"O tell us, funny rag-man,
Grinny, skinny rag-man,
Where did you pick up your funny rimes?"

"Some were dancing with corn-flowers,
Some were hiding in church-towers,
And sprinkled helter-skelter by the chimes."

"Rag-man, rag-man,
Nice old taggy rag-man,
Sing us just one jingle, tingle song."

"Why, my dears, I've got a plenty,
Sing you one? I'll sing you twenty--
I've been hoping you would ask me all along."

WHENEVER I GO OUT TO WALK

Whenever I go out to walk,
All the geese begin to gawk;
And when I start to wander back,
All the ducks begin to quack.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

A FREE SHOW

Mister McCune
Can whistle a tune,

Old Uncle Strong
Can sing us a song,

Benjamin Biddle
Can play on the fiddle,

Captain O'Trigg
Can dance us a jig,

And I, if I'm able,
Will tell you a fable.

BILLY BUMPKINS

Heigho, Billy Bumpkins,
How d' you grow your pumpkins?
"At six o'clock I sows 'em,
At ten o'clock I hoes 'em,
An' jes before I goes to bed
I puts 'em in the pumpkin shed."

Tell us, Billy Bumpkins,
How d' you sell your pumpkins?
"I lends 'em to the ladies,
I gives 'em to the babies,
An' trades a hundred for a kiss
To any pretty little miss."

[Illustration]

BLUE FLAMES AND RED FLAMES

Blue flames and red flames
In a world all dark;
Blue flames and red flames,
And a tiny spark
Hurrying to heaven, lest it should be late;
Lest the cautious seraphim close the shining gate,
And leave the little wanderer forevermore to fly
Like an orphan angel through the endless sky.

TIMOTHY GRADY

Poor little Timothy Grady
Screwed up his face at a lady,
And, jiminy jack!
It wouldn't come back.
The louder he hollered
The tighter it grew,
His eyes are all red
And his lips are all blue.
Oh, mercy me, what in the world will he do?
Poor little Timothy Grady!

CAPTAIN TICKLE AND HIS NICKEL

Captain Tickle had a nickel
In a paper sack,
He threw it in the river
And he couldn't get it back.
Captain Tickle spent his nickel
For a rubber ball,
And when he cut it open
There was nothing there at all.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

GRANDMOTHER GRUNDY

O Grandmother Grundy,
Now what would you say
If the katydids carried
Your glasses away--

Carried them off
To t