Kindergarten Read Aloud Banquet

Nursery Songs for September

A Child's Garden of Verses

Pirate Story

Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing,
Three of us abroad in the basket on the lea.
Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring,
And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.

Where shall we adventure, to-day that we're afloat,
Wary of the weather and steering by a star?
Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat,
To Providence, or Babylon or off to Malabar?

Hi! but here's a squadron a-rowing on the sea—
Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar!
Quick, and we'll escape them, they're as mad as they can be,
The wicket is the harbour and the garden is the shore.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Week 6	Too Late Reddy Fox Hears	The Snow House	Lazy Jack	The Bees and the Kingbird	The Minstrel's Song	The School Story	Joseph, the Dreamer
Week 6	Two Birds	Little Pussy	Leg over Leg	Simple Simon	Lucy Locket	Play Days	When Jenny Wren Was Young

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.