A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes and Poems - preview

For all the children of St George’s Residence past and present.

F. P.-G.

illustrated by

Frann Preston-Gannon

The Cock Crows in the Morn The cock crows in the morn To tell us to rise, And he that lies late Will never be wise: For early to bed, And early to rise, Is the way to be healthy And wealthy and wise.

6

7

The Donkey Donkey, donkey, old and grey, Open your mouth and gently bray; Lift your ears and blow your horn, To wake the world this sleepy morn.

Elsie Marley Elsie Marley is grown so fine, She won’t get up to feed the swine, But lies in bed till eight or nine.

Lazy Elsie Marley.

8

Little Wind Little wind, blow on the hill top, Little wind, blow down the plain; Little wind, blow up the sunshine, Little wind, blow off the rain.

Kate Greenaway

9

There Was a Little Girl There was a little girl, who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead, And when she was good, she was very, very good, But when she was bad she was horrid.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

10

The Pancake

One for a Tangle

Mix a pancake,

One for a tangle,

Stir a pancake,

One for a curl,

Pop it in the pan; Fry the pancake, Toss the pancake – Catch it if you can.

Christina Rossetti

One for a boy, One for a girl, One to make a parting, One to tie a bow, One to blow the cobwebs out And one to make it grow.

11

Goose Feathers

The Wind

Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose,

When the wind is in the east,

Have you any feathers loose?

’Tis neither good for man nor beast;

Truly have I, pretty fellow,

When the wind is in the north,

Half enough to fill a pillow.

The skilful fisher goes not forth;

Here are quills, take one or two,

When the wind is in the south,

And down to make a bed for you.

It blows the bait in the fishes’ mouth; When the wind is in the west, Then ’tis at the very best.

12

Grey Goose Grey goose and gander, Waft your wings together, And carry the good king’s daughter Over the one-strand river.

13

I Saw a Ship A-sailing I saw a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea, And oh but it was laden With pretty things for me.

There were comfits in the cabin, And apples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were all 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!�

14

If All the World If all the world was paper, And all the sea was ink, If all the trees were bread and cheese, What should we have to drink?

15