our nice food,
Our little fa-mi-lies might prove
In-dif-fer-ent-ly good."

Aunt Effie's Rhymes

[Illustration: Madam Grump and Her Babies.]

[Page 177--Piggy Land]

The Old Woman and Her Pig

Once an old woman was sweeping her house, and found a crooked
sixpence, and went to market to buy a pig. As she was coming home she
came to a stile, and the pig would not get over it: so she went a
little farther and met a dog, and 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 farther and met a stick, and 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 met a fire, and 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 met some water, and said:

"Water, water, 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 water would not.

She went a little farther and met an ox, and said:

"Ox, ox, 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 ox would not.

She went a little farther and met a butcher, and said:

"Butcher, butcher, 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 butcher would not.

She went a little farther and met a rope, and 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 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 met a rat, and 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 won't burn stick,
Stick won't beat dog, dog won't bite pig,
P