A Drinking Custom
: NURSERY-SONGS.: Popular Rhymes And Nursery Tales
A pie sat on a pear tree,
A pie sat on a pear tree,
A pie sat on a pear tree,
Heigh ho! heigh ho! heigh ho!
These lines are sung by a person at the table after dinner. His next
neighbour then sings "Once so merrily hopped she," during which the
first singer is obliged to drink a bumper; and should he be unable to
empty his glass before the last line is sung, he must begin ag
he succeeds. The next line is "Twice so merrily hopped she," sung by the
next person under a similar arrangement, and so on; beginning again
after "Thrice so merrily hopped she, heigh ho! heigh ho! heigh ho!" till
the ceremony has been repeated around the table. It is to be hoped so
absurd a practice is not now in fashion.
When a boy finds anything, and another sees him stoop for it, if the
latter cries halves before he has picked it up, he is, by schoolboy
law, entitled to half of it. This right may, however, be negatived, if
the finder cries out first--
Ricket, racket, find it, tack it,
And niver give it to the aunder.
Or, sometimes the following:
No halfers,
Findee, keepee;
Lossee, seekee.
Boys leaving the schoolroom are accustomed to shout--
Those that go my way, butter and eggs,
Those that go your way, chop off their legs.
A sort of persuasive inducement, I suppose, for them to follow the
speaker for the sake of forming a party for a game.
More
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The Wolf and the Lamb
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. "There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it." Then he ca... The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among t... The Woodman and the Serpent
One wintry day a Woodman was tramping home from his work when he saw something black lying on the snow. When he came closer he saw it was a Serpent to all appearance dead. But he took it up and put it in his bosom to warm while he hurried home. ... The Young Thief and His Mother
A young Man had been caught in a daring act of theft and had been condemned to be executed for it. He expressed his desire to see his Mother, and to speak with her before he was led to execution, and of course this was granted. When his Mother c... Counting Apple-seeds
One, I love, Two, I love, Three, I love, I say, Four, I love with all my heart, And five, I cast away; Six, he loves, Seven, she loves, Eight, they both love; Nine, he comes, Ten, he tarries, ... Fortunatus And His Purse
Once upon a time there lived in the city of Famagosta, in the island of Cyprus, a rich man called Theodorus. He ought to have been the happiest person in the whole world, as he had all he could wish for, and a wife and little son whom he loved d... The Cock and the Pearl
A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw. "Ho! ho!" quoth he, "that's for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a Pear... The Concert Of The Beasts
Attention--noble auditory! While the rebeck I tune; And be prepared with plaudits soon, When ye have heard my story. Certain of the subject beasts Of the mighty Lion's court An entertainment musical, To make his Royal... The Jogi's Punishment
Once upon a time there came to the ancient city of Rahmatabad a jogi[FN#1: A Hindu holy man.] of holy appearance, who took up his abode under a tree outside the city, where he would sit for days at a time fasting from food and drink, motionles... The Rich Brother And The Poor Brother
There was once a rich old man who had two sons, and as his wife was dead, the elder lived with him, and helped him to look after his property. For a long time all went well; the young man got up very early in the morning, and worked hard all d... 'fraid Cat!
