Aunt Friendly’s
Picture Book
edited by
Sarah S. Baker
Preface
New and old Nursery favourites are here offered to our Young Friends — Nursery Alphabet, Sing-a-Song of Sixpence, The Frog’s Wooing, The Three Little Pigs, Puss in Boots, have for many generations delighted the Nurseries of Great Britain. We trust that they and their worthy new companion, The Ugly Duckling, which has come to us from over the Sea, will still afford many hours of quiet amusement to little Readers.
The Nursery
Alphabet
A for the Alphabet, A, B, C;
B for the Book that was given to me.
C for the Corn that stands in the stack;
D for the Donkey with cross on his back.
E for the Engine that's lighted with coke;
F for the Funnel that puffs out the smoke.
G for the Goose that swims on the pond;
H for the Hen, of her chickens so fond.
I for the Icicle, frosty and cold;
J for the Jackdaw, perky and bold.
K for the Kitten that plays with its tail;
L for the Letter that comes by the mail.
M for the Monkey, a comical thing;
N for the Nut that he cracks with a grin.
O for the Owl that sees in the dark;
P for the Pony that plays in the park.
Q for the Queen all seated in state;
R for the Regiment guarding the gate.
S for the Sun that sets in the west;
T for the Tomtit building its nest.
U for the Umbrella that keeps off the rain;
V for the Van that follows the train.
W for the Waggon that waits in the way;
X is for none of the words I can say.
Y for the Yew growing by the church wall;
Z is for Zero, that a nothing at all.
Sing-a-Song of Sixpence
Sing-a-song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was open’d,
The birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish,
To set before the king?
The king was in his counting-house
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes;
By came a Jackdaw,
And snapt off her nose.
They sent for the king’s doctor,
Who sewed it on again;
The Jackdaw for this naughtiness
Deservedly was slain.
The Frog Who Would A
Wooing Go
A frog he would a wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
So off he marched with his nice new hat,
And on the way he met a rat.
When they came to the door of the Mouse’s Hall,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
“Pray Mrs. Mouse, are you within?”
“Oh yes, Mr. Rat, I am learning to spin.”
“Pray Mrs. Mouse, will you give us some beer?
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.”
But as they were all a merry-making,
The cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
The Cat she seized the rat by the crown,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
This put poor frog in a terrible fright,
So he took up his hat and he wished them good night.
As Froggy was crossing him over a brook,
A lilly-white duck came and gobbled him up.
So there was an end of one, two, and three,
The Rat, the Mouse, and the little Froggee?
