Made murderers' heart relent:
And they that undertooke the deed,
Full sore did now repent.

Yet one of them, more hard of heart,
Did vow to do his charge,
Because the wretch, that hired him,
Had paid him very large.

[Illustration]

The other would not agree thereto,
So here they fell to strife;
With one another they did fight,
About the children's life:

[Illustration]

And he that was of mildest mood,
Did slaye the other there,
Within an unfrequented wood,
Where babes did quake for feare!

[Illustration: AND HE THAT WAS OF MILDEST MOOD DID SLAYE THE OTHER
THERE]

[Illustration]

He took the children by the hand,
While teares stood in their eye,
And bade them come and go with him,
And look they did not crye:

And two long miles he ledd them on,
While they for food complaine:
"Stay here," quoth he, "I'll bring ye bread,
When I come back againe."

[Illustration]

These prettye babes, with hand in hand,
Went wandering up and downe;

[Illustration]

But never more they sawe the man
Approaching from the town.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Their prettye lippes with blackberries
Were all besmear'd and dyed;
And when they sawe the darksome night,
They sat them downe and cryed.

[Illustration]

Thus wandered these two prettye babes,
Till death did end their grief;
In one another's armes they dyed,
As babes wanting relief.

No burial these prettye babes
Of any man receives,

[Illustