with blacking ball,
Because he had no soap;
Then said unto his mother,
"I'm a beauty now, I hope."

Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,

Which made poor Simon whistle.

He went for water in a sieve,
But soon it all ran through.
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.

 

 

 

 

H Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

 

 

U Ding! Dong! Bell!

Ding dong bell, pussy's in the well
Who put her in? Little Johnny Flynn
Who pulled her out? Little Tommy Stout
What a naughty boy was that, try to drown poor Pussycat,
Who ne'er did any harm
But killed all the mice in the Farmer's barn!

 

I Oh, The Grand Old Duke of York

Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men:
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up they were up,
And when they were down they were down,
And when they were only half way up,
They were neither up nor down.
 

V Georgie  Porgie

Georgie Porgie pudding and pie                           

Kissed the girls and made them cry                      

When the boys came out to play                      

Georgie Porgie ran away

 

J Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.
 

 

 

WThe Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts all on a summer's day;
The Knave of Hearts he stole the tarts and took them clean away.
The King of Hearts called for the tarts and beat the Knave full sore
The Knave of Hearts brought back the tarts and 
vowed he'd steal no more.

 

K The King of France

The King of France went up the hill,
With twenty thousand men:
The King of France came down the hill,
And ne'er went up again.
 

X  Where Are You Going, My Pretty Maid?

 “Little maid, pretty maid, whither goest thou?”
“Down in the forest to milk my cow.”
“Shall I go with thee?” “No, not now;
When I send for thee, then come thou.”

L  When Good King Arthur Ruled This Land

When good King Arthur ruled this land,
He was a goodly king;
He took three pecks of barley meal,
To make a bag-pudding.

A bag-pudding the King did make,
And stuffed it well with plums,
And in it put two lumps of fat,
As big as my two thumbs.

A bag-pudding the King did make,
And stuffed it well with plums,
And in it put two lumps of fat,
As big as my two thumbs.

The King and Queen did eat thereof,
And noblemen beside;
And what they could not eat at night
The Queen next morning fried.

Y Three Wise Men of Gotham

Three wise men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl;
If the bowl had been stronger
My song had been longer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue, come, blow your horn!
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
Where’s the little boy that looks after the sheep?
Under the haystack, fast asleep!

 

Z Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.

 

For more information on the origin of Mother Goose rhymes, see:

Baring-Gould, William S. and Ceil Baring Gould. The Annotated Mother Goose: Nursery Rhymes Old and New, Arranged and Explained; Illustrated by Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, Arthur Rackham, Maxfield Parrish, and Early Historical Woodcuts with Chapter Decorations by E. M. Simon. New York: Bramhall House, ©1962.

 

Updated 08/22/09    /    The QueSPER website is maintained by Carol J. Fox;   Teacher-Librarian   /   Visitor NumberHit Counter since 03/23/07  /   © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009   All rights reserved   /    Email: caroljfox@sbcglobal.net     /   Use and Connection Policies     Home