NURSERY RHYMES
by Unknown · from The National Nursery Book: With 120 illustrations
Adapted Version
Let's read some fun rhymes!
Jack sits in a corner. He eats his pie. He finds a plum. Jack says, "I am a good boy!"
Someone goes to market. They buy a pig. They come home again. They are happy.
Black Sheep has wool. Yes, he has wool. Three bags are full.
A pretty maid goes out. She gathers flowers. She gives them to Queen.
Mary has a garden. It grows well. It has silver bells. It has cockle-shells.
Bo-Peep cannot find her sheep. She looks for them. She finds her sheep. They lost their tails. Bo-Peep feels a little sad.
Hot Cross Buns! Hot Cross Buns! They cost one penny. They are yummy buns.
A cat plays a fiddle. A cow jumps the moon. A dog laughs. A dish runs after a spoon.
Queen of Hearts makes tarts. Knave of Hearts takes them. King of Hearts is cross. He scolds the Knave. Knave brings tarts back.
Polly sits in cinders. She warms her toes. Mother scolds Polly. Her clothes are dirty.
An old woman goes high. She sweeps cobwebs. The sky has cobwebs. She cleans them.
Dame Trot has a cat. They live well. Dame eats dinner. Cat waits. Cat gets food.
Simon meets a pieman. Simon has no money. He cannot buy pie. Simon goes fishing. He uses a pail.
Mary has a bird. It is yellow. It sings sweet songs.
John Smith is here. He fixes shoes. He uses nails.
Jack and Jill go up a hill. They get water. Jack falls down. He bumps his head. Jill falls too.
Fred goes to bed. He says prayers. He kisses Mama. He kisses Papa.
Tommy sings. He sings for supper. He eats bread and butter.
A pretty maid goes milking. She milks the cow. She is happy.
An old lady rides a white horse. She has rings. She has bells. She makes music. She goes to Banbury Cross.
King Cole is merry. He calls for his pipe. He calls for his bowl. He calls for three fiddlers. They play music for him.
Twenty-four tailors are here. They see a snail. They are afraid. The snail is small.
A baby is in a cradle. The cradle is green. The baby sleeps. Shhh, baby sleeps.
What a happy day of rhymes! Good job, everyone!
Original Story
NURSERY RHYMES.
LITTLE JACK HORNER.
Little Jack Horner sat in a corner,
Eating his Christmas Pie;
He put in his thumb, and pulled out a plum,
And said, “What a good boy am I!”
TO MARKET, TO MARKET.
To market, to market, to buy a fat pig;
Home again, home again, jiggetty-jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again, jiggetty-jog.
Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a piece of beef.
I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was from home;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a marrow bone.
TAFFY WAS A WELSHMAN.
BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, marry, have I,
Three bags full:
One for my master,
One for my dame;
But none for the little girl
That cries in the lane.
PRETTY MAID, PRETTY MAID.
Pretty maid, pretty maid, where have you been?
Gathering a posie to give to the Queen.
MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY.
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells,
And columbines all of a row.
LITTLE BO-PEEP.
Little Bo-Peep has lost his sheep,
And cannot 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 he heard them bleating
When he awoke, he found it a joke,
For still they all were fleeting.
Then up he took his little crook,
Determined for to find them;
He found them indeed, but it made his heart bleed,
For they'd left their tails behind them.
HOT CROSS BUNS.
Hot Cross Buns!
Hot Cross Buns!
One a penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns.
Hot Cross Buns!
Hot Cross Buns!
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons.
THE CAT AND FIDDLE.
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed
To see the sport,
While the dish ran after the spoon.
THE QUEEN OF HEARTS.
The Queen of Hearts,
She made some tarts
Upon a summer day;
The Knave of Hearts,
He stole those tarts,
And took them quite away.
The King of Hearts,
He missed those tarts,
And beat the knave full sore;
The Knave of Hearts
Brought back those tarts,
And vowed he'd steal no more.
I HAD A LITTLE HUSBAND.
I had a little husband,
No bigger than my thumb;
I put him in a pint-pot,
And there I bid him drum.
I bought a little horse,
That galloped up and down;
I bridled him and saddled him,
And sent him out of town.
I gave him some garters,
To garter up his hose,
And a little handkerchief
To wipe his pretty nose.
GOOSEY, GOOSEY, GANDER.
