41.

[A tale for the 1st of March.]

TAFFY was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief;
Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef;
I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not at home;
Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow-bone.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not in;
Taffy came to my house and stole a silver pin:
I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed,
I took up a poker and flung it at his head.*

42.

[The tale of Jack Horner has long been appropriated to the nursery. The four lines which follow are the traditional ones, and they form part of "The pleasant History of Jack Horner, containing his witty Tricks and pleasant Pranks, which he plaied from his Youth to his riper years," 12mo.; a copy of which is in the Bodleian Library, and this extended story is in substance the same with "The Fryer and the Boy," 12mo. Lond. 1617, and both of them are taken from the more ancient story of "Jack and his step-dame," which has been printed by Mr. Wright.]

LITTLE Jack Horner sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie:

He put in his thumb, and he took out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I !"

43.

DOCTOR FOSTER went to Glo'ster,

In a shower of rain;

He stepp'd in a puddle up to his middle,
And would'nt go there again.

44.

THE STORY OF CATSKIN.

[As related by an old nurse, aged eighty-one. The story is of oriental origin; but the song, as recited, was so very imperfect that a few necessary additions and alterations have been made.]

THERE once was a gentleman grand,
Who lived at his country seat;
He wanted an heir to his land,
For he'd nothing but daughters yet.

When another daughter was born
The father to anger gave place;
And declared to the mother forlorn,
That he never would look on her face.

She sent her away to be nurs'd,
Without seeing her gruff papa;
And when she was old enough,

To a school she was packed away.

Fifteen summers are fled,

Now she left good Mrs. Jervis ; To see home she was forbid,—

She determined to go and seek service.

Her dresses so grand and so gay,
She carefully rolled in a knob ;
Which she hid in a forest away,
And put on a Catskin robe.

She knock'd at a castle gate,
And pray'd for charity;

They sent her some meat on a plate,
And kept her a scullion to be.

My lady look'd long in her face,
And prais'd her great beauty;
I'm sorry I've no better place,
And you must our scullion be.

So Catskin was under the cook,
A very sad life she led,
For often a ladle she took,

And broke poor Catskin's head.

There is now a grand ball to be,
When ladies their beauties show;
"Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, "dear me,
How much I should like to go!"

"You go with your Catskin robe,
You dirty impudent slut!
Among the fine ladies and lords,
A very fine figure you'd cut."

A basin of water she took,

And dash'd in poor Catskin's face: But briskly her ears she shook,

And went to her hiding-place.

She washed every stain from her skin,
In some crystal waterfall;
Then put on a beautiful dress,
And hasted away to the ball.

When she entered, the ladies were mute,
Overcome by her figure and face;
But the lord, her young master, at once
Fell in love with her beauty and grace;

He pray'd her his partner to be,

She said "Yes!" with a sweet smiling glance; All night with no other lady

But Catskin, our young lord would dance.

"Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live?"
For now was the sad parting-time;
But she no other answer would give,
Than this distich of mystical rhyme,—
"Kind Sir, if the truth I must tell,

At the sign of the Basin of Water E dwell.”
Then she flew from the ball-room, and put
On her Catskin robe again;

And slipt in unseen by the cook,

Who little thought where she had been.

The young lord, the very next day,
To his mother his passion betrayed,
And declared he never would rest,

Till he'd found out this beautiful maid.

There's another grand ball to be,
Where ladies their beauties show;
"Mrs. Cook," said Catskin, " dear me,
How much I should like to go!"

"You go with your Catskin robe,
You dirty impudent slut!
Among the fine ladies and lords,
A very fine figure you'd cut."

In a rage the ladle she took,

And broke poor Catskin's head; But off she went shaking her ears, And swift to her forest she fled.

She washed every blood-stain off
In some crystal waterfall;
Put on a more beautiful dress,
And hasted away to the ball.

My lord, at the ball-room door,
Was waiting with pleasure and pain;
He longed to see nothing so much
As the beautiful Catskin again.

When he asked her to dance, she again Said "Yes!" with her first smiling glance; And again, all the night, my young lord With none but fair Catskin did dance.