Nan Etticot.

ITTLE Nan Etticot wears a white petticoat,

LITTLE a

A small wicked head and red nose;

Yet she in spite of it ever makes light of it,
Smiling brighter as shorter she grows.

WHAT can you have lost here?—speak, boys, speak !

For you've haunted my cottage now more than a week.

There's nothing of yours here I very well know,
And I wish you would make up your minds to go.

But, what can you have lost here ?-speak, boys, speak!'

'Oh, we're playing a game called Hide and Seek.'

L'

Little Bo-Beep.

ITTLE Bo-peep has lost her sheep,

And does not know where to find them: Leave them alone and they will come home,

And bring their tails behind them.

But what shall she do? the lambs are gone too,

And, oh dear me! she nowheres can spy them. So she left them alone and the lambs all came home; But their tails, alas! some one did fry them.

A

A Man of Words.

MAN of words, but not of deeds,

Once had a garden full of weeds;
And when the weeds began to grow
He grumbled, but forgot to hoe.
So soon they spread o'er bed and walk,
Yet he did nothing else but talk.
The tender trees he meant to stake,
But left them for the winds to break.

A broken gap the pigs strayed through,
And did the havoc pigs can do.

One year this man of words, not deeds,
Forgot till June to sow his seeds;

Yet did he talk enough, I trow,

If words were deeds, to make them grow.

One day he felt extremely ill,

Yet took not either draught or pill.
A sudden pain had made him start,

A kind of spasm in the heart;

But as to this he took no heed,

He soon was dead-was dead indeed!

K

A

Puss in Boots.

Sa youth once was stroking a cat

She suddenly fell into chat,

To his wonder intense, and surprise,

For she never had spoken before,

Though they're friends of a twelvemonth and moreYea, since ever she opened her eyes.

'You are mourning!' Miss Pussy exclaimed; 'Let the cause of your sorrow be named:

In my great skill and prudence confide;

For of wisdom and cunning, folks say,
They are better than wealth any day.

So now let my gumption be tried.'

'My father to Tom gives the mill,
And the farm leaves to Henry by will;
Whilst to me he has only left you.

I have but a few pounds of my own,
And am puzzled, I really must own;

For I scarcely can think what to do.'

Then Puss exclaimed, 'Boots you must buy,
And a hat with a feather supply,

And a modern, yet smart, crinoline;

For a lady who goes up to Court
Must be dressed as a fine lady ought,

For in tip-topmost circles she's seen.'
Then such feminine wiles she did use,
Which male mortals can never refuse

When with them they go out a-shopping.
Though the penalty's well known before,
They pass through the bonnet-shop door;

And they're lost if persuaded to pop in.

Next morning at dawn Pussy rose,
Decked herself in her holiday clothes,

And went off to the forest a-sporting;
Where a large bag she half filled with clover,
And a rabbit's-hole covered right over,

Till a pair of fine bucks there were caught in.

Now the Monarch he loved a wild rabbit,
And our Puss she well knew 'twas his habit

To have some cooked each day for dinner.

As a courtier she learnt his weak point,
That he cared not to dine from the joint;

Of his favour she'll thus be the winner.
She had found out his stores were all cleared,

Not a rabbit for days had appeared,

And the King had grown sulky and surly.

Now his favourite fancy was tickled,

'Boil them well, cook, with pork freshly pickled, And let us all dine very early.'

Then a pheasant, a partridge, or hare,

Caught at midnight by means of a snare,

Were also presented at Court.

And Puss always delivered a card,
'With the Marquis of Carrebas's regard,'

'Till the King for his company sought.
Now there lived in the forest-lands near
An old Ogre, whom all dread and fear,

Who for dinner consumed half a sheep.
Many men he had ate in his time;
Plump young children he thought really prime;
He delighted to make mothers weep.
Many tales of this wretch Puss had heard,
And one day she declared, 'On my word,

I this monster to see should be pleased,
But I'll not go till dinner's quite done;
As an entrée to serve were poor fun.

So I'll wait 'till his hunger's appeased.'
Now the Ogre owned lands all around,
Yet the King ventured not on his ground,
For intruders were had into meals.
He just ate up all those who might stray,
So but few cared to pass by that way;

Folks disliked hanging up by their heels.

But our Pussy-cat being courageous,
Has resolved that such doing outrageous

Shall be stopped at the risk of her life.

But Eat-a-cat ever regarding,

She politely first tenders her card in—

She would conquer by peace before strife.

The Ogre o'er his wine was dozing,

But his eyes, which were rapidly closing,

Opened wide when his strange guest appeared.

For the sight of a cat that could talk,

And in top-boots and crinoline walk,

Made him laugh till he actually cheered;