Rhymes Old and New

Alphabets

Quarrel of the Alphabet

Great A was alarmed at B’s bad behaviour,
Because C, D, E, and F denied G a favour.
H got a husband, with I, J, K, and L,
M married Mary, and taught scholars how to spell.

It went hard at first with N, O, P, and Q,
With R, S, T, with single and double U,
The X and the Y it stuck in their gizzards,
Till they were made friends by the two crooked izzards.

This A, B, C, so little is it thought about,
Although by its aid great knowledge is brought about;
’Tis the groundwork of science, of wisdom the key, sir,
For what does a man know that knows not A, B, C, sir?
He is a blockhead, take it from me, sir,
That does not know his A, B, C, sir,
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.

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A		stands for Apple Pie,
B		for Balloon,
C		a nice custard
		To eat with a spoon.
D		for my doll,
		When from lessons released,
E		sister Ellen, and
F		for a Feast.
G		for the Garden,
		Where oft-time we play.
H		you will find
		In a field of sweet Hay.
I		was an Inkstand,
		Thrown over for fun.
J		brother Joseph,
		By whom it was done.
K		is our Kitten,
		Who plays with her tail,
L		our maid Lucy
		With milk in her pail.
M		my kind Mother,
		I love her so well.
N		Mr Nobody
		Nothing can tell.
O		is an Ostrich,
		So fine and so tall.
P		a fine Peacock,
		That sat on a wall.
Q		was the Quarrel
		’Tween Pompey and Pug.
R		is the Rose
		In our small china jug.
S		stands for Syllabub,
T		for my Toys.
U		my kind Uncle,
		Who loves good girls and boys.
V		is the Vulture,
		Whom little birds dread.
W		a Watch
		That hangs ticking o’erhead.
X		you may make
		By two keys when they’re crossed.
Y		is a Youth
		Whose time should not be lost.
		The Alphabet now I nearly have said,
		Zoological Gardens begin with a Z.

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A		stands for Age, and for Adam, and All.
B		stands for Bullfinch, and Billy, and Ball.
C		stands for Cat, and for Cherry, and Crumb.
D		stands for Dog, and for David, and Drum.
E		stands for Elephant, Edward, and East.
F		stands for Fox, and for Fanny, and Feast.
G		stands for Goat, and for George, and for Gold.
H		stands for House, and for Henry, and Hold.
I		stands for Indian, and Isaac, and Ill.
J		stands for Jay, and for Jenny, and Jill.
K		stands for Kissing, and Kitty, and Kine.
L		stands for Lion, and Lucy, and Line.
M		stands for Morning, for Mary, and Mote.
N		stands for Nightingale, Noah, and Note.
O		stands for Owl, and for Ox, and for Ounce.
P		stands for Parson, and Peter, and Pounce.
Q		stands for Quail, and Quarrel, and Quake.
R		stands for Reading, for Rule, and for Rake.
S		stands for Ship, and for Sam, and for Shop.
T		stands for Tiger, for Thomas and Top.
U		stands for Unicorn, Uncle, and Use.
V		stands for Vulture, for Venice, and Views.
W		stands for Waggon, for Wilful, and We.
X		stands for Xiphias, the sword-fish, you see.
Y		stands for Youth, for You, and for Year.
Z		stands for Zany, that brings up the rear.