Games galore in Gryphon’s Garden

Just nursery rhymes 2

Jack and Jill

Ladybird, ladybird

Little Bo Peep

Little Boy Blue

Little Jack Horner

Little King Pippin

Little Miss Muffet

Mary had a little lamb

Mary, Mary quite contrary

Old King Cole

Old Mother Hubbard

On Saturday night I lost my wife

Pease pudding hot

Polly put the kettle on

The lion and the unicorn

There was a crooked man

There was an old woman lived under the stairs

There was an old woman tossed up in a basket

This is the House that Jack built

Three men in a tub

Tom, he was a piper’s son

Wee Willie Winkie

Last updated: 3/23/2016 4:20 PM

These songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled, illustrated and music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

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Jack and Jill O

This rhyme was first published in 1795 but is a lot older than that.

To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_Jill_(nursery_rhyme)

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home did trot

As fast as he could caper.

He went to bed to mend his head

With vinegar and brown paper.

Jill came in and she did grin,

To see Jack's paper plaster;

Her mother though did scold her so,

For causing Jack's disaster

Ladybird, ladybird O

We sang this verse as children whenever a ladybird landed on us; blowing it away gently while singing this nursery rhyme.

Sung as ‘Ladybug, ladybug’ in the US.

Find out more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladybird_Ladybird: http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/04/1697.html

Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your children are gone,

All except one, and that’s little Ann,

And she crept under the frying pan.

Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your children are gone,

All except Nan who sits in a pan,

Weaving her laces as fast as she can.

Little Bo Peep O

Roud index number 6487.

To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Bo_Peep

There are many variations of these verses including John Kirkpatricks last verse:

She heaved a sigh and wiped her eye

And ran over hill and dale-o

And tried what she could as a shepherdess should

To tack to each sheep its tail-o.

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,

And doesn't know where to find them;

Leave them alone, and they'll come home,

Dragging their tails behind them.

Now little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,

And dreamt she heard them bleating;

But when she awoke, she found it a joke,

For they were still a-fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook,

Determined for to find them;

She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,

For they'd left all their tails behind them.

It happened one day, as Bo-peep did stray

Into a meadow close by,

There she espied their tails side by side,

Hung on a tree out to dry.

She heaved a great sigh and wiped her eye,

And over the hills went a-rambling,

And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,

To tack each again to its lambkin.

Little Boy Blue O

A nursery rhyme from a more agrarian era. It has a Roud number of 11318

To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy_Blue

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,

The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn;

But where is the boy who looks after the sheep?

He's under a haystack, fast asleep.

Will you wake him? No, not I!

For if I do he's sure to cry.

Little King Pippin O

There have traditionally been buildings made of good things to eat in stories and rhymes of yore; Hansel and Gretel immediately comes to mind.

King Pippin was an early French king and the father of Charlemagne, who founded the idea of a united political Europe. He was already a familiar as a nursery character in the 18^th century. More information can be found in the Opie’s ‘Oxford dictionary of Nursery rhymes’.

Little King Pippin he built a fine hall,

Pie-crust and pastry-crust that was the wall;

The windows were made of black pudding and white,

And slated with pancakes, you ne’er saw the like.

Little Jack Horner O

The steward of the last abbot of Glastnbury in the time of HenryVIII supposedly pulled out some plums from a pie being taken to the King. To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Jack_Horner

It has a Roud index number of 13027.

You will notice the tune is almost identical to the one below.

Little Jack Horner,

Sat in the corner,

Eating a Christmas pie;

He put in his thumb,

And pulled out a plum,

And said “What a good boy am I!”

Little Miss Muffet O

If you are not too keen on spiders the second verse might make you feel more positive towards them. Have a go at making curds and whey with full fat milk.

This rhyme possibly had political origins like many nursery rhymes. It has a Roud index number of 20605.

To find out more about this rhyme visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Miss_Muffet

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on a tuffet,

Eating her curds and whey;

Along came a spider,

Who sat down beside her

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Now little Miss Muffet

Came back to her tuffet,

To finish her curds and whey;

When back came the spider,

Who sat down beside her

And gave her a lovely bouquet.

Mary had a little lamb O

This rhyme was written by Sarah Josepha Hale of Boston in 1830. Also wonderful to know was that Thomas Edison recorded this on his phonograph.

