Another form of a rhyme or jingle is the following, which is repeated in the same way as “Ragged-and-tough”:
“A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.
Two pudding-ends won’t choke a dog.
Three monkeys tied to a log.
Four mares stuck in a bog.
Five puppy-dogs and our dog “Ball,”
Loudly for their breakfast call,
Six beetles on a wall,
Close to an old woman’s apple-stall.
Seven lobsters in a dish,
As good as any heart could wish.
Eight cobblers, cobblers all,
Working with their tools and awl.
Nine comets in the sky,
Some are low and some are high.
Ten peacocks in the air,
I wonder how they all got there—
You don’t know, and I don’t care.
Eleven ships sailing on the main,
Some bound for France and some for Spain,
I wish them all safe back again.
Twelve hunters, hares, and hounds,
Hunting over other men’s grounds.”[1]
Here is another similar rhyme of an alliterative character, repeated in the same way:
“One old ox opening oysters.
Two toads totally tired trying to trot to Tewkesbury.
Three tame tigers taking tea.
Four fat friars fishing for frogs.
Five fairies finding fire-flies.
Six soldiers shooting snipe.
Seven salmon sailing in Solway.
Eight elegant engineers eating excellent eggs.
Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils.
Ten tall tinkers tasting tamarinds.
Eleven electors eating early endive.
Twelve tremendous tale-bearers telling truth.”[2]
The following Christmas lines were contributed by the late Mr. Barnes to the Dorset County Chronicle in February, 1882.