Goosey, Goosey Gander,
Where shall I wander?
Up stairs, down stairs,
In my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
That would not say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him down stairs.
LITTLE POLLY FLINDERS.
Little Polly Flinders,
Sat among the cinders,
Warming her pretty little toes;
Her mother came and caught her,
And scolded her little daughter,
For spoiling her nice new clothes.
DING DONG BELL.
Ding Dong Bell,
Pussy's in the well.
Who put her in?
Little Tommy Lin.
Who pulled her out?
Little Tommy Trout.
What a naughty boy was that,
To drown poor little Pussy cat,
Who never did him any harm,
But killed the mice in his father's barn.
"MULTIPLICATION IS VEXATION."
Multiplication is vexation;
Division is as bad;
The Rule of Three doth puzzle me,
And Practice drives me mad.
THE DAPPLE-GREY PONY.
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.
OLD WOMAN, OLD WOMAN, SAYS I.
Old woman, old woman, old woman say I,
O whither, O whither, O whither so high?
To sweep the cobwebs off the sky.
Shall I go with you? Ay, by-and-by.
DAME TROT AND HER CAT.
Dame Trot and her cat
Led a peaceable life
When they were not troubled
With other folks' strife.
When Dame had her dinner
Puss near her would wait,
And was sure to receive
A nice piece from her plate.
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.”
Simple Simon went a-fishing
For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got
Was in his mother's pail.
MARY HAD A PRETTY BIRD.
Mary had a pretty bird,
With feathers bright and yellow,
Slender legs—upon my word,
He was a pretty fellow.
The sweetest notes he always sang,
Which much delighted Mary;
And near the cage she'd ever sit,
To hear her own Canary.
IS JOHN SMITH WITHIN?
Is John Smith within?
Yes, that he is.
Can he set a shoe?
Ay, marry, two;
Here a nail and there a nail,
Tick, tack, too.
GUY FAWKES.
Please to remember
The fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
I know no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
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.
LITTLE FRED.
When little Fred went to bed,
He always said his prayers.
He kissed mamma and then papa,
And straightway went upstairs.
LITTLE TOM TUCKER.
Little Tommy Tucker,
Sings for his supper.
What shall he eat?
White bread and butter.
How shall he cut it
Without e'er a knife?
How will he be married
Without e'er a wife.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING, MY PRETTY MAID?
Where are you going, my pretty maid?
I'm going a milking, sir, she said.
May I go with you, my pretty maid?
You're kindly welcome, sir, she said.
What is your fortune, my pretty maid?
My face is my fortune, sir, she said.
Then I won't marry you, my pretty maid.
Nobody asked you, sir, she said.
RIDE A COCK-HORSE.
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see an old lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And so she makes music wherever she goes.
SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE.
Sing a song of sixpence,
A bag full of rye;
Four-and-twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing.
Was not that a dainty dish
To set before the king?
The king was in his countinghouse,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
'Long came a blackbird
And snapt off her nose.
TOM, TOM, THE PIPER'S SON.
Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
Stole a pig and away he run!
The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,
And Tom went roaring down the street.
OLD KING COLE.
Old King Cole
Was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he!
Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee went the fiddlers.
Oh, there's none so rare
As can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three!
FOUR-AND-TWENTY TAILORS WENT TO KILL A SNAIL.
Four-and-twenty tailors went to kill a snail;
The best man among them durst not touch her tail.
She put out her horns like a little Kyloe cow.
Run, tailors, run, or she'll kill you all e'en now.
HUSH-A-BY BABY.
Hush-a-by, baby, thy cradle is green;
Father's a nobleman; mother's a queen;
Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring,
And Johnny's a drummer and drums for the king.
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Story DNA
Moral
Many nursery rhymes offer simple lessons about behavior, consequences, or observations of the world, though not all have a singular moral.
Plot Summary
This collection presents numerous short, rhyming verses, each a miniature story or observation. Characters like Jack Horner, Little Bo-Peep, and Simple Simon engage in simple actions, often leading to minor consequences or whimsical events. Themes of everyday life, morality, and fantastical occurrences are explored through memorable characters such as the Queen of Hearts, the cow that jumped over the moon, and the blackbirds baked in a pie. Each rhyme offers a glimpse into a small, self-contained world, sometimes with a clear moral, other times simply for entertainment or to commemorate an event.