To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Had_a_Little_Lamb

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb,

Mary had a little lamb,

Its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went,

Mary went, Mary went,

Everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,

School one day, school one day,

It followed her to school one day

Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,

Laugh and play, laugh and play,

It made the children laugh and play

To see a lamb at school.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so,

Mary so, Mary so,

Why does the lamb love Mary so?"

The eager children cried.

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,

Lamb, you know, lamb, you know,

Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."

The teacher did reply.

Mary Mary quite contrary O

‘Mary’ possibly relates to Mary Tudor daughter of Henry VIII or Queen Mary with the maids as her ladies-in-waiting.

It has a Roud number 19626.

To find out more about this rhyme and its historical context visit: http://www.rhymes.org.uk/mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row,

And pretty maids all in a row.

Old King Cole O

There are many variations on this song, many quite bawdy and not suitable for young children! The tunes also differ; many of the ones I found during my research were in the minor key and rather lovely but I was unsuccessful finding the tune I knew from my childhood on the internet so have made my own arrangement.

The Roud number is 1164. You can find more about this songs origins at: http://www.powerfulwords.info/nursery_rhymes/old_king_cole.htm and also at: http://jloughnan.tripod.com/kingcole.htm .

Continue this song by making new verses to include other instruments. Each time a new verse is sung add a line from the previous verse. Mime playing each instrument.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,

And a merry old soul was he;

He called for his pipe,

And he called for his bowl,

And he called for his fiddlers three.

Now every fiddler had a fine fiddle,

And a very fine fiddle had he:

Fiddle-diddle-dee, fiddle dee,

Went the fiddlers, merry we shall be;

There’s none so rare as can compare

With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,

And a merry old soul was he;

He called for his pipe,

And he called for his bowl,

And he called for his pipers three.

Now every piper had a fine pipe

And a very fine pipe had he:

Tootle-tootle-too, tootle too,

Went the pipers,

Fiddle-diddle-dee, fiddle dee,

Went the fiddlers, merry we shall be;

There’s none so rare as can compare

With King Cole and his pipers three.

…And he called for his drummers three.

Now every drummer had a fine drum

And a very fine drum had he:

Rub-a-dub-dub, Rub-a-dub,

Went the drummers,

Tootle-tootle-too, tootle too,

Went the pipers,

Fiddle-diddle-dee, fiddle dee,

Went the fiddlers, merry we shall be;

There’s none so rare as can compare

With King Cole and his drummers three.

Old Mother Hubbard O

First published in 1805 this nursery rhyme is thought to have much older origins and possibly of a political nature linked to Cardinal Wolsey. Find out more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Mother_Hubbard

It has the Roud number19334.

Old Mother Hubbard, she went to the cupboard,

To fetch her poor dog a bone;

But when she got there, the cupboard was bare,

And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the tailor's to buy him a coat;

But when she came back he was riding a goat.

She went to the hatter's to buy him a hat;

But when she came back he was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's to buy him a wig

But when she came back he was dancing a jig.

She went to the cobbler's to buy him some shoes;

When she came back he was reading the news.

The Dame made a curtsy, the dog made a bow;

The Dame said, “Your servant,” the dog said, “Bow-wow.”

On Saturday night, I lost my wife O

A Mother Goose rhyme sung in the British Isles and Ireland where we have a common heritage of nursery songs; perhaps as a result of immigration from Eire.

On Saturday night, I lost my wife,

And where do you think I found her?

She was up in the moon, a-playing a tune,

And all of the stars around her.

Pease pudding hot O

A clapping game. In North America it is more familiar as ‘Pease porridge’ and has a different tune.

It has the Roud number 19631

To find out more about its origins visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pease_Porridge_Hot

Pease pudding hot, pease pudding cold,

Pease pudding in the pot, nine days old.

Some like it hot, some like it cold,

Some like it in the pot, nine days old.

Daddy likes it hot, mamma likes it cold,

Ethan likes it in the pot, nine days old.

Polly put the kettle on O

It’s time for a cup of tea.

To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Put_the_Kettle_On

Polly put the kettle on,

We'll all have tea.

Sukey take it off again,

They've all gone away.

The lion and the unicorn O

You can see these symbols of the United Kingdom in many official places. The title refers to two heraldic icons; the lion represents England and the unicorn Scotland. It has a Roud number 20170 Find out more about the origins of this song at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_and_the_Unicorn

The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown;

The lion beat the unicorn

All about the town.

Some gave them white bread,

And some gave them brown;

And some gave them plum cake

And drummed them out of town.

