The Baby's Opera

Rockabye Baby, in the treetop
Don't you know a treetop
is no safe place to rock?
And who put you up there,
and your cradle too?
Baby, I think someone down here
has got it in for you!
~Shel Silverstein

Poems and Illustrations from The Baby's Opera by Walter Crane today. Opera for babies is apparently full of drama, romance, and a bit of nonsense, much like opera for adults. This picture book has many nursery rhymes you would recognize, such as Three Blind Mice, Little Jack Horner, Jack and Jill, Hush-a-by Baby, and Old King Cole. I decided to share some lesser known rhymes today.

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There Was A Lady Loved A Swine

There was a lady loved a swine,
“Honey!” said she;
“Pig-hog, wilt thou be mine?”
“Hunc!” said he.

“I’ll build thee a silver sty,
Honey!” said she;
“And in it thou shalt lie!”
“Hunc!” said he.

“Pinned with a silver pin,
Honey!” said she;
“That thou mayest go out and in,”
“Hunc!” said he.

“Will thou have me now,
Honey?” said she;
“Speak, or my heart will break,”
“Hunc!” said he.

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Mrs. Bond

“Oh, what have you got for dinner, Mrs. Bond?”
“There’s beef in the larder, and ducks in the pond;”
“Dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly, come to be killed,
For you must be stuffed, and my customers filled!”

“John Ostler, go fetch me a duckling or two,
John Ostler go fetch me a duckling or two;
Cry dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly, come and be killed,
For you must be stuffed, and my customers filled!”

“I have been to the ducks that are swimming in the pond,
And they won’t come to be killed, Mrs. Bond;
I cried dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly, come and be killed,
For you must be stuffed, and the customers filled!”

Mrs. Bond she went down to the pond in a rage,
With plenty of onions, and plenty of sage;
She cried, “Come, little wag-tails, come, and be killed.
For you shall be stuffed, and my customers filled!”

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My Pretty Maid

“Where are you going to, my pretty maid?
Where are you going to, my pretty maid?”
“I’m going a-milking, Sir,” she said,
“Sir,” she said, “Sir,” she said,
“I’m going a-milking, Sir,” she said.

“Shall I go with you, my pretty maid?”
“Yes, if you please, kind Sir,” she said,
“Sir,” she said, “Sir,” she said,
“Yes, if you please, kind Sir,” she said.

“What is your fortune, my pretty maid?”
“My face is my fortune, Sir,” she said,
“Sir,” she said, “Sir,” she said,
“My face is my fortune, Sir,” she said.

“Then I can’t marry you, my pretty maid.”
“Nobody asked you, Sir,” she said,
“Sir,” she said, “Sir,” she said,
“Nobody asked you, Sir,” she said.

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Two more of the gorgeous illustrations:

Random Noodling has the Poetry Friday round-up today.