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‹Better GutenbergThe Big Book of Nursery RhymesThe Man in the Moon — Simple Simon · 4 of 190Contents›

The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes

by Walter Jerrold

4 of 190 · Contents · Download EPUB

The Man in the Moon

The man in the moon
Came tumbling down
And asked the way to Norwich;
He went by the south,
And burnt his mouth
With eating cold pease porridge.

Simple Simon

SIMPLE SIMON met a pie-man,
  Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pie-man,
  “Let me taste your ware.”

Says the pie-man unto Simon,
  “First give me a penny.”
Says Simple Simon to the pie-man,
  “I have not got any.”

He went to catch a dicky-bird,
  And thought he could not fail,
Because he had got a little salt
  To put upon his tail.

He went to ride a spotted cow,
  That had got a little calf,
She threw him down upon the ground,
  Which made the people laugh.

Then Simple Simon went a-hunting,
  For to catch a hare,
He rode a goat about the street,
  But could not find one there.

He went for to eat honey
  Out of the mustard-pot,
He bit his tongue until he cried,
  That was all the good he got.

SIMPLE SIMON went a-fishing
  For to catch a whale;
And all the water he had got
  Was in his mother’s pail.

He went to take a bird’s nest,
  Was built upon a bough;
A branch gave way, and Simon fell
  Into a dirty slough.

He went to shoot a wild duck,
  But the wild duck flew away;
Says Simon, “I can’t hit him,
  Because he will not stay.”

ONCE Simon made a great Snowball,
  And brought it in to roast;
He laid it down before the fire,
  And soon the ball was lost.

HE went to slide upon the ice,
  Before the ice would bear;
Then he plunged in above his knees,
  Which made poor Simon stare.

He went to try if cherries ripe
  Grew upon a thistle;
He pricked his finger very much,
  Which made poor Simon whistle.

He washed himself with blacking-ball,
  Because he had no soap:
Then, then, said to his mother,
  “I’m a beauty now, I hope.”

He went for water in a sieve,
  But soon it all ran through;
And now poor Simple Simon
  Bids you all adieu.

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