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 HEAR WHAT MA'AM GOOSE SAYS 
 
 SEE PAGE THREE 
 
 COPYRIGHT © 1961 
 BY 
 
 10 SOCHA LANE - SCOTIA. NEW YORK 12302 
 
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 Long ago, before the Declaration of Independence and even before Paul 
 Revere was born there was another beacon light of American history — 
 one, Elizabeth Foster, who was destined to become the Mother Goose, a 
 name to be revered the world over. She was born in Boston in 1665 to 
 William and Ann Foster, who had come from Bristol, England. 
 
 On July 5, 1692, when she was twenty-seven, she married Isaac Goose 
 and was suddenly a stepmother of 10 children (Bowditch referred to the 
 wealthy family of Goose who owned property on Washington and Essex 
 Streets). 
 
 Isaac and Elizabeth had a daughter, also named Elizabeth and, according 
 to early Boston records, she was married to Thomas Fleet on June 8, 1715 
 by none other than the Reverend Cotton Mather. 
 
 Thomas Fleet, who was born in England, arrived in Boston about 1712. 
 A printer by trade, he set up shop in Pudding Lane (later Devonshire 
 Street). Three years later he and the young Elizabeth were married and 
 in due time had a son and eventually six other children. 
 
 Mother Goose was the usual doting grandmother, except that she spent 
 all of her waking hours in the nursery where she sang the silly songs she 
 had learned as a girl. She was not much of a singer. She was loud and 
 boisterous much to the annoyance of Mr. Fleet and the neighbors. 
 
 Fleet was annoyed to the point of ridiculing her at every opportunity, but 
 to no avail. He was a resourceful business man of keen wit and so decided 
 to write down the ditties and publish them under the derisive title of 
 "Mother Goose's Melodies" (price two coppers) for the benefit of the 
 world and T. Fleet. 
 
 Although most experts agree that Fleet published his Mother Goose 
 in 1719, it is not known for certain whether it was a book or a broadside. 
 Grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the Fleets have claimed seeing 
 the edition, but it has turned out to be one of the great ghosts of the rare 
 book field. Collectors have searched and failed. No copy has ever been 
 turned up. 
 
 Through the years there has been a surprising number of volumes pub- 
 lished concerning Nursery Rhymes. Many a writer believes in his heart 
 
that these rhymes were not just innocent baby jingles, but were originally 
 political, religious and even supernatural incantations. 
 
 Isaiah Thomas published a famous edition in 1785 and ever since there 
 have been countless editors and illustrators who have put their hands 
 to devising new versions. There was a "Mother Goose for Grown Folks" 
 in the 1870's. In 1889 a Mr. Wm. Whitmore wrote a history of the 
 Goose or Vergoose family. In the 1920's there was a humorous version 
 called "Mother Goose Censored," a small volume produced to show the 
 evils of censorship upon anything it touches. 
 
 As recent as 1935 there was a movement to reform Mother Goose Rhymes 
 because they had so many evil references for young minds. Someone even 
 made an accounting of the number of times these references occurred — 
 such as murder, choking to death, decapitation, grave robbing, boiling to 
 death, devouring human flesh, body snatching, scorning prayer, severing 
 of limbs, and many more. But Mother Goose goes on and on decade after 
 decade, century after century putting little ones to sleep. 
 
 If a great poet think he sings, 
 Or if the poem think it's sung. 
 They do but sport the scattered plumes 
 That Mother Goose aside hath flung. 
 
 Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney, 1870 
 
 The illustrations reproduced in this book are from an 1833 edition pub- 
 lished in Boston by Munroe and Francise, called "The Only True Mother 
 Goose." 
 
HEAR WHAT MA'AM GOOSE SAYS! 
 
