A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

For complete citations, see Nursery Rhyme Sources.

A Farmer Went Trotting

Father Short

Father Short came down the lane,
    Oh, I'm obliged to hammer and smite
    From four in the morning till eight at night,
For a bad master, and a worse dame.

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

Fiddle-de-dee

Fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-de-dee,
The fly shall marry the humble-bee.
They went to church, and married was she,
The fly has married the humble-bee.

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

Flour of England

Flour of England, fruit of Spain,
Met together in a shower of rain:
Put in a bag tied round with a string,
If you tell me this riddle, I'll give you a ring.
                                                (A plum pudding.)

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

For Every Evil Under the Sun

For every evil under the sun,
There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there be one, try and find it,
If there be none, never mind it.

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost,
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost,
For want of the horse, the rider was lost,
For want of the rider, the battle was lost,
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail!

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

Four-and-Twenty Tailors

Four-and-twenty tailors went to kill a snail,
The best man among them durst not touch her tail;
She put out her horns like a little Kyloe cow--
Run, tailors, run, or she'll kill you all e'en now.

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

The Fox and His Wife

The fox and his wife they had a great strife,
They never ate mustard in all their whole life;
They ate their meat without fork or knife,
    And loved to be picking a bone, e-ho!

The fox jumped up on a moonlight night;
The stars they were shining, and all things bright;
"O ho!" said the fox, "it's a very fine night
    For me to go through the town, e-ho!"

The fox when he came to yonder stile,
He lifted his lugs and he listened a while!
"O ho!" said the fox, "it's but a short mile
    From this unto yonder wee town, e-ho!"

The fox, when he came to the farmer's gate,
Who should he see but the farmer's drake;
"I love you well for your master's sake,
    And long to be picking your bone, e-ho!"

The gray goose she ran round the hay-stack,
"Oho!"  said the fox, "you are very fat;
You'll grease my beard, and ride on my back
    From this unto yonder wee town, e-ho!"

Old Gammer Hipple-hopple hopped out of bed,
She opened the casement, and popped out her head:
"O husband! O husband! the gray goose is dead,
    And the fox has gone through the town, O!"

Then the old man got up in his red cap,
And swore he would catch the fox in a trap;
But the fox was too cunning, and gave him the slip
    And ran through the town, the town, O!

When he got to the top of the hill,
He blew his trumpet both loud and shrill,
For joy that he was safe
    Through the town, O!

When the fox came back to his den,
He had young ones both nine and ten,
"You're welcome home, daddy, you may go again,
If you bring us such nice meat from the town, O!"

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

A Frog He Would a-Wooing Go

A frog he would a-wooing go,
    Sing heigho, says Rowley;
Whether his mother would let him or no;
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

So off he marched with his opera hat,
    Heigho, says Rowley,
And on the way he met with a rat,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

And when they came to Mouse's Hall,
    Heigho, says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

"Pray, Mrs. Mouse, are you within?"
    Heigho, says Rowley;
"Yes, kind sir, I am sitting to spin,"
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

"Pray, Mrs. Mouse, will you give us some beer?"
    Heigho, says Rowley;
"For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer,"
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

Now while they all were a merry-making,
    Heigho, says Rowley;
The cat and her kittens came tumbling in,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
    Heigho, says Rowley;
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

This put poor Frog in a terrible fright,
    Heigho, says Rowley,
So he took up his hat and wished them good-night,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
    Heigho, says Rowley,
A lily-white duck came and gobbled him up,
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

So there was an end of one, two, and three,
    Heigho, says Rowley,
The rat, the mouse, and the little Frog-ee!
With a rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach,
    Heigho, says Anthony Rowley.

Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

("Gammon and spinach" means "nonsense.")