There was a crooked man O

Another nursery rhyme that has likely political origins; in this case the agreement between England and Scotland to ‘live together’ at the time of Charles 1. See::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_a_Crooked_Man.

The second two verses are written by Dany Rosevear.

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile;

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Now that crooked little house had a crooked little door,

With crooked little windows and a crooked little floor.

And on the crooked mantel sat a crooked little clock.

That kept them all awake with its ticking and its tock.

So the crooked little man with a crooked little hop,

Took his crooked sixpence to the baker’s crooked shop;

Then he stuffed the crooked clock with brown crooked bread,

And now they all sleep soundly in their crooked little beds.

There was an old woman lived under the stairs O

A less familiar nursery rhyme.

There was an old woman lived under the stairs.

Hee-haw, hee-haw,

She sold apples and she sold pears.

Hee-haw- hum.

All her bright money she laid on a shelf.

Hee-haw, hee-haw,

If you want any more you can sing it yourself.

Hee-haw- hum.

There was an old woman tossed up in a basket O

This nursery rhyme is sung to the tune of Lilliburlero. Purcell used it in his music. Many variations on the lyrics can be found including ‘Wither, o wither, o wither so high’. The version below is as I remember it as a child in the 1950s.

There was an old woman tossed up in a basket,

Seventeen times as high as the moon.

Where she was going, I couldn’t but ask it,

For in her hand she carried a broom.

‘Old woman, old woman, old woman,’ quoth I,

‘Where are you going to up there so high?’

‘To sweep the cobwebs down from the sky!’

‘May I go with you?’ ‘Aye, by and by.’

This is the House that Jack built O

I first came across this nursery rhyme in 1950 as a four year old in a Ladybird book. It helped me to learn to read!

This is the House that Jack built.

This is the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Dog,

That worried the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the Dog,

That worried the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Maiden all forlorn,

That milked the Cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the Dog,

That worried the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the Maiden all forlorn,

That milked the Cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the Dog,

That worried the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Priest, all shaven and shorn,

That married the Man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the Maiden all forlorn,

That milked the Cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the Dog,

That worried the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

This is the Cock that crowed in the morn

That waked the Priest all shaven and shorn,

That married the Man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the Maiden all forlorn,

That milked the Cow with the crumpled horn,

That tossed the Dog,

That worried the Cat,

That killed the Rat,

That ate the Malt,

That lay in the House that Jack built.

Three men in a tub O

There are many variants of this nursery rhyme, you can find some at: http://www.mothergooseclub.com/rhymes_parent.php?id=162

Rub-a-dub-dub,

Three men in a tub,

And who do you think they be?

The butcher, the baker,

The candlestick maker.

Turn them out, knaves all three.

Rub-a-dub-dub,

Three men in a tub,

And how do you think they got there?

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker,

They all jumped out of a rotten potato,

'Twas enough to make a man stare.

Tom, he was a piper’s son O

This nursery rhyme began as a recruiting song designed to gain volunteers for the Duke of Marlborough’s campaign in 1705 To find out more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom,_Tom,_the_Piper's_Son .

Tom, he was a piper's son,

He learned to play when he was young;

The only tune that he could play

Was "Over the hills and far away".

Over the hills and a great way off,

The wind shall blow my top-knot off.

Tom with his pipe made such a noise,

That he pleased both the girls and boys,

They all stopped to hear him play

"Over the hills and far away."

Tom played his pipe with such good skill,

That those who heard him couldn’t keep still;

As soon as he played they began to dance,

Even the pigs on their hind legs pranced.

Dolly was milking her cow one day,

Tom took his pipe and began to play;

So Doll and the cow danced ‘The Cheshire round’,

Till the pail was broke and the milk ran on the ground.

He met old Dame Trot with a basket of eggs,

Tom used his pipe and she used her legs.

She danced about and the eggs all broke;

Dame Trot did fret and he laughed at the joke.

Wee Willie Winkie O

Wee Willie Winkie always makes you think of bedtime rather like the sandman. It is a Scottish nursery rhyme by William Miller that became popular all over the English speaking world. You can find the Scottish words at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Willie_Winkie

There also seems to be two distinct tunes but the one below I learnt as a child.

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,

Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown

Tapping at the window, crying through the locks,

“Are all the children in their bed,

It's past eight o'clock?”

Hey, Willie Winkie, are you coming in?

The cat is softly purring, with paws beneath the chin,

The dog is spread out on the floor, and doesn't make a peep,

But here's a wakeful little boy who will not fall asleep!

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