BY FRANK MUNRO To Pussy-town, the other day, The movies came. And you must know, The only chance mice have to play Is when the cats Go to the show! (Yes, mice have certain little "ri... 'moti'
Once upon a time there was a youth called Moti, who was very big and strong, but the clumsiest creature you can imagine. So clumsy was he that he was always putting his great feet into the bowls of sweet milk or curds which his mother set out ... A Apple-pie
Eachard, a learned clergyman of the Church of England, published a work in 1671,[36] in which he condescends to illustrate his argument by a reference to this celebrated history. Talking of the various modes of preaching adopted by different sects, ... A Banquet Under Water
The palaces of the mermaids were all aglow with lights as they approached them, and Trot was amazed at the sight. "Where do the lamps come from?" she asked their guide wonderingly. "They are not lamps, my dear," replied Merla, much amused at t... A Blessing For The Blessed
BY LAURENCE ALMA-TADEMA When the sun has left the hilltop, And the daisy-fringe is furled, When the birds from wood and meadow In their hidden nests are curled, Then I think of all the babies That are sleepin... A Boy's Mother
BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY My mother she's so good to me, Ef I was good as I could be, I couldn't be as good--no, sir!-- Can't any boy be good as her. She loves me when I'm glad er sad; She loves me when I'm good er... A Brave And Honest Boy Oliver Twist
LITTLE Oliver Twist was an orphan. He never saw his mother or his father. He was born at the workhouse, the home for paupers, where his poor heart-broken mother had been taken just a short time before baby Oliver came; and, the very night he was b... A Brave Girl
BY JAMES JOHONNOT (ADAPTED) In the year 1781 the war was chiefly carried on in the South, but the North was constantly troubled by bands of Tories and Indians, who would swoop down on small settlements and make off with whatever they could ... A Brave Queen
Long ago, when this country was a wild land, there lived a beautiful and brave queen named Boadicea. Her husband, the king, was dead, but she had two daughters whom she loved very much. Boadicea was queen of a part of Britain. There were no l... A Burrowing Game
See the little mousie, creeping up the stair, Looking for a warm nest--there, oh, there! (Mother's fingers creep up the body, and finally fumble in baby's neck.) ... A Child's Calendar
"January first is cold, February winds are bold, March runs whistling round the hill, April laughs and cries at will. Lovely are the woods in May, Happy June is our time to play;... A Child's Dream Of A Star
BY CHARLES DICKENS There was once a child, and he strolled about a good deal, and thought of a number of things. He had a sister, who was a child, too, and his constant companion. These two used to wonder all day long. They wondered at the beauty... A Dash For Liberty
Trot dreamed that she was at home in her own bed, but the night seemed chilly and she wanted to draw the coverlet up to her chin. She was not wide awake, but realized that she was cold and unable to move her arms to cover herself up. She tried, bu... A Domestic Tragedy
BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS My doll, my doll, my Annabel, She's really feeling far from well! Her wig is gone, her eyes are out, Her legs are left somewhere about, Her arms were stolen by the pup, The hens ate all her sa... A Dozen At A Blow
A little tailor was sitting cross-legged at his bench and was stitching away as busy as could be when a woman came up the street calling out: "Home-made jam, home-made jam!" So the tailor called out to her: "Come here, my good woman, and give m... A Drinking Custom
A pie sat on a pear tree, A pie sat on a pear tree, A pie sat on a pear tree, Heigh ho! heigh ho! heigh ho! These lines are sung by a person at the table after dinner. His next neighbour then sings "Once so merrily hopped... A Dutch Treat
BY AMY B. JOHNSON "I've been crying again, father." "Have you, sweetheart? I'm sorry." "Father." "Yes, darling." "I don't like Holland at all. I wish we had stayed in New York. And I would much rather stay in Amsterdam with you to-day t... A Fairy Enchantment
Story-teller--MICHAEL HART Recorder--W. B. YEATS In the times when we used to travel by canal I was coming down from Dublin. When we came to Mullingar the canal ended, and I began to walk, and stiff and fatigued I was after the slowness. I ha... A Fairy Story
Some fairies once lived in a dark glen in a pine forest. They were real fairies, many of them not higher than a pin. Their greatest treasure was a magic cap which had been in the fairy family for many generations. The most wonderful thing a... A Fairy's Blunder
