PREFACE.
Reading edition
In the simple title of “Rhymes for the Nursery,” the pretensions of this little volume are fully explained. In the Nursery they are designed to circulate, and within its sanctuary walls, the writers claim shelter from the eye of criticism; though, should they appear to have admitted any sentiment, injudicious, erroneous, or dangerous, they ask not such an indulgence.
It has been questioned, by authority they respect, whether ideas adapted to the comprehension of infancy, admit the restrictions of rhyme and metre? With humility, therefore, the present attempt has been made: should it, however, in any degree, prove successful, the writers must certainly acknowledge themselves indebted rather to the plainness of prose, than to the decorations of poetry.
CONTENTS
Page
The Cow1
Good Night2
Getting up3
Mamma and the Baby4
The Sparrows5
Good Mamma6
Learning to go alone7
The little Girl that beat her Sister8
The little Girl to her Dolly9
The Star10
Come and play in the Garden11
About learning to read12
No Breakfast for Growler13
Poor Children14
Learning to draw16
What Clothes are made of17
Little Girls must not fret18
Charles and Animals19
Breakfast and Puss20
The Flower and the Lady, about getting up21
The Baby’s Dance22
For a little Girl that did not like to be washed23
The Cut24
The little Girl that could not read25
Questions and Answers26
Playing with Fire27
The Field Daisy28
The Michaelmas Daisy29
Dutiful Jem29
The Ants’ Nest31
Sleepy Harry32
Going to Bed33
Idle Mary34
One little Boy35
Another little Boy36
The little Child37
The undutiful Boy39
The old Beggar Man40
The little Coward41
The Sheep42
The sick little Boy44
To a little Girl that liked to look in the Glass45
The cruel Boy and the Kittens46
The Work-bag48
The best way to be happy49
The frolicsome Kitten50
A fine Thing51
A pretty Thing52
Little Birds and cruel Boys53
The Snow-drop55
Romping56
Working57
The selfish Snails58
Good Dobbin59
Sulking61
Time to go to bed62
Time to rise63
The poor Fly64
Tumble up66
The little Fish that would not do as it was bid67
The two Babies68
What came of firing a Gun70
The little Negro72
Poor Donkey73
The Spring Nosegay75
The Summer Nosegay76
The Autumn Nosegay77
The Winter Nosegay78
The little Lark79
The quarrelsome Dogs81
The honest Ploughman82
The great Lord83
The little Beggar Girl84
Poor Puss85
The little Ants87
Second Thoughts are best88
The Meadows89
A Wasp and a Bee90
Passion and Penitence92
The Dunce of a Kitten93
A very sorrowful Story95
RHYMES
FOR THE
NURSERY.