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Mother Goose's Bicycle Tour

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I painted a picture of his two cows,
And sent him in the bill;
Old Pogue is there, and Sukie, too,
And Minn’s behind the hill.

FARMER BROWN.

1.
Farmer Brown is a sneak,
And Farmer Brown is a rogue!
He said he would give me a pound, and he didn’t,
For painting his cows and Pogue.
2.
He wanted a picture of his two cows,
Sukie and coal-black Minn;
And then for the pound he was to give
Old Pogue must be painted in.
3.
Oh, Farmer Brown is a sneak,
And Farmer Brown is a rogue!
He said he would give me a pound, and he didn’t,
For painting his cows and Pogue.
4.
I painted a picture of his two cows,
Sukie and coal-black Minn;
And then for the pound he was to give,
Old Pogue was painted in.
5.
Oh, Farmer Brown is a sneak,
And Farmer Brown is a rogue!
He said he would give me a pound, and he didn’t,
For painting his cows and Pogue.
6.
I painted a picture of his two cows,
And sent him in the bill;
Old Pogue is there, and Sukie, too,
And Minn’s behind the hill.
7.
Oh, Farmer Brown is a sneak,
And Farmer Brown is a rogue!
He said he would give me a pound, and he didn’t,
For painting his cows and Pogue.

THE CAPTAIN.

“I’ve finished my ship to the very last nail,
I’ve painted the deck and set the sail,
And now I’m ready to cross the main,
For I will be le capitaine.”

THE SHOEMAKER.

“I mean to make shoes of the strongest leather,
That boys may go out in any weather.
I’ve got some wax, and I know the way,
So I will be le cordonnier.”

THE COOK.

“My cakes will be indeed a treat;
I’ll make them of raisins and sugar sweet:
First a story and then a layer,
And I will be la cuisinière.”

THE GROCER.

“Currants and chocolate, apples as well,
The very things I would like to sell;
In spite of brother Ned’s facetiæ,
I’ll be a prosperous épicier.”A

FOOTNOTES:

A The exigencies of the language do not admit of a very good rhyme here.


THE FARMER.

“You must have horses large and strong,
To drag the heavy plough along;
And go to market and draw the hay,
So I will be le fermier.”

THE FARMER’S WIFE.

“I’d like to make butter and skim the milk,
And go to church in a nice black silk;
And I like boys with curly hair;
I think I’ll be la fermière.”

THE TAILOR.

“The stylish suits of cloth I’ll make
The eye of taste will surely take;
And swain, intent on wedding tour,
Will ask, ‘Qui est votre tailleur?’”

MRS. THOMPKINS AND MR. HOPKINS.

thompkins and hopkins music

1. “Oh, here is lit-tle Mrs. Thompkins, In such a frill, in such a
frill!” “Oh, bless me if it isn’t Hopkins, All dressed to kill, all dressed to kill!”

2. “Good morning to you, Mrs. Thompkins, Pray how d’you do? pray how d’you
do?” “Oh, none the better, Mr. Hopkins, for see-ing you, for seeing you.”

3. “That sil-ly, sil-ly Mrs. Thompkins, I’m sorry for her, I’m sorry
for her!” “That horrid, horrid Mr. Hopkins, He’s my bête noir, he’s my bête noir!”

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THIS VERY BLACK MAN OF SIAM.

Ce jeune homme très-noir de Siam,
Just asked for a slice of good ham;
They said, “If you crave it,
And take affidavit
You’re not a Mohamme-dan-dan,
You can.”

THIS LAZY OLD MAN OF MOSELLE.

This lazy old man of Moselle
Said, “Indeed, it is all very well;
But to kill flies with pease
Is not taking one’s ease,
Le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle.’”

CE COCHON, AN INTERESTING PIG.

Ce cochon, an interesting pig,
Always wore a dress coat and a wig,
But his friends looked askance,
And soon took a chance
To ask why he wore that strange rig.

THIS SHOCKING OLD MAN FROM CAPE RAY.

This shocking old man from Cape Ray
Refusa de mettre son gilet;
They put him to bed,
And everyone said,
“Such men must be made to obey.”

PETER PRADDLE BOUGHT A SADDLE.

Peter Praddle bought a saddle,
Put it on a pump handle;
When they asked him what for,
He answered, “Je ne sais quoi.”

THE MAN FROM HONG KONG.

This extraordinary man of Hong Kong
Déclarait la journée trop longue;
They put on his head a poultice of bread,
And told him his views were all wrong.

THE LITTLE BOHEMIAN.

1.
Que fais-tu ici, mon petit?
You must be far from home;
It is not right that such a mite
Should be allowed to roam.
2.
“What is your race and country,—
It never could be guessed,—
Your raven locks and Northern bloom
To different climes attest?”
3.
“I had a race, a long one,
Across the river Seine,
Ma mère parle le Français
Et elle est Américaine.
4.
“But I’m going to my own country,
And it’s forty miles away;
I’m walking very fast because
I must be there to-day.
5.
“My father knows the name of it,
Il m’appelle Bohème;
And Victor’s going with me,
For I think he is the same.”

THE KING IS RETURNING TO PARIS.

Le roi revient à Paris,
La reine est très-heureuse,
Le roi il est le mari,
La reine elle est l’épouse.

LE PETIT MARÉCHAL.B

1.
I was a little sergeant, don’t you see,
And I drilled my soldiers one and twenty-three,
And we all stepped out together,
In fair and stormy weather,
Myself and soldiers one and twenty-three.
2.
I was a little captain, happy me!
Of my chosen band of one and twenty-three,
And we roamed the world together,
In fair and stormy weather,
Myself and soldiers one and twenty-three.
3.
And now I am a marshal, as you see,
With a score and four of soldiers under me,
And we roam the world together
In fair and stormy weather,
Just five and twenty soldiers counting me.

FOOTNOTES:

B The answer is “A,” the first letter of the twenty-five that compose the French alphabet.


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