Nursery Songs for April

A Child's Garden of Verses

Whole Duty of Children

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.

But the pig would not.

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

But the dog would not.

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

But the stick would not.

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

But the fire would not.

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

But the water would not.

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

But the ox would not.

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

But the butcher would not.

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

But the rope would not.

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

But the rat would not.

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

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.