In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveler in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Jane Taylor (1783-1824)

“SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE”

SING a song of sixpence,

A pocket full of rye;
Four-and-twenty blackbirds

Baked in a pie;

Simple Simon went to look

If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,

Which made poor Simon whistle.

"I LOVE SIXPENCE”

I LOVE sixpence, pretty little sixpence,

I love sixpence, better than my life;
I spent a penny of it, I gave a penny of it,

And I took fourpence home to my wife.

" When I Was a Bachelor"

41

Oh, my little fourpence, pretty little fourpence,

I love fourpence better than my life;
I spent a penny of it, I gave a penny of it,

And I took twopence home to my wife.
Oh, my little twopence, pretty little twopence,

I love twopence better than my life;
I spent a penny of it, I gave a penny of it,

And I took nothing home to my wife.
Oh, my little nothing, pretty little nothing,

What will nothing buy for my wife?
I have nothing, I spend nothing,

I love nothing better than my wife.

“I HAD A LITTLE HUSBAND”
I HAD a little husband

No bigger than my thumb;
I put him in a pint pot,

And there I bade him drum.

I bought him a little horse,

That galloped up and down;
I bridled him and saddled him,

And sent him out of town.

I gave him some garters,

To garter up his hose,
And a little handkerchief,

To wipe his pretty nose.

“WHEN I WAS A BACHELOR”

WHEN I was a bachelor

I lived by myself;
And all the bread and cheese I got

I put upon the shelf.

The rats and the mice

They made such a strife,
I was forced to go to London

To buy me a wife.

The streets were so bad,

And the lanes were so narrow,
I was forced to bring my wife home

In a wheelbarrow,

“Over the Water to Charley ”

43

ROBIN REDBREAST

LITTLE Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree,
Up went pussy-cat, and down went he;
Down came pussy-cat, and away Robin ran;
Said little Robin Redbreast, “Catch me if you can.”
Little Robin Redbreast jumped upon a wall,
Pussy-cat jumped after him, and almost got a fall;
Little Robin chirped and sang, and what did pussy say?
Pussy-cat said naught but "Mew," and Robin flew away.

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Over the water, and over the sea,
And over the water to Charley;
Charley loves good ale and wine,
And Charley loves good brandy,
And Charley loves a little lass,
As sweet as sugar-candy.
Over the water, and over the sea,
And over the water to Charley;
I'll have none of your nasty beef,
Nor I'll have none of your barley;
But I'll have some of your very best flour,
To make a white cake for my Charley.