Games galore in Gryphon’s Garden

Just nursery rhymes A-I

All in the dumps

Alphabet song, forwards and backwards

Baa baa black sheep

Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose

Cocks crow in the morning

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Ding dong bell

Four and twenty tailors

Georgie Porgie

Girls and boys come out to play

Goosey, goosey gander

Hey diddle diddle

Higglety pigglety, pop!

Humpty Dumpty

I had a little hen

I had a little nut tree

I love little pussy

If all the world were paper

Last updated: 1/23/2023 10:55 AM

These songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled, illustrated and music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

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All in the dumps 🔊

A London nursery rhyme.

We’ve all been ‘under the weather’ at times and this song expresses it well! Having been poorly over the Christmas season, ‘shingle bells’, but still being able to pick up the guitar and make music has cheered me up immensely.

Also here the dark nights are upon us and the heating keeps breaking down so this nursery rhyme had particular appeal but for my own sanity I need an optimistic end piece!

This traditional rhyme can be found in ‘The Nursery rhymes of England’ (1845) edited by James Orchard Halliwell but was around some time before that.

Music (in 4/4 and 3/4 time) and second verse by Dany Rosevear.

We’re all in the dumps,

For diamonds are trumps;

The kittens are gone to St Paul’s!

The babies are bit,

The moon’s in a fit,

And the houses are built without walls.

Oh, what shall we do?

We will take up our fiddles,

Sing, “Hey, diddle diddle!”

And put on our dancing shoes!

Yes, we’ll take up our fiddles,

Sing, “Hey, diddle diddle!”

And put on our dancing shoes!

Alphabet song, forwards and backwards 🔊

A fun challenge for those that can recite their alphabet easily! This version rhymes too.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G,

H, I, J, K,

L, M, N, O, P,

Q, R, S, T, U, V,

W, X, Y and Z;

Now I know my ABC,

Next time sing it backwards with me.

Z, Y, X,

W, V,

U, T, S,

R, Q, P,

O, N, M,

L, K, J,

I, H, G, F,

E, D, C, B, A.

Now I know my Z, Y, X’es,

Bet that’s not what you expected!

Baa baa black sheep O

The meaning of this most popular of nursery rhymes is lost in the mists of time but is probably to do with wool taxes that persisted into the 15^th century. To find out more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baa,_Baa,_Black_Sheep

The song became controversial in the 1980s when it was linked to the slave trade but there is no historical evidence to support such a connection– indeed the wool from the black wool is highly sort after as it did not need to be dyed.

Baa, baa black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir,

Three bags full;

One for the master,

And one for the dame,

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane.

Baa, baa, white sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir,

Three bags full;

One for the badger,

And one for the fox,

And one for the great big holes

In grandpa’s socks.

Baa, baa, brown sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir,

Three bags full;

One for the kitten,

And one for the cat,

And one for the guinea pig

To knit a woolly hat.

‘Thank you,’ said the kitten,

‘Thank you,’ said the cat,

And ‘Thank you,’ said the guinea pig,

‘I like my woolly hat.’

Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose 🔊

A nursery rhyme featuring a well-known character. ‘Mother Goose’ is the embodiment of nursery rhyme collections and is sometimes illustrated as an old lady with a black pointed hat (a witch) riding on a goose; the common link being they both have a tendency to cackle. Set to music by Dany Rosevear.

Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose,

Have you any feathers loose?

Truly have I, pretty fellow,

Half enough to fill a pillow,

Here are quills, take one or two,

And down to make a bed for you.

Cock-a-doodle-doo! O

This nursery rhyme dates from around 1760s. To find out more visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock_a_doodle_doo

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

My dame has lost her shoe.

My master’s lost his fiddling stick,

And doesn’t know what to do.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

What is my dame to do?

Till master finds his fiddling stick,

She’ll dance without her shoe.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

My dame has found her shoe.

My master’s found his fiddling stick,

Sing cock-a-doodle-doo!

Cocks crow in the morning 🔊

An adaptation of the classic nursery rhyme. How I love the freshness of the early morning air and empty pavements on the the way to the swimming pool before the bustle of the rush hour in our little city.

Night owl or morning lark, there are advantages to being either. Wealthy here probably referred to riches but wealthy in time and other ways could be offered as a motive to rise early / as an alternative.

Set to a French tune by Dany Rosevear.

Cocks crow in the morning

To tell us it’s time to rise,

For those who lie late

Will never be wise;

For early to bed

And early to rise,

Is the way to be healthy,

Wealthy and so wise, so wise,

Is the way to be healthy,

Wealthy and so wise.

Ding dong bell O

A very old nursery rhyme.

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 drown poor pussy cat,

Who ne’er did any harm,

But killed all the rats,

In his father’s barn.

