y old Xerxes.

Y was a yew,
Which flourished and grew
By a quiet abode
Near the side of a road.
_y_
Dark little yew!

Z was a zebra,
All striped white and black;
And if he were tame,
You might ride on his back.
_z_
Pretty striped zebra!

PAST HISTORY

BY EDWARD LEAR

_a_
A was once an apple-pie,
Pidy,
Widy,
Tidy,
Pidy,
Nice insidy,
Apple-pie!

_b_
B was once a little bear,
Beary,
Wary,
Hairy,
Beary,
Take cary,
Little bear!

_c_
C was once a little cake,
Caky,
Baky,
Maky,
Caky,
Taky caky,
Little cake!

_d_
D was once a little doll,
Dolly,
Molly,
Polly,
Nolly,
Nursy dolly,
Little doll!

_e_
E was once a little eel,
Eely,
Weely,
Peely,
Eely,
Twirly, tweely,
Little eel!

_f_
F was once a little fish,
Fishy,
Wishy,
Squishy,
Fishy,
In a dishy,
Little fish!

_g_
G was once a little goose,
Goosey,
Moosy,
Boosey,
Goosey,
Waddly-woosy,
Little goose!

_h_
H was once a little hen,
Henny,
Chenny,
Tenny,
Henny,
Eggsy-any,
Little hen?

_i_
I was once a bottle of ink,
Inky,
Dinky,
Thinky,
Inky,
Black minky,
Bottle of ink!

_j_
J was once a jar of jam,
Jammy,
Mammy,
Clammy,
Jammy,
Sweety, swammy,
Jar of jam!

_k_
K was once a little kite,
Kity,
Whity,
Flighty,
Kity,
Out of sighty,
Little kite!

_l_
L was once a little lark,
Larky,
Marky,
Harky,
Larky,
In the parky,
Little lark!

_m_
M was once a little mouse,
Mousy,
Bousy,
Sousy,
Mousy,
In the housy,
Little mouse!

_n_
N