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I met mister Rusticap; Pins and needles on his back, A going to Thorney fair.
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FORMED long ago, yet made to day, Employed while others sleep ; What few would like to give away, Nor any wish to keep.
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/ p.112 /
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A hundred eyes, and never a nose.
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OLD
father Greybeard, Without tooth or tongue ; If you'll give me your finger, I'll give you my thumb.
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And all the king's horses can't pull it up.
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Humpty dumpty had a great fall ; Three score men and three score more, Cannot place Humpty Dumpty as he was before. *
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GOOSEY
goosey gander, Where shall I wander? Up stairs, down stairs, And in my lady's chamber ; There I met an old man That would not say his prayers ; I took him by the left leg, And threw him down stairs.
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PURPLE, yellow, red, and green, The king cannot reach it nor the queen ; Nor can old Noll, whose power's so great : Tell me this riddle while I count eight.
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* Sometimes the last two lines run as follows :"All the king's horses and all the king's men, |
/ p.114 /
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LITTLE Nancy Etticoat, In a white petticoat, And a red nose ; The longer she stands, The shorter she grows.
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LONG legs, crooked thighs, Little head and no eyes.
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WHAT
shoe-maker makes shoes without leather, With all the four elements put together ? Fire and water, earth and air, Ev'ry customer has two pair.
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/ p.115 /
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TWO legs sat upon three legs, With one leg in his lap ; In comes four legs, And runs away with one leg. Up jumps two legs, Catches up three legs, Throws it after four legs, And makes him bring back one leg.
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AS I was going to sell my eggs, I met a man with bandy legs, Bandy legs and crooked toes, I tripped up his heels and he fell on his nose.
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PEASE-porridge hot, pease-porridge cold, Pease-porridge in the pot, nine days old. Spell me that in four letters.
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/ p.116 /
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THERE
were three sisters in a hall, There came a knight amongst them all; Good morrow, aunt, to the one, Good morrow, aunt, to the other, Good morrow, gentwoman, to the third, If you were my aunt, As the other two be, I would say good morrow, Then, aunts, all three.
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CONGEAL'D water and Cain's brother, That was my lover's name, and no other.
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Now they tramp, now they champ, now they stand still.
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/ p.117 /
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AS I went through the garden gap, Who should I meet but Dick Red-cap ! A stick in his hand, a stone in his throat,— If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat.
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ELIZABETH, Elspeth, Betsy and Bess, They all went together to seek a bird's nest, They found a bird's nest with five eggs in, They all took one, and left four in.
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AS
I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives, Every wife had seven sacks, Every sack had seven cats, Every cat had seven kits: Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, How many where [lit.] there going to St. Ives ?
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SEE, see ! what shall I see ? A horse's head where his tail should be.
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I HAD
a little castle upon the sea-side, One half was water, the other was land ; I open'd my little castle door, and guess what I found ; I found a fair lady with a cup in her hand. The cup was gold, filled with wine ; Drink, fair lady, and thou shalt be mine.
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WHEN
I went up sandy hill, I met a sandy boy ; I cut his throat, I sucked his blood, And left his skin a hanging-o.
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The king could not read it, no more could the queen ; They sent for a wise man out of the East, Who said it had horns, but was not a beast !
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/ p.119 /
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I HAD
a little sister, they call'd her peep, peep, She waded the waters deep, deep, deep, She climbed the mountains high, high, high, Poor little creature she wanted an eye.
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TWELVE
pears hanging high, Twelve knights riding by; Each knight took a pear, And yet left eleven there !
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MRS. TWITCHETT with one eye, A wondrous length of train lets fly; As she glides through every gap, She leaves a bit of her tail in the trap.
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KING
Charles walked and talked Half an hour after his head was cut off !
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