 My dear little Blossoms, there are now in this world, and always 
 will be, a great many grannies besides myself, both in petticoats 
 and pantaloons, some a deal younger to be sure ; but all monstrous 
 wise, and of my own family name. These old women, who never 
 had chick nor child of their own, but who always know how to 
 bring up other people's children, will tell you with very long faces, 
 that my enchanting, quieting, soothing volume, my all-sufficient 
 anodyne for cross, peevish, won't-be-comforted little bairns, ought 
 to be laid aside for more learned books, such as they could select 
 and publish. Fudge! I tell you that all their batterings can't de- 
 face my beauties, nor their wise pratings equal my wiser prattlings ; 
 and all imitators of my refreshing songs might as well write a new 
 Billy Shakespeare as another Mother Goose — we two great poets 
 were born together, and we shall go out of the world together. 
 
 No, no, my Melodies will never die, 
 
 While nurses sing, or babies cry. 
 
Til ere was a mad man, 
 
 And he had a mad wife, 
 And they lived all in a mad lane ! 
 They had three children all at a birth, 
 And they too were mad every one. 
 
 The father was mad, 
 
 The mother was mad, 
 The children all mad beside ; 
 And upon a mad horse they all of them got, 
 And madly away did ride. 
 
"^•«muttrniu„„.„..^,.„^„,:j;:::r . •: . ^?gT""!S 
 
 The man in tlie moon came down too soon 
 To inquire the way to Norridge ; 
 
 The man in the south, he burnt his mouth 
 With eating cold plum porridge. 
 
When I was a little boy, I lived by myself, 
 And all the bread and cheese I got I put upon a shelf ; 
 The rats and the mice, they made such a strife, 
 I was forced to go to London to buy me a wife. 
 The streets were so broadband the lanes were so narrow. 
 I was forced to bring my wife home in a wheelbarrow ; 
 The wheelbarrow broke, and my wife had a fall, 
 And down came the wheelbarrow, wife and all. 
 
 Charley Wag, 
 
 Ate the pudding and left the bag. 
 
Sinof, Sinsr! 
 
 'O) 
 
 What shall I sins: ? 
 
 The Cat's run away with the Pudding-Bag String. 
 
 When I was a little boy, I washed my mammy's dishes, 
 Now I am a great boy I roll in golden riches. 
 
Cushy Cow bonny, let down your milk, 
 And I will give you a gown of silk, 
 A gown of silk and a silver tee, 
 If you'll let down your milk to me. 
 
Eiehard and Robin were two pretty men ; 
 They laid abed till the clock struck ten ; 
 Robin starts up and looks at the sky, 
 Oh ho ! brother Eichard, the sun's very high, 
 Do you go before with the bottle and bag, 
 And I'll follow after on little Jack Nag. 
 
 Round about, round about, 
 Gooseberry Pie, 
 
 My father loves good ale, 
 And so do I. 
 
There was an old woman lived under the hill, 
 And if she's not gone she lives there still. 
 Baked apples she sold, and cranberry pies, 
 And she's the old woman that never told lies. 
 
 Shoe the colt, 
 Shoe the colt, 
 
 Shoe the wild mare ; 
 Here a nail, 
 There a nail, 
 
 Colt must go bare. 
 
There was an old woman tost up in a blanket, 
 
 Seventy times as high as the moon, 
 
 What she did there, I cannot tell you, 
 
 But in her hand she carried a hroom. 
 
 Old woman, old woman, old woman, said I, 
 
 whither, whither, whither so high ? 
 
 To sweep the cobwebs from the sky. 
 
 And I shall be back again by and by. 
 
 Shoe the horse, and shoe the mare, 
 But let the little colt go bare. 
 
Hey, my kitten, my kitten, 
 And hey my kitten my deary, 
 
 Such a sweet pet as this 
 Was neither far nor neary. 
 
 Here we go up, up, up, 
 
 And here we go down, down, downy, 
 
Once in my life I married a wife. 
 
 And where do you think I found her ? 
 On Gretna Green, in velvet sheen, 
 
 And I took up a stick to pound her. 
 She jumped over a barberry-bush, 
 
 And I jumped over a timber, 
 I showed her a gay gold ring, 
 
 And she showed me her finger. 
 
Hey rub-a-dub, ho rub-a-dub, three maids in a tub, 
 
 And who do you think was there ? 
 The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker, 
 
 And all of them gone to the fair. 
 
 To he sung in a high wind, 
 
 Arthur 'Bower has broken his band, 
 And he .comes roaring up the land, 
 King of Scots with all his power 
 Never can turn Sir Arthur O'Bower. 
 