Once upon a time there lived a fairy whose name was Dindonette. She was the best creature in the world, with the kindest heart; but she had not much sense, and was always doing things, to benefit people, which generally ended in causing pain and... A Fairy-tale
About Ivan the Fool and His Two Brothers, Semen the Warrior and Taras the Paunch, and His Dumb Sister Malanya, and About the Old Devil and the Three Young Devils I. In a certain kingdom, in a certain realm, there lived a rich p... A Famous Case
BY THEODORE C. WILLIAMS Two honey-bees half came to blows About the lily and the rose, Which might the sweeter be; And as the elephant passed by, The bees decided to apply To this wise referee. The elephant,... 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... A Finger Test
You strike three times on the top, you see, And strike three times on the bottom for me, Then top and bottom you strike very fast, And open a door in the middle at last. ... A Fish Story
Perhaps you think that fishes were always fishes, and never lived anywhere except in the water, but if you went to Australia and talked to the black people in the sandy desert in the centre of the country, you would learn something quite diffe... A Flag Incident
BY M. M. THOMAS (ADAPTED) When marching to Chattanooga the corps had reached a little wooded valley between the mountains. The colonel, with others, rode ahead, and, striking into a bypath, suddenly came upon a secluded little cabin surrounded by... A Flower Book
<style type="text/css"> <!-- .caption {font-weight: bold; color: #6B8E23} .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em;} --> </style> <p>When the snow lies thick on the ground and all the streams that ba... A Foot Play
Up, down--up, down. One foot up and one foot down, All the way to London town. Tra la la la la la. ... A French Puck
Among the mountain pastures and valleys that lie in the centre of France there dwelt a mischievous kind of spirit, whose delight it was to play tricks on everybody, and particularly on the shepherds and the cowboys. They never knew when they w... A Funny Family
There was a little lady she was'nt very big She had a spotted cow ... Also a spotted pig ... Her dress had dots ... Her dog had lots ... it was a funny family but oh so very trig ... A Girl's Valentine Charm
AS TOLD BY HERSELF (FROM THE CONNOISSEUR, 1775) Last Friday was Valentine's Day, and I'll tell you what I did the night before. I got five bay leaves, and pinned four of them to the four corners of my pillow, and the fifth to the middle; and th... A Great Fight
Tom, Uncle John told me last night that he was going to make a hard fight. I thought he was going to war. He could not tell me all about this fight then, because some one came for him, to go to see a sick child. When I went to bed, I dreamed Un... A Gunpowder Story
BY JOHN ESTEN COOKE (ADAPTED) In the autumn of 1777 the English decided to attack Fort Henry, at Wheeling, in northwestern Virginia. This was an important border fort named in honor of Patrick Henry, and around which had grown up a small vi... A Happy Day In Birdland
"The birds," said daddy, "found a new room for breakfast. It was in a row of bushes--and the bushes were berry bushes. "One day as they were having the best sort of a time eating, who should look down at them but the king of the clouds. He looke... A Hunter's Lamp
<div> <img src="/images/i208.png" alt="A Hunter's Lamp" title="A Hunter's Lamp" height="356" width="283" /> A Hunter's Lamp </div> <p>In the old pioneer days, every hunter used to make himself a lamp, for it was much easier to make than a candle. It i... A Huron Cinderella
BY HOWARD ANGUS KENNEDY Many years ago there was an Indian chief who had three daughters; and they lived in a lodge by the side of the Ottawa River--not in a wigwam, mind you, but a good old Huron lodge, like a tunnel, made of two rows of young... A Hygiene Song
A FOLK SONG 1. We're for happiness and health, hurrah! But we have no claims on wealth, hurrah! And we stand for all that's clean, Flies must go, this sure doth mean, So we trap and swat and... A Knee Game
What do I see? Baby's knee. Tickily, tickily, tic, tac, tee. One for a penny, two for a pound; Tickily, tickily, round and round. ... A Legend Of Knockmany
What Irish man, woman, or child has not heard of our renowned Hibernian Hercules, the great and glorious Fin M'Coul? Not one, from Cape Clear to the Giant's Causeway, nor from that back again to Cape Clear. And, by the way, speaking of the Giant's... A Legend Of Kwannon
In the days of the gods, Ama-no-Hashidate was the Floating Bridge of Heaven. By way of this bridge came the deities from heaven to earth, bearing their jewelled spears, their great bows and heavenly-feathered arrows, their wonder robes and thei...