Four-and-twenty tailors 🔊

This is one of several rhymes that can be found in Beatrix Potter’s ‘The tailor of Gloucester’ It is a shortened version of a much older rhyme According to Peter and Iona Opie ‘Kyloe’ cows have long horns and are a lesser known breed of Scottish Highland cattle. The tune comes from ‘Little songs of long ago’ by Alfred Moffat published 1912.

Four-and-twenty tailors

Went to catch a snail;

The best man amongst them

Durst not touch her tail.

She put out her horns

Like a little Kyloe cow;

Run, tailors, run!

Or she'll chase you all e'en now!

Georgie Porgie O

This rhyme was formally collected in the mid 19^th century however its origins are thought to be much older and theories abound; to find out more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgie_Porgie

Roud number 19532

Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,

Kissed the girls and made them cry,

When the boys came out to play

Georgie Porgie ran away.

Girls and boys come out to play O

A cheerful nursery rhyme that dates back to at least 1708 when children worked during daylight hours and played in the evening before bedtime.

Girls and boys, come out to play,

The moon doth shine as bright as day;

Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,

And come with your playfellows into the street.

Come with a whoop and come with a call,

And come with a good will or not at all.

Up the ladder and down the wall,

A ha’penny loaf will serve us all.

You find milk, and I'll find flour,

And we'll have a pudding in half an hour.

Goosey, goosey gander O

This rhyme was first published in 1784.

I have always ended the rhyme with the less familiar last two couplets but do not know where this version originated.

To find out more about this rhyme visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosey_Goosey_Gander

Goosey, goosey gander, where shall I wander?

Upstairs and downstairs, and in my ladies chamber.

There I met an old man who would not say his prayers;

So I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs.

The stairs went ‘Crack!’ and he broke his little back,

And all the little ducks went, ‘Quack, quack, quack!’

Hey diddle diddle O

This is the version I sang as a child.

Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon,

The little dog laughed to see such fun,

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Higglety, pigglety, pop! 🔊

A cheerful nursery rhyme from 1846 when it was written by Samuel Goodrich who beleived nursery rhymes were nonsense and that anyone could write them; and so he did, not intending that it should become popular.

This could be used as a knee bouncing rhyme or a word play rhyming game where the dog eats simple three letter objects: Higglety, pigglety, pat! The dog has eaten the mat…

Higglety, pigglety, pop!

The dog has eaten the mop;

The pig’s in a hurry,

The cat’s in a flurry,

Higglety, pigglety, pop!

Humpty Dumpty O

For all babies who have just learnt to sit.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,

Could not put Humpty together again.

I had a little hen 🔊

Together spring cleaning and baking.

A song based on the classic nursery rhyme ‘I had a little hen’ with an emphasis on co-operation, being helpful and friendship.

Adapted words and music by Dany Rosevear inspired by the ‘Barney’ version of the song. Note the past and present tense in each verse.

I had a little hen,

The best you’ve ever seen,

We helped each other

To keep things nice and clean.

We went to the mill

To fetch some fine brown flour,

We brought it home

In less than ½ an hour.

Just like that little hen,

The kindest ever seen,

We help each other

To keep our houses clean.

We bake bread and cake,

And brew a pot of tea,

Good friends together

Chatting happily!

I had a little nut tree O

This nursery rhyme was first published 1789. To find out more visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Had_a_Little_Nut_Tree and http://www.rhymes.org.uk/a35-i-had-a-little-nut-tree.htm

I had a little nut tree,

Nothing would it bear

But a silver nutmeg

And a golden pear.

The King of Spain’s daughter

Came to visit me,

And all for the sake of my little nut tree.

I skipped o’er the ocean,

I danced o’er the sea,

And all the birds in the air

Couldn’t catch me!

I love little pussy O

This nursery rhyme was first published 1830. It has a Roud number 12824.

To find out more visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_Little_Pussy

I love little pussy,

Her coat is so warm,

And if I don't hurt her,

She'll do me no harm.

So I'll not pull her tail,

Nor drive her away,

But pussy and I,

Very gently will play.

She shall sit by my side

And I'll give her some food;

And pussy will love me

Because I am good.

I'll stroke pretty pussy,

And then she will purr;

And show me her thanks

For my kindness to her.

If all the world were paper O

A nursery rhyme that has a thinking that can be traced back to the Old Testament. Find out more at: https://treasuryislands.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/origins-if-all-the-world-were-paper/

If all the world were paper,

And all the sea were ink,

If all the trees were bread and cheese,

What should we do for drink?

If friars had no bald pates,

Nor nuns had no dark cloisters,

If all the seas were beans and peas,

What should we do for oysters?

If there had been no projects,

Nor none that did great wrongs,

If fiddlers shall turn players all,

What should we do for songs?

If all things were eternal,

And nothing their end bringing,

If this should be, then how should we

Here make an end of singing?

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