XXIV. I HAD a little moppet, And swore he would have her, XXV. THERE were two birds sat on a stone, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de; One flew-away, and then there was one, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de; The other flew after, and then there was none, Fa, la, la, la, lal de; And so the poor stone was left all alone, XXVI. THERE was a little Guinea-pig, C When from a place he ran away, He often squeak'd, and sometimes vi'lent, He knew a mouse was not a rat. One day, as I am certified, He took a whim and fairly died; XXVII. DID you not hear of Betty Pringle's pig? Betty Pringle came to see this pretty pig, Then Johnny Pringle buried this very pretty pig, That was not very little, nor yet very big; So here's an end of the song of all three, Johnny Pringle, Betty Pringle, and the little Piggie. XXVIII. THREE wise men of Gotham, Went to sea in a bowl: And if the bowl had been stronger, XXIX. [THE following was most probably taken from a poetical tale in the "Choyce Poems," 12mo. Lond. 1662. As it is a very popular nursery song, I shall give the tale to which I allude in No. 30] THREE children sliding on the ice, Upon a summer's day, As it fell out, they all fell in, The rest they ran away. Now had these children been at home, Or sliding on dry ground, Ten thousand pounds to one penny, XXX. [From "Ovid de Arte Amandi &c. Englished, together with Choice Poems, and rare Pieces of Drollery." 1662.] SOME Christian people all give ear, Unto the grief of us, Caused by the death of three children dear; The which it hapned thus. c 2 And eke there befel an accident, By fault of a carpenter's son, May London say, wo woeth the carpenter, And all such block-head fools, Would he were hang'd up like a serpent here, For jesting with edge-tools. For into the chips there fell a spark, For lo, the bridge was wondrous high, As birds therein doth breath. And yet the fire consum'd the bridge, And eke into the water fell So many pewter dishes, That a man might have taken up very well Both boil'd and roasted fishes. And that the bridge of London town, And thus you have all but half my song, I'll tell you what the river's name is, All on the tenth of January, To the wonder of much people, "Twas frozen o'er, that well 'twould bear Almost a country steeple. Three children sliding thereabouts, Upon a place too thin, That so at last it did fall out, That they did all fall in. A great lord there was that laid with the king, And with the king great wager makes: But when he saw he could not win, He seight, and would have drawn stakes. |