The Peter Patter Book of Nursery Rhymes.

by Leroy F. Jackson.

PETER PATTER _told them to me, All the little rimes, Whispered them among the bushes Half a hundred times.

Peter lives upon a mountain Pretty near the sun, Knows the bears and birds and rabbits Nearly every one; Has a home among the alders, Bed of cedar bark, Walks alone beneath the pine trees Even when it's dark.

Squirrels tell him everything That happens in the trees, Cricket in the gander-gra.s.s Sings of all he sees; Rimes from bats and b.u.t.terflies, Crabs and waterfowl; But the best of all he gets From his Uncle Owl.

Sometimes when its day-time, But mostly in the night, They sit beneath an oak tree And hug each other tight, And tell their rimes and riddles Where the catty creatures prowl-- Funny little Peter Patter And his Uncle Owl._

THE PETER PATTER BOOK

[Ill.u.s.tration: --B. F. Wright-- JINGLE, JINGLE, JACK, A COPPER DOWN A CRACK]

A COPPER DOWN A CRACK

Jingle, jingle, Jack, A copper down a crack.

Twenty men and all their wives, With sticks and picks and pocket knives, Digging for their very lives To get the copper back.

I'M MUCH TOO BIG FOR A FAIRY

I'm much too big for a fairy, And much too small for a man, But this is true: Whatever I do, I do it the best I can.

DID YOU EVER PLAY TAG WITH A TIGER?

Did you ever play tag with a tiger, Or ever play boo with a bear; Did you ever put rats in the rain-barrel To give poor old Granny a scare?

It's fun to play tag with a tiger, It's fun for the bear to say "boo,"

But if rats are found in the rain-barrel Old Granny will put you in too.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE BLUE SONG

Hot mush and mola.s.ses all in a blue bowl-- Eat it, it's good for you, sonny.

'T will make you grow tall as a telephone pole-- Eat it, it's good for you, sonny.

Fresh fish and potatoes all on a blue plate-- Eat it up smart now, my sonny.

'T will make you as jolly and fat as Aunt Kate-- Eat it up quick now, my sonny.

Sweet milk from a nanny-goat in a blue cup-- Drink it, it's good for you, sonny, 'T will fill you, expand you, and help you grow up, And make a real man of you, sonny.

HIPPITY HOP TO BED

O it's hippity hop to bed!

I'd rather sit up instead.

But when father says "must,"

There's nothing but just Go hippity hop to bed.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

AWAY TO THE RIVER

Away to the river, away to the wood, While the gra.s.ses are green and the berries are good!

Where the locusts are sc.r.a.ping their fiddles and bows, And the bees keep a-coming wherever one goes.

Oh, it's off to the river and off to the hills, To the land of the bloodroot and wild daffodils, With a b.u.t.tercup blossom to color my chin, And a basket of burs to put sandberries in.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

OUR LITTLE PAT

Our little Pat Was chasing the cat And kicking the kittens about.

When mother said "Quit!"

He ran off to sit On the top of the woodpile and pout; But a sly little grin Soon slid down his chin And let all the sulkiness out.