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PARADOT

157

NINTH CLASS—PARADOXES.

CCLXXIII.

O that I was where I would be,
Then would I be where I am not;
But where I am I must be,

And where I would be I cannot.

CCLXXIV.

If all the world was apple-pie,
And all the sea was ink;

And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What should we have for drink?

CCLXXV.

The man in the wilderness asked me,
How many strawberries grew in the sea?
I answered him, as I thought good,
As many as red herrings grew in the wood.

CCLXXVI.

Here am I, little jumping Joan;
When nobody's with me,

I'm always alone.

CCLXXVII.

[The conclusion of the following resembles a verse in the nursery history of Mother Hubbard.]

There was an old woman, and what do you think?
She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink.
Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet,
This plaguy old woman could never be quiet.

She went to the baker, to buy her some bread,

And when she came home, her old husband was dead; She went to the clerk to toll the bell,

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And when she came back her old husband was well.

CCLXXVIII.

There was an old woman had nothing,
And there came thieves to rob her;
When she cried out she made no noise,
But all the country heard her.

CCLXXIX.

[The following is quoted in Parkin's Reply to Dr. Stukeley's second number of "Origines Roystonianæ," 4to. Lond. 1748, p. 6.]

Peter White will ne'er go right,

And would you know the reason why?
He follows his nose where'er he goes,
And that stands all awry.

CCLXXX.

Pillycock, Pillycock,* sate on a hill;
If he's not gone, he sits there still.

* This word occurs in MS. Harl. 913, fol. 54, a MS. of the fourteenth century.

TENTH CLASS—LITERAL.

CCLXXXI.

A, B, C, tumble down D,

The cat's in the cupboard and can't see me.

CCLXXXII.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
I caught a hare alive;

6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
I let her go again.

CCLXXXIII.

Great A, little a,

Bouncing B,

The cat's in the cupboard,

And she can't see.

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