Children's Nursery Rhymes

Jack and Jill

Went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down

And broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got

And home did trot

As fast as he could caper

Went to bed

And plastered his head

With vinegar and brown paper.

History:

It is widely thought the rhyme represents two boys "Jack" and "Gill". There is no historical record of a girl. When Western Europe split into two sectors, The Holy Roman Empire and France. Wolsey and Tarbes attempted negotiation and peace. When they failed a full-scale war erupted. This rhyme is thought to parody Wolsey's uphill battle for peace and his eventual failure.

Five little ducks went out to play

Over the hill and far away

The mother duck said Quack, Quack come back

Four little ducks came running back

Four little ducks went out to play

Over the hill and far away

The mother duck said Quack, Quack come back

Three little ducks came running back

Three little ducks went out to play

Over the hill and far away

The mother duck said Quack, Quack come back

Two little ducks came running back

Two little ducks went out to play

Over the hill and far away

The mother duck said Quack, Quack come back

One little duck came running back

One little duck went out to play

Over the hill and far away

The mother duck said Quack,Quack come back

No little ducks came running back

Sad mother duck went out one day

Over the hill and far away

The daddy duck yelled QUACK, QUACK COME BACK!

Five little ducks came running back!

One, two, three, four, five –

Once I caught a fish alive.

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten –

Then I let it go again.

Why did I let it go?

Because it bit my finger so.

Which finger did it bite?

The little finger on the right.

Fiddle dee dee, fiddle dee dee,

The fly has married the bumblebee.

They went to the church,

And married was she.

The fly has married the bumblebee.

The farmer in the dell,

The farmer in the dell,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife,

The farmer takes a wife,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes a child,

The wife takes a child,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The wife takes a child.

The child takes a nurse,

The child takes a nurse,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The child takes a nurse.

The nurse takes the cow,

The nurse takes the cow,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The nurse takes the cow.

The cow takes a dog,

The cow takes a dog,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The cow takes a dog.

The dog takes a cat,

The dog takes a cat,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The dog takes a cat.

The cat takes a rat,

The cat takes a rat,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The cat takes a rat.

The rat takes the cheese,

The rat takes the cheese,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The rat takes the cheese.

The cheese stands alone,

The cheese stands alone,

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The cheese stands alone.

Eencey Weencey spider

Climed up the water spout;

Down came the rain

And washed poor Eencey out;

Out came the sun

And dried up all the rain;

And the Eencey Weencey spider

Climbed up the spout again.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

Catch a tiger by the toe

If he hollers let him go,

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

My mother told me

To pick the very best one

And you are [not] it.

Alternate 2nd Verse:

Out goes one

Out goes two

Out goes another one

And that is you.

HISTORY:

This is a counting rhyme that has been around in various forms since the 1850s if not earlier. It is believed to be associated with the Celts words for counting. Since there have been counting rhymes before and counting rhymes since, it is most difficult to place exactly where this rhyme originated.

Doctor Foster went to Gloucester

In a shower of rain.

He stepped in a puddle

Right up to his middle,

And never went there again.

Ding, dong, bell,

Pussy's in the well.

Who put her in?

Little Johnny Green.

Who pulled her out?

Little Tommy Stout.

What a naughty boy was that,

To try to drown poor pussy cat,

Who never did him any harm,

And killed the mice in his father's barn.

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one,

The little one stops to suck his thumb

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching two by two,

The little one stops to tie his shoe

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching three by three,

The little one stops to climb a tree

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching four by four,

The little one stops to shut the door

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching five by five,

The little one stops to take a dive

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching six by six,

The little one stops to pick up sticks

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching seven by seven,

The little one stops to pray to heaven

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching eight by eight,

The little one stops to shut the gate

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching nine by nine,

The little one stops to check the time

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching ten by ten,

The little one stops to say "THE END"

And they all go marching down to the ground

To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

History:

This song/chant was popular during the Civil War and is sung to the tune "When Johnny comes Marching Home."