Great A, little a, bouncing IJ, 
 The Cat's in the Cupboard, and she can't see. 
 
 — KI288S3>- 
 
 The little black dog ran round the house, 
 
 And set the bull a roaring, 
 And drove the monkey in the boat, 
 
 Who set the oars a rowing, 
 And scared the cock upon the rock, 
 
 Who cracked his throat with crowing. 
 
As I was going to sell my eggs, 
 
 I met a thief with bandy legs, 
 
 Bandy legs and crooked toes, 
 
 I tript up his heels and he fell on his nose. 
 
 Old mistress McShiittle 
 
 Lived in a coal-scuttle, 
 Along with her dog and her cat ; 
 
 What they ate I can^t tell. 
 
 But 'tis known very well, 
 That none of the party were fat. 
 
EH 
 
 There was a man and he had naught, 
 
 And robbers came to rob him ; 
 He crept up to the chimney top, 
 
 And then they thought they had him. 
 But he got down on t'other side, 
 
 And then they could not find him : 
 He ran fourteen miles in fifteen days. 
 
 And never look'd behind him. 
 
Boys and girls, come out to play, 
 The moon does shine as bright as day, 
 Leave your supper, and leave your sleep, 
 And meet your playfellows in the street ; 
 Come with a whoop, and come with a call, 
 And come with a good will, or not at all. 
 Up the ladder and down the wall, 
 A halfpenny roll will serve us all. 
 You find milk and I'll find flour, 
 And we'll have pudding in half an hour. 
 
Ride a cock horse to Banbury-cross 
 To see what Tommy can buy ; 
 
 A penny white loaf, a penny white cake, 
 And a two penny apple pie. 
 
 Ride a cock horse to Shrewsbury-cross, 
 
 To buy little Johnny a galloping horse 
 
 It trots behind and it ambles before, 
 
 And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more. 
 
I had a little Doll, 
 
 The prettiest ever seen, 
 She washed me the dishes, 
 
 And kept the house clean. 
 She went to the mill 
 
 To fetch me some flour, 
 And always got it home 
 
 In less than an hour ; 
 She baked me my bread, 
 
 She brewed me my ale, 
 She sat by the fire 
 
 And told many a fine tale. 
 
 When I was a little he, 
 My mother took me on her knee, 
 Smiles and kisses gave with joy, 
 And call'd me oft her darling boy. 
 P 
 
Is master Smith within? — Yes, that he is. 
 
 Can he set a shoe ? Ay, marry, two. 
 
 Here a nail, and there a nail, 
 
 Tick — tack — too. 
 
 Charley loves good cake and ale, 
 Charley loves good candy, 
 
 Charley loves to kiss the girls. 
 When they are clean and handy. 
 
Robert Barns, fellow fine, 
 Can you shoe this horse of mine, 
 So that I may cut a shine ? 
 Yes, good sir, and that I can, 
 As well as any other man ; 
 There a nail, and here a prod. 
 And now, good sir, your horse is shod. 
 
 Hey ding a ding, ding, I heard a bird sing, 
 The parliament soldiers are gone to the king. 
 
^■••iiuiiuiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiinmiij 
 
 The sow came in with the saddle, 
 The little pig rock'd the cradle, 
 The dish jump'd up on the table 
 To see the pot swallow the ladle. 
 The spit that stood behind the door 
 Threw the pudding-stick on the floor. 
 Odsplut! said the gridiron, 
 
 Can^t you agree ? 
 I'm the head constable, 
 Bring them to me. 
 
Jacky, come give me your fiddle, 
 If ever you mean to thrive. 
 
 Nay, ni not give my fiddle 
 To any man alive. 
 
 If I should give ray fiddle, 
 
 They'll think that I'm gone mad, 
 
 For many a joyful day 
 My fiddle and I have had. 
 
There was a Piper had a Cow, 
 
 And he had naught to give her, 
 He pull'd out his jjipes and play'd her a tune, 
 
 And bade the cow consider. 
 