Themes
Emotional Arc
varied, from simple observation to mild distress and resolution
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Nursery rhymes often have origins in historical events, political satire, or simply observations of daily life, sometimes with darker undertones lost in modern interpretation. They reflect pre-industrial English life and customs.
Plot Beats (31)
- Jack Horner eats pie, finds a plum, and praises himself.
- Someone goes to market to buy a pig and a hog, returning home.
- Taffy, a Welsh thief, steals beef and a marrow bone.
- A black sheep provides wool for master and dame, but not a crying girl.
- A pretty maid gathers a posy for the Queen.
- Mary, Mary's garden grows with silver bells and cockle-shells.
- Little Bo-Peep loses her sheep, dreams of them, finds them without tails, and is heartbroken.
- Hot Cross Buns are sold, with a suggestion to give them to sons if no daughters.
- A cat plays fiddle, a cow jumps the moon, a dog laughs, and a dish chases a spoon.
- The Queen of Hearts makes tarts, the Knave steals them, the King beats him, and the Knave returns them.
- A tiny husband is put in a pint-pot to drum, then given a horse and sent away.
- Goosey Gander wanders into a lady's chamber, finds an old man not praying, and throws him downstairs.
- Polly Flinders warms her toes in cinders and is scolded for dirtying clothes.
- Pussy is put in a well by Tommy Lin and pulled out by Tommy Trout, with a condemnation of Tommy Lin.
- A dapple-grey pony is lent to a lady who abuses it, leading to a refusal to lend it again.
- An old woman goes high to sweep cobwebs off the sky.
- Dame Trot and her cat live peacefully, sharing meals.
- Simple Simon tries to buy pie without money and attempts to fish for a whale in a pail.
- Mary has a beloved canary that sings sweetly.
- John Smith is asked if he can set shoes, which he can.
- The fifth of November, Guy Fawkes' plot, is remembered.
- Jack and Jill go for water, Jack falls and breaks his crown, and Jill tumbles after.
- Little Fred says his prayers and kisses his parents before bed.
- Little Tommy Tucker sings for supper, but lacks a knife and a wife.
- A pretty maid going milking refuses a suitor who dismisses her lack of fortune.
- An old lady on a white horse with rings and bells makes music at Banbury Cross.
- Four-and-twenty blackbirds are baked in a pie, sing when opened, and a blackbird later snaps off a maid's nose.
- Tom, the piper's son, steals a pig, eats it, is beaten, and cries.
- Merry Old King Cole calls for his pipe, bowl, and three fiddlers who play for him.
- Twenty-four tailors are terrified by a snail.
- A baby is hushed in a green cradle, with mentions of its noble family.
Characters
Little Jack Horner
A small boy, likely plump from holiday treats, with a round face and short stature. His hands are small and pudgy, perfect for digging into a pie.
Attire: A simple, warm tunic of deep red wool, perhaps with a white linen collar peeking out, and dark breeches suitable for a child in 17th-18th century England. His clothes might be slightly rumpled from sitting in a corner.
Wants: To enjoy his Christmas pie and feel good about himself.
Flaw: A touch of self-importance and a focus on immediate gratification.
Remains unchanged, a snapshot of childhood self-satisfaction.
Self-satisfied, innocent, a little greedy, proud.
Taffy
A lean, perhaps wiry man, with quick movements. His appearance suggests he is not well-off, possibly gaunt from hunger or a life of hardship.
Attire: Simple, worn clothing of coarse wool or linen, likely in muted earth tones, perhaps a homespun tunic and trousers, indicative of a Welsh commoner in the 18th-19th century. His clothes would be practical but show signs of wear and tear.
Wants: To acquire food, likely due to poverty or a lack of honest means.
Flaw: His thieving nature makes him an outcast and subject to retribution.
Remains a thief throughout the rhyme, with no indication of change.
Thievish, opportunistic, elusive, perhaps desperate.
Black Sheep
A robust, healthy sheep, distinguished by its thick, dark black fleece. Its body is well-rounded, indicating good health and ample wool.
Attire: Its natural black fleece is its 'clothing'.
Wants: To provide wool as is its nature.
Flaw: Passive, allows its wool to be taken without resistance.
Remains a provider of wool.
Generous, compliant, productive.
Mary (Quite Contrary)
A young woman with an air of whimsical individuality. Her posture might be slightly askew or unconventional, reflecting her 'contrary' nature.
