Popular Child Nursery Rhymes (M-O)

Also: Popular Nursery Rhyme Index

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,
little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was seek to go.

It followed her to school one day
school one day, school one day,
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play,
laugh and play, laugh and play,
it made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,
turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about till Mary did appear.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
Love Mary so? Love Mary so?
"Why does the lamb love Mary so," the eager children cry.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."
The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know,
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know," the teacher did reply.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids all in a row.

Monday's Child

Monday's child is fair of face.
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving.
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

Old King Cole

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh there's none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Old Mother Hubbard

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard,
To fetch her poor dog a bone.

But when she got there, her cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's to buy him some bread;
When she got back, the dog was dead.

She went to the undertaker's to buy him a coffin;
When she got back, the dog was a-laughing.

She took him a clean dish to get him some tripe;
When she came back, he was smoking a pipe.

She went to the hatter's to buy him a hat;
When she came back, he was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's to buy him a wig;
When she came back, he was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer's to buy him some fruit;
When she came back, he was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's to buy him a coat;
When she came back, he was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler's to buy him some shoes;
When she came back, he was reading the news.

She went to the seamstress to buy him some linen;
When she came back, the dog was a-spinning.

She went to the hosier's to buy him some hose;
When she came back, he was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsy, the dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant," the dog said, "Bow-wow."

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four, shut the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen
Eleven, twelve, men must delve
Thirteen, fourteen, maids are courting
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen
Seventeen, eighteen, maids in waiting
Nineteen, twenty, my platter's empty ...

One, Two, Three, Four, Five

One, two, three, four, five.
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Then I let it go again.

Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on my right.

Oranges and Lemons

Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's
You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St. Martin's
When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch
When will that be? say the bells of Stepney
I do not know, says the great bell of Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!