The Home Book of Verse
Chapter 10 : When I was a bachelor I lived by myself; And all the bread and cheese I got I put upon

When I was a bachelor I lived by myself; And all the bread and cheese I got I put upon the shelf.

The rats and the mice They made such a strife, I was forced to go to London To buy me a wife.

The streets were so bad, And the lanes were so narrow, I was forced to bring my wife home In a wheelbarrow.

The wheelbarrow broke, And my wife had a fall, Down came wheelbarrow, Little wife and all.

"JOHNNY SHALL HAVE A NEW BONNET"

Johnny shall have a new bonnet, And Johnny shall go to the fair, And Johnny shall have a blue ribbon To tie up his bonny brown hair.

And why may not I love Johnny, And why may not Johnny love me?

And why may not I love Johnny As well as another body?

And here's a leg for a stocking, And here's a foot for a shoe; And he has a kiss for his daddy, And one for his mammy, too.

And why may not I love Johnny, And why may not Johnny love me?

And why may not I love Johnny, As well as another body?

THE CITY MOUSE AND THE GARDEN MOUSE

The city mouse lives in a house;-- The garden mouse lives in a bower, He's friendly with the frogs and toads, And sees the pretty plants in flower.

The city mouse eats bread and cheese;-- The garden mouse eats what he can; We will not grudge him seeds and stocks, Poor little timid furry man.

Christina Georgina Rossetti [1830-1894]

ROBIN REDBREAST

Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree, Up went p.u.s.s.y-cat, and down went he; Down came p.u.s.s.y-cat, and away Robin ran; Said little Robin Redbreast, "Catch me if you can."

Little Robin Redbreast jumped upon a wall, p.u.s.s.y-cat jumped after him, and almost got a fall; Little Robin chirped and sang, and what did p.u.s.s.y say?

p.u.s.s.y-cat said naught but "Mew," and Robin flew away.

SOLOMON GRUNDY

Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Worse on Friday, Died on Sat.u.r.day, Buried on Sunday, This is the end of Solomon Grundy.

"MERRY ARE THE BELLS"

Merry are the bells, and merry would they ring, Merry was myself, and merry could I sing; With a merry ding-dong, happy, gay, and free, And a merry sing-song, happy let us be!

Waddle goes your gait, and hollow are your hose: Noddle goes your pate, and purple is your nose: Merry is your sing-song, happy, gay, and free; With a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

Merry have we met, and merry have we been; Merry let us part, and merry meet again; With our merry sing-song, happy, gay, and free, With a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!

"WHEN GOOD KING ARTHUR RULED THIS LAND"

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

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

The king and queen did eat thereof, And n.o.blemen beside; And what they could not eat that night, The queen next morning fried.

THE BELLS OF LONDON

Gay go up, and gay go down, To ring the bells of London town.

Bull's eyes and targets, Say the bells of Saint Marg'ret's.

Brickbats and tiles, Say the bells of Saint Giles'.

Half-pence and farthings, Say the bells of Saint Martin's.

Oranges and lemons, Say the bells of Saint Clement's.

Pancakes and fritters, Say the bells of Saint Peter's.

Two sticks and an apple, Say the bells of Whitechapel.

Old Father Baldpate, Say the slow bells at Aldgate.

Pokers and tongs, Say the bells of Saint John's.

Kettles and pans, Say the bells of Saint Ann's.

You owe me ten s.h.i.+llings, Say the bells of Saint Helen's.