Attire: A simple but charming dress of the 18th-century English countryside, perhaps a light green or blue linen gown, but with unexpected embellishments like small bells or shell-like buttons, hinting at her 'contrary' style. A white apron might be tied over it.
Wants: To cultivate a unique and beautiful garden that reflects her personality.
Flaw: Her 'contrary' nature might make her misunderstood or isolated.
Remains true to her unique self, her garden a reflection of her personality.
Whimsical, individualistic, creative, perhaps a little defiant of convention.
Little Bo-Peep
A small, innocent-looking child, perhaps a bit disheveled from searching for his sheep. His build is slight, typical of a young shepherd.
Attire: A simple, practical shepherd's outfit of the 18th-century English countryside: a loose-fitting smock of natural linen or coarse wool, breeches, and sturdy leather shoes. A wide-brimmed straw hat would protect him from the sun.
Wants: To find his lost sheep and ensure their well-being.
Flaw: Naivety and a tendency to give up easily (initially).
Starts distressed, gains determination, but ultimately faces a sad reality, learning about loss and the unexpected nature of life.
Innocent, easily distressed, persistent, caring (for his sheep).
The Queen of Hearts
A regal and imposing woman, likely with a full figure befitting a queen. Her demeanor would be one of authority and perhaps a touch of vanity.
Attire: An opulent court gown of the 18th century, perhaps in rich red velvet or silk, embroidered with golden hearts. Her dress would feature a wide pannier skirt and intricate lace details, reflecting her status. Jewels would adorn her neck and wrists.
Wants: To enjoy her tarts and maintain order within her court.
Flaw: Her tarts are easily stolen, and she relies on others for justice.
Remains a queen, her tarts stolen and then returned, highlighting her position of power.
Regal, industrious (initially), prone to anger (implied by the King's reaction to the theft).
The Knave of Hearts
A slender and agile young man, with a mischievous glint in his eye. His build would be nimble, allowing him to quickly steal and run.
Attire: A fashionable but slightly less opulent outfit than the King, perhaps a blue or green silk doublet with silver embroidery, breeches, and stockings, indicative of a courtier or noble's son in the 18th century. He might wear a small heart emblem on his clothing.
Wants: To steal and eat the Queen's tarts, likely out of hunger or simple mischief.
Flaw: His impulsiveness and inability to resist temptation.
Starts as a thief, is punished, and vows to reform, showing a change from mischievousness to (forced) repentance.
Mischievous, thievish, impulsive, ultimately repentant (under duress).
Old King Cole
A jovial, portly old man with a ruddy complexion, indicative of a life of good cheer. He would have a comfortable, grandfatherly presence.
Attire: A lavish but comfortable royal robe of deep purple or crimson velvet, trimmed with ermine, indicative of an English king. He would wear a simple golden crown, perhaps slightly askew, and comfortable slippers. His attire suggests merriment over strict formality.
Wants: To enjoy life and spread merriment through music and good company.
Flaw: Perhaps a bit too indulgent in his pleasures.
Remains a merry old soul, a consistent figure of joy.
Merry, jovial, fond of music and simple pleasures, generous (implied by his fiddlers).
Locations
The Corner
A cozy, perhaps slightly secluded corner within a traditional English cottage, likely near a fireplace or window, where a child can sit comfortably.
Mood: Cozy, innocent, simple, festive
Little Jack Horner eats his Christmas pie and finds a plum.
Mary's Garden
A meticulously tended, perhaps overly ornamental English cottage garden, featuring unusual and decorative elements like 'silver bells' and 'cockle-shells' alongside traditional flowers.
Mood: Whimsical, orderly, slightly eccentric, flourishing
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, reveals the unique contents and arrangement of her garden.
The Hill with a Well
A moderately steep, grassy hill in the English countryside, with a traditional stone-lined well at its summit or near its crest, leading down to a path.
Mood: Pastoral, active, slightly perilous
Jack and Jill ascend the hill to fetch water, leading to their famous tumble.
The Royal Palace Grounds
A grand, bustling English royal palace, featuring a 'countinghouse' for the King, a 'parlour' for the Queen, and an extensive 'garden' for the maid, all indicative of a wealthy household.
Mood: Busy, opulent, slightly chaotic, domestic
The King, Queen, and Maid are engaged in their daily activities when a blackbird causes mischief.