Nursery Rhyme. DLXXIII. Natural History.

    I had a little hen, the prettiest ever seen,
    She washed me the dishes, and kept the house clean:
    She went to the mill to fetch me some flour;
    She brought it home in less than an hour;
    She baked me my bread, she brew'd me my ale,
    She sat by the fire and told many a fine tale.

    Higglepy Piggleby,
        My black hen,
    She lays eggs
        For gentlemen;
    Sometimes nine,
        And sometimes ten,
    Higglepy Piggleby,
        My black hen!

    Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
    She lays eggs for gentlemen;
    Gentlemen come every day
    To see what my black hen doth lay.

    The Cock. Lock the dairy door,
                            Lock the dairy door!
    The Hen.    Chickle, chackle, chee,
                            I haven't got the key!

    Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home,
    Thy house is on fire, thy children all gone,
    All but one, and her name is Ann,
    And she crept under the pudding-pan.

    Once I saw a little bird,
    Come hop, hop, hop;
    So I cried, little bird,
    Will you stop, stop, stop?
    And was going to the window,
    To say how do you do?
    But he shook his little tail,
    And far away he flew.