 The cow considered very well, 
 And gave the piper a penny, 
 
 And bade him play the other tune, 
 " Corn rigs are bonny." 
 
When good King Arthur ruled his land 
 
 He was a goodly king; 
 He stole three pecks of barley meal 
 
 To make a bag-pudding. 
 A bag-pudding the king did make, 
 
 And stuff'd it well with plums ; 
 And in it put great lumps of fat, 
 
 As big as my two thumbs. 
 The king and queen did eat thereof, 
 
 And noblemen beside ; 
 And what they could not eat that night, 
 
 The queen next morning fried. 
 
When I was a little boy, my mother kept me in, 
 Now I am a great boy, and fit to serve the king ; 
 I can handle a musket, I can smoke a pipe, 
 I can kiss a pretty girl at ten o'clock at night. 
 
V ■*.' ■ « , 
 
 I had a little husband no bigger than my thumb, 
 I put him in a pint pot, and there I bid him drum ; 
 T bought a little handkerchief to wipe his little nose. 
 And a pair of little garters to tie his little hose. 
 
 As I was going to St. Ives, 
 
 I met seven wives, 
 Every wife had seven sacks, 
 Every sack had seven cats, 
 Every cat had seven kits. 
 
 Kits, cats, sacks and wives, 
 
 How many were going to St. Ives ? 
 
Miss Jane had a bag, and a mouse was in it, 
 She opened the bag, he was out in a minute ; 
 The Cat saw him jump, and run under the table, 
 And the dog said, catch him, puss, soon as you're able. 
 
 Cross Patch, draw the latch, 
 
 Sit by the fire and spin ; 
 Take a cup, and drink it up, 
 
 Then call your neighbours in. 
 
Here's A, B, C, D, 
 E, F, and G, 
 H, I, J, K, 
 L, M, K, 0, P, 
 Q, E, S, T, 
 U, W, V, 
 X, Y, and Z, 
 And ohj dear me, 
 When shall I learn 
 My A, B, C. 
 
 Milk-man, milk-man, where have you been ? 
 In Buttermilk channel up to my chin, 
 I spilt my milk, and I spoilt my clothes, 
 And got a long icicle hung to my nose. 
 
 I like little pussy, her coat is so warm, 
 And if I don't hurt her she'll do me no harm ; 
 So I'll not pull her tail, nor drive her away. 
 But pussy and I very gently will play. 
 
--*—»- 
 
 The little Robin grieves 
 
 When the snow is on the ground, 
 For the trees have no leaves, 
 
 And no berries can be found. 
 
 The air is cold, the worms are hid, 
 For Robin here what can be done ? 
 
 Let's. strow around some crums of bread, 
 And then he'll live till snow is gone. 
 
Willie boy, Willie boy, 
 Where are you going ? 
 
 let us go with you, 
 This sunshiny day. 
 
 I'm going to the meadow, 
 To see them a mowing, 
 I'm going to help the girls 
 Turn the new hay. 
 
 Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town, 
 Upstairs and downstairs in his night gown ; 
 Tapping at the window, crying at the lock, 
 Are the babes in their beds, for it's now ten o'clock ?'^ 
 
 (( 
 
/^d) 
 
 TO *9.B. 
 
LONG AGO BOOKS 
 from 
 
 .ZLzziericeuziSL IE^e'srie-u:r 
 
 The Country Kitchen, 1850 
 
 Automohiles of 1904 
 
 American Advertising, 1800-1900 
 
 Mail Order Fashion, 1880-1900 
 
 Early American School Books 
 (Choice pages from) 
 
 Uncle Frank's Animal Stories 
 
 1890's Album 
 
 Old Fashioned Picture Book 
 
 Mother Goose of Boston 
 
 The Volunteer Fire Dep't 
 of Old New York 
 
 The ABC Coloring Book 
 
 Railway Passenger Travel, 1825-1880 
 
 Locomotive Advertising in America, 1850-1900 
 
 Children's Stories of the 1850's 
 
 Fun and Games of Long Ago 
 
 10 SOCHA LANE - SCOTIA. NEW YORK 1 2302 
 
W" .'^ft- \/ '^'' ""-^^' '^V^./ • 
 
 
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