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The Ingoldsby Lyrics

By Thomas Ingoldsby [i.e. R. H. Barham]

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Mother Goose's Tale;
  
  
  
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117

Mother Goose's Tale;

OR, NURSERY RHYMES FOR CHRISTMAS, 1828.

I sing a song of “sixpence,” a balance all awry,
My “friend and benefactor” a piping of his eye!
When his mouth was opened the clerk began to sing,
“Is not this a pretty dish? suppose we both take wing!
“The folks are in the counting-house, counting out the money,
Five bankers in the parlour are looking rather funny!”
The clerk then in the carpet-bag was packing up his clothes,
“Send out and call a ‘Jarvey,’ ere somebody ‘turn nose!’

118

“Bee! ba! black sheep, have you any ‘cole?’”
“Not a single sixpence!” (aside) “three bags full!”
Goosey Goosey Gander!
Then I must wander
Up stairs, down stairs,
To my lady's chamber!
John Cook he went to his little grey mare,
For cash was the cry, and his purse was bare.
Little Jack Horner popt out of the corner,
Where he had been sitting so sly;
He had put in his thumb for a slice of the ‘plum,’
And now come to wish them ‘Good-bye.’
Now ride a cock horse
Adown Charing Cross,
In a dark green chariot and a grey horse!
There was an old woman got up at the turnpike,
To open the gate, a mile out of town;
Where we were going to she did not ask it—
Into her hand I slipp'd a half-crown;
“Old woman, old woman, hip,” said I,
“Can't you contrive a small bit of a lie,
To tell them we're off to the Isle of Sky?
For they'll be after us by and by.”

119

There was a man in London town,
And he was wondrous wise,
And he went with us in the chaise,
And kept out both his eyes;
And when he saw that all was safe,
With all his might and main,
He got into another chaise,
And so went back again.
I had a little pilot boat no bigger than my thumb,
There is a little place call'd Pill, and there I bid it come.
Rowland and Jemmy were two pretty men,
They lay in bed till the clock struck ten.
Up jumps Rowland, and looks at the boat,
“Come, brother Jemmy, 'tis time we're afloat!”
“You go before with the bottle and bag,
And I'll come after, and carry the ‘swag!’”
There was a hair trunk—oh, what do you think,
We fill'd it with nothing but victuals and drink:
When we'd victuals and drink, we set off with our diet,
Lest the silly old landlady should not keep quiet.

120

Sing a song,
It's very wrong
Exchequer Bills to borrow;
If we can catch the little dog,
He shall be whipt to-morrow.
Rowland loved good ale and wine,
And Rowland loved good brandy,
And Rowland loved a pretty girl
As sweet as sugar-candy.
Heigh, my Bishop, my Bishop,
And heigh, my Bishop so leary!
Ellis, and Ruthven, and Cope,
They hunt for them far and neary!
Now they go up, up, up,
Now they go round, round, round,
Now they go backwards and forwards,
And now they go down, down, down.
Old Tommy Townshend
Thus began his prayers,
“Take him by his right leg,
Take him by his left leg,
Take him by his right leg,
D---me, take him by his ears!”

121

Heigh, diddle, diddle,
Sir George and his fiddle,
They watch'd at his door till noon:
Cunning Tom laugh'd to see them all wrong,
And voted Sir Richard a ‘spoon.’
Little Bo-peep
Is gone on the deep,
And they can't tell where to find him;
Let him alone,
For he'll never come home,
Nor leave any cash behind him.

GRAND CHORUS OF MARINERS.

See saw, saw the waves,
Saw the waves asunder;
A great knave a-top of the deck,
And a little knave under.
Jan. 14th, 1829. Margery Daw.