A. Take one, take one, the fairest you may see.

B. The fairest one that I can see

Is pretty Nancy, come to me.

[B carries one off, and says:]

You shall have a duck, my dear,

And you shall have a drake,

And you shall have a young man apprentice for

your sake.

(Children say :)

If this young man should happen to die,
And leave this poor woman a widow,

The bells shall all ring, and the birds shall all sing,
And we'll all clap hands together.

[So it is repeated until the whole are taken.]

The verses of the Three Knights of Spain are played in nearly the same way.

CCXXVI.

THE first day of Christmas,

My mother sent to me,

A partridge in a pear-tree.

The second day of Christmas,

My mother sent to me,

Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear-tree.

The third, &c.

Three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge, &c.

The fourth, &c.

Four canary birds, three French hens, two turtle, &c.

The fifth, &c.

Five gold rings, &c.

The sixth, &c.

Six geese a laying, &c.

The seventh, &c.

Seven swans a swimming, &c.

The eighth, &c.

Eight ladies dancing, &c.

The ninth, &c.

Nine lords a leaping, &c.

The tenth, &c.

Ten ships a sailing, &c.

The eleventh, &c.

Eleven ladies spinning, &c.

The twelfth, &c.

Twelve bells ringing, &c.

[Each child in succession repeats the gifts of the day, and forfeits for each mistake. This accumulative process is a favourite with children; in early writers, such as Homer, the repetition of messages, &c. pleases on the same principle.]

Ninth Class.-Paradores.

CCXXVII.

O THAT I was where I would be,
Then would I be where I am not;
But where I am I must be,
And where I would be I can not.

CCXXVIII.

HERE am I, little jumping Joan;
When nobody's with me,

I'm always alone.

CCLXXIX.

[The conclusion of the following resembles a verse in the nursery history of Mother Hubbard.]

THERE was an old woman and what do you think?
She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink.
Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet,
And yet this old woman could never be quiet.

K

She went to the baker, to buy her some bread,

And when she came home, her old husband was dead;

She went to the clerk to toll the bell,

And when she came back her old husband was well.

CCXXX.

THE rule of the road is a paradox quite,
And custom has prov'd it so long:

He that goes to the left is sure to go right,
And he that goes right must go wrong.

CCXXXI.

[The following is quoted in Parkins' Reply to Dr. Stukeley's second number of Origines Roystonianæ, 4to. Lond. 1748, p. 6.]

PETER White will ne'er go right,

And would you know the reason why?

He follows his nose where'er he goes,

And that stands all awry.

Tenth Class.-Literal.

CCXXXII.

A, B, C, tumble down dee,

The cat's in the cupboard, and can't see me.

CCXXXIII.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

I caught a hare alive;

6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

I let her go again.

CCXXXIV.

GREAT A, little a,
Bouncing B,

The cat's in the cupboard,

And she can't see.