Kindergarten Read Aloud Banquet

Nursery Songs for November

A Child's Garden of Verses

Travel

I should like to rise and go
Where the golden apples grow;—
Where below another sky
Parrot islands anchored lie,
And, watched by cockatoos and goats,
Lonely Crusoes building boats;—
Where in sunshine reaching out
Eastern cities, miles about,
Are with mosque and minaret
Among sandy gardens set,
And the rich goods from near and far
Hang for sale in the bazaar;—
Where the Great Wall round China goes,
And on one side the desert blows,
And with the bell and voice and drum,
Cities on the other hum;—
Where are forests, hot as fire,
Wide as England, tall as a spire,
Full of apes and cocoa-nuts
And the negro hunters' huts;—
Where the knotty crocodile
Lies and blinks in the Nile,
And the red flamingo flies
Hunting fish before his eyes;—
Where in jungles near and far,
Man-devouring tigers are,
Lying close and giving ear
Lest the hunt be drawing near,
Or a comer-by be seen
Swinging in a palanquin;—
Where among the desert sands
Some deserted city stands,
All its children, sweep and prince,
Grown to manhood ages since,
Not a foot in street or house,
Not a stir of child or mouse,
And when kindly falls the night,
In all the town no spark of light.
There I'll come when I'm a man
With a camel caravan;
Light a fire in the gloom
Of some dusty dining room;
See the pictures on the walls,
Heroes, fights, and festivals;
And in a corner find the toys
Of the old Egyptian boys.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Week 36	Johnny Chuck Proves His Love	Towser The Birthday Bouquet	Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes	The Frog-Hoppers Go Out into the World	The Magic Flower	The Moving-Men Story	St. John, the Beloved Disciple
Week 36	Pussy-Cat and the Dumplings	Three Wise Men of Gotham	Dance, Thumbkin, Dance	Chit, Chat	Mary's Canary	Handy-Spandy	The Little Bird

Old Old Tales Retold by Frederick Richardson [Illustration]

dropcap image N old woman found a crooked sixpence while sweeping her door-yard. "What shall I do with this sixpence?" she said. "I will go to the market and buy a pig."

Then the old woman went to the market and bought a pig. On her way home she came to a stile and then the pig would not go over the stile.

"Pig, pig, get over the stile,

Or I can not get home tonight."

But the pig would not.

Then she went a little further and met a dog; and she said to the dog:

"Dog, dog, bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile;

And I can not get home tonight."

But the dog would not.

Then she went a little farther and met a stick; and she said to the stick:

"Stick, stick, beat the dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile;

And I can not get home tonight."

But the stick would not.

Then she went a little farther and met a fire; and she said to the fire:

"Fire, fire, burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile;

And I can not get home tonight."

But the fire would not.

Then she went a little farther and met some water; and she said to the water:

"Water, water, quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I can not get home tonight." 

But the water would not.

Then she went a little farther and met an ox; and she said to the ox:

"Ox, ox, drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I can not get home tonight." 

But the ox would not.

Then she went a little farther and met a butcher; and she said to the butcher:

"Butcher, butcher pen ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I can not get home tonight."

But the butcher would not.

Then she went a little farther and met a rope; and she said to the rope:

"Rope, rope, whip butcher;
Butcher won't pen ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I can not get home tonight."

But the rope would not.

Then she went a little farther and met a rat; and she said to the rat:

"Rat, rat, gnaw rope;
Rope won't whip butcher;
Butcher won't pen ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I can not get home tonight."

But the rat would not.

Then she went a little farther and met a cat; and she said to the cat:

"Cat, cat, bite rat;	
Rat won't gnaw rope;	
Rope won't whip butcher; 
Butcher won't pen ox;	
Ox won't drink water;	
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig;
Pig won't get over the stile;
And I can not get home tonight."

But the cat said to her, "If you will get me a saucer of milk, I will bite the rat." Then the old woman gave a wisp of hay to a cow that was near, and the cow gave her a saucer of milk. Then the old woman gave the saucer of milk to the cat and this is what happened:

The cat began to bite the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to whip the butcher; the butcher began to pen the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; the pig got over the stile; and the old woman got home that night.