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An old woman was Sweeping
her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. "What," she said,
"shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market and buy a
little pig." As she was coming ho`me she came to a stile. The piggy
would not go over the stile. She went a little farther, and she met a
dog, so she said to the dog:—
"Dog, dog, bite pig;
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the dog would not.
She went a little further, and she met a
stick. So she said:—
"Stick, stick, beat dog
Dog won't bite pig;
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the stick would not.
She went a little farther, and she met a
fire. So she said:—
"Fire, fire, burn stick
Stick won't beat dog
Dog won't bite pig;
Piggy won't get over the stile;
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the fire would not.
She went a little farther, and she met some
water. So she said:-
"Water, water, quench fire
F ire won't burn stick
Stick won't beat dog
Dog won't bite pig
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the water would not.
She went a little farther, and she met an
ox. So she said:-
"Ox, ox, drink water
Water wont quench fire
Fire won't burn stick
Stick won't beat dog
Dog won't bite pig
Piggy wont get over the stile,
And I shan`t get home to-night!"
But the ox would not.
She went a little farther, and she met a
butcher. So, she said:—
"Butcher, butcher, kill ox
Ox won't drink water;
Water wont quench fire
Fire won't burn stick
Stick won`t beat dog
Dog. won't bite pig;
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!
But the butcher would not.
She went a little farther, and `she met a
rope. So she said:—
``Rope, rope, hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox
Ox won't drink water
Water won't quench fire
Fire won't burn stick
Stick wont beat dog
Dog won't bite pig;
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the rope would not.
She went a little farther, and she met a
rat. So she said:—
``Rat, rat, gnaw rope;
Rope won't hang butcher
Butcher won't kill ox
Ox won't drink water
Water won't quench fire
Fire wont burn stick
Stick won't beat dog
Dog won't bite pig
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the rat would not.
She went a little farther, and she met a
cat. So she said:--
``Cat, cat, kill rat;
Rat won't gnaw rope
Rope won't hang butcher
Butcher wont kill ox
Ox won't drink water
Water won't quench fire
Fire won't burn stick
Stick won't beat dog
Dog won't bite pig;
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!``
But the cat said to her, "If you will go to
yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat." So away
went the old woman to the cow, and said:—
Cow, cow, give the a saucer of milk,
Cat won't kill rat;
Rat won't gnaw rope
Rope won't hang butcher
Butcher won't kill ox
Ox wont drink water
Water won't quench fire
Fire won't burn stick
Stick won't beat dog;
Dog won't bite pig
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!``
But the cow said to her, "If you will go to
yonder hay makers, and fetch me a wisp of hay, I'll give you the milk.
"So away went the old woman to the
haymakers, and said:—
``Haymakers, give me a wisp of hay
Cow won't give milk
Cat won't kill rat
Rat won't gnaw rope
Rope won't hang Butcher
Butcher won't kill ox
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire
Fire won't burn stick
Stick wont beat dog
Dog won't bite pig
Piggy won't get over the stile,
And I shan't get home to-night!"
But the haymakers said to her, "If you will
go to yonder stream, and fetch us a bucket of water, we'll give you the
hay." So away the old woman went. But when she got to the stream, she
found the bucket was full of holes. So she covered the bottom with
pebbles, and then filled the bucket with water, and she went back with
it to the haymakers, and they gave her a wisp of hay.
As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she
gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to
the cat. As soon as the cat had lapped all the milk:-
"The cat began to kill the rat;
The rat began to gnaw the rope
The rope began to hang the butcher
The butcher began to kill the ox
The ox began to drink the water;
The water began to quench the fire
The fire began to burn the stick
The stick began to beat the dog
The dog began to bite the pig;
The little pig in a fright jumped over the stile
So the old woman got home that night!" |
