Nursery Rhyme. CXXXIII. Songs.

    The fox and his wife they had a great strife,
    They never eat mustard in all their whole life;
    They eat their meat without fork or knife,
        And loved to be picking a bone, e-ho!

    The fox jumped up on a moonlight night;
    The stars they were shining, and all things bright;
    Oh, ho! said the fox, it's a very fine night
        For me to go through the town, e-ho!

    The fox when he came to yonder stile,
    He lifted his lugs and he listened a while!
    Oh, ho! said the fox, it's but a short mile
        From this unto yonder wee town, e-ho!

    The fox when he came to the farmer's gate,
    Who should he see but the farmer's drake;
    I love you well for your master's sake,
        And long to be picking your bone, e-ho!

    The gray goose she ran round the hay-stack,
    Oh, ho! said the fox, you are very fat;
    You'll grease my beard and ride on my back
        From this into yonder wee town, e-ho!

    Old Gammer Hipple-hopple hopped out of bed,
    She opened the casement, and popped out her head;
    Oh! husband, oh! husband, the gray goose is dead,
        And the fox is gone through the town, oh!

    Then the old man got up in his red cap,
    And swore he would catch the fox in a trap;
    But the fox was too cunning, and gave him the slip,
        And ran thro' the town, the town, oh!

    When he got to the top of the hill,
    He blew his trumpet both loud and shrill,
    For joy that he was safe
        Thro' the town, oh!

    When the fox came back to his den,
    He had young ones both nine and ten,
    "You're welcome home, daddy, you may go again,
    If you bring us such nice meat
        From the town, oh!"

Unknown

The identity of this poet is not known. Their works, which are often of significant historical or cultural value, have been attributed to 'Unknown'. This designation is commonly used when the creator of works, ranging from ancient texts to more modern writings, remains anonymous or uncredited. Despite the lack of personal details, the impact and importance of these works endure, offering insight into the eras and cultures from which they originated.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CCXCIX. Games.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. CXCVIII. Riddles.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Nursery Rhyme. DXX. Natural History.

Unknown , Simple Poetry

Ermine

Unknown , Simple Poetry

English

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Nursery Rhyme. CCLXXXVI. Games.

        [This game begins thus: Take this - What's this? - A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog, & c.]

    Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,
    Hunting over other men's grounds!
    Eleven ships sailing o'er the main,
    Some bound for France and some for Spain:
    I wish them all safe home again:
    Ten comets in the sky,
    Some low and some high;
    Nine peacocks in the air,
    I wonder how they all came there,
    I do not know and I do not care;
    Eight joiners in joiner's hall,
    Working with the tools and all;
    Seven lobsters in a dish,
    As fresh as any heart could wish;
    Six beetles against the wall,
    Close by an old woman's apple stall;
    Five puppies of our dog Ball,
    Who daily for their breakfast...

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CCXC. Games.

    There were three jovial Welshmen,
        As I have heard them say,
    And they would go a-hunting
        Upon St. David's day.

    All the day they hunted,
        And nothing could they find
    But a ship a-sailing,
        A-sailing with the wind.

    One said it was a ship,
        The other he said, nay;
    The third said it was a house,
        With the chimney blown away.

    And all the night they hunted,
        And nothing could they find
    But the moon a-gliding,
        A-gliding with the wind.

    One said it was the moon,
        The other he said, nay;
    The third said it was a cheese,
        And half o't cut away.

    And all the day they hunted,
        And nothing could they ...

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CCLXVIII. Gaffers And Gammers.

        [The tale on which the following story is founded is found in a MS. of the fifteenth century, preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester.]

    There was an old man, who lived in a wood,
        As you may plainly see;
    He said he could do as much work in a day,
        As his wife could do in three.
    With all my heart, the old woman said,
        If that you will allow,
    To-morrow you'll stay at home in my stead,
        And I'll go drive the plough:

    But you must milk the Tidy cow,
        For fear that she go dry;
    And you must feed the little pigs
        That are within the sty;
    And you must mind the speckled hen,
        For fear she lay away;
    And you must reel the spool of yarn
        That I spun yesterday....

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. LXIII. Tales.

    Old Mother Goose, when
    She wanted to wander,
    Would ride through the air
    On a very fine gander.

    Mother Goose had a house,
    'Twas built in a wood,
    Where an owl at the door
    For sentinel stood.

    This is her son Jack,
    A plain-looking lad,
    He is not very good,
    Nor yet very bad.

    She sent him to market,
    A live goose he bought,
    Here, mother, says he,
    It will not go for nought.

    Jack's goose and her gander,
    Grew very fond;
    They'd both eat together,
    Or swim in one pond.

    Jack found one morning,
    As I have been told,
    His goose had laid him
    An egg of pure gold.

    Jack rode to his mother,
    The news f...

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. LXIX. Tales.

    A dog and a cock,
    A journey once took,
        They travell'd along till 'twas late;
    The dog he made free
    In the hollow of a tree,
        And the cock on the boughs of it sate.

    The cock nothing knowing,
    In the morn fell a crowing,
        Upon which comes a fox to the tree;
    Says he, I declare,
    Your voice is above,
        All the creatures I ever did see.

    Oh! would you come down
    I the fav'rite might own,
        Said the cock, there's a porter below;
    If you will go in,
    I promise I'll come down.
        So he went - and was worried for it too.

Unknown

Nursery Rhyme. CCCLVII. Games.

        [A game of the fox.]

            Fox a fox, a brummalary,
            How many miles to Lummaflary? Lummabary.

    A.    Eight and eight, and a hundred and eight.
            How shall I get home to night?

    A.    Spin your legs, and run fast.

Unknown