Ye Fairy Ship

1

A ship, a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea,
And it was deeply laden
With pretty things for me;
There were raisins in the cabin,
And almonds in the hold;
The sails were made of satin,
And the mast it was of gold.

2

The four-and-twenty sailors
That stood between the decks,
Were four-and-twenty white mice
With rings about their necks.
The captain was a duck, a duck,
With a jacket on his back,
And when this fairy ship set sail,
The captain he said, "Quack!"

Walter Crane

Walter Crane was an English artist and book illustrator, considered to be one of the most prolific and influential children's book creators of his generation. Born on August 15, 1845, and passing away on March 14, 1915, he was part of the Arts and Crafts movement and is known for his innovative contributions to children's literature. His work often combined art and poetry, aiming to educate and delight young readers.

Walter Crane

The Old Woman Tossed Up In A Blanket

Walter Crane, Simple Poetry

The Carrion Crow

Walter Crane, Simple Poetry

The Fox & The Mask

Walter Crane, Simple Poetry

A B C

Walter Crane, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

Nursery Rhyme. CCCLXXVII. Paradoxes.

    I saw a ship a-sailing,
        A-sailing on the sea;
    And, oh! it was all laden
        With pretty things for thee!

    There were comfits in the cabin,
        And apples in the hold;
    The sails were made of silk,
        And the masts were made of gold:

    The four-and-twenty sailors,
        That stood between the decks,
    Were four-and-twenty white mice,
        With chains about their necks.

    The captain was a duck,
        With a packet on his back;
    And when the ship began to move,
        The captain said, "Quack! quack!"

Unknown

The Sea-Fairies

Slow saild the weary mariners and saw,
Betwixt the green brink and the running foam,
Sweet faces, rounded arms, and bosoms prest
To little harps of gold; and while they mused,
Whispering to each other half in fear,
Shrill music reachd them on the middle sea.

Whither away, whither away, whither away? fly no more.
Whither away, from the high green field, and the happy blossoming shore?
Day and night to the billow the fountain calls;
Down shower the gambolling waterfalls
From wandering over the lea;
Out of the live-green heart of the dells
They freshen the silvery-crimson shells,
And thick with white bells the clover-hill swells
High over the full-toned sea.
O, hither, come hither and furl your sails,
Come hither to me and to me;
Hither, come hither ...

Alfred Lord Tennyson

I Saw Three Ships

1.
I saw three ships come sailing by,
Sailing by, sailing by,
I saw three ships come sailing by,
On New-year's Day in the morning.

2.
And what do you think was in them then,
In them then, in them then,
And what do you think was in them then,
On New-year's Day in the morning?

3.
Three pretty girls were in them then,
In them then, in them then,
Three pretty girls were in them then,
On New-year's Day in the morning.

4.
And one could whistle, and one could sing,
The other play on the violin;
Such joy there was at my wedding,
On New-year's Day in the morning.

Walter Crane

The Ship Of Rio

There was a ship of Rio
    Sailed out into the blue,
And nine and ninety monkeys
    Were all her jovial crew.
From bo'sun to the cabin boy,
    From quarter to caboose,
There weren't a stitch of calico
    To breech 'em - tight or loose;
From spar to deck, from deck to keel,
    From barnacle to shroud,
There weren't one pair of reach-me-downs
    To all that jabbering crowd.
But wasn't it a gladsome sight,
    When roared the deep sea gales,
To see them reef her fore and aft
    A-swinging by their tails!
Oh, wasn't it a gladsome sight,
    When glassy calm did come,
To see them squatting tailor-wise
    Around a keg of rum!
Oh, wasn't it a gladsome sight,
    When in she sailed to land,
To see them all a-scampering skip
 ...

Walter De La Mare

A Fairy Cavalier.

By a mushroom in the moon,
White as bud from budded berry,
Silver buckles on my shoon, -
Ho! the moon shines merry.

Here I sit and drink my grog, -
Stocks and tunic ouphen yellow,
Skinned from belly of a frog, -
Quite a fine, fierce fellow.

My good cloak a bat's wing gave,
And a beetle's wings my bonnet,
And a moth's head grew the brave,
Gallant feather on it.

Faith! I have rich jewels rare,
Rings and carcanets all studded
Thick with spiders' eyes, that glare
Like great rubies blooded.

And I swear, sirs, by my blade,
"Sirrah, a good stabbing hanger!" -
From a hornet's stinger made, -
When I am in anger.

Fill the lichen pottles up!
Honey pressed from hearts of roses;
Cheek by jowl, up with each cup

Madison Julius Cawein

The Junk And The Dhow

Once a pair of savages found a stranded tree.
(One-piecee stick -pidgin two piecee man.
Straddle-um-paddle-um-push -um off to sea.
That way Foleign Debbil-boat began.)
But before, and before, and ever so long before
Any shape of sailing-craft was known,
The Junk and Dhow had a stern and a bow,
And a mast and a sail of their own ahoy! alone!
As they crashed across the Oceans on their own!

Once there was a pirate-ship, being blown ashore
(Plitty soon pilum up, s'posee no can tack..
Seven-piecee stlong man pullum sta'boa'd oar.
That way bling her head alound and sail-o back.)
But before, and before, an ever so long before
Grand Commander Noah took the wheel,
The Junk and the Dhow, though they look like anyhow,
Had rudders reaching deep below their keel ahoy...

Rudyard