Nursery Rhyme. CCCCXCVIII. Natural History.

    Pussy sat by the fire-side
    In a basket full of coal-dust;
    Bas-
    ket,
    Coal-
    dust,
    In a basket full of coal-dust!

    Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
    I've been up to London to look at the queen.
    Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
    I frighten'd a little mouse under the chair.

        Jack Sprat
        Had a cat,
    It had but one ear;
        It went to buy butter,
    When butter was dear.

    Pussy sits behind the fire,
        How can she be fair?
    In comes the little dog,
        Pussy, are you there?
    So, so, Mistress Pussy,
        Pray how do you do?
    Thank you, thank you, little dog,
        I'm very well just now.

    Pussy cat eat the dumplings, the dumplings,
    Pussy cat eat the dumplings.
            Mamma stood by,
            And cried, Oh, fie!
    Why did you eat the dumplings?

        Pussy cat Mole,
        Jump'd over a coal,
        And in her best petticoat burnt a great hole.
    Poor pussy's weeping, she'll have no more milk,
    Until her best petticoat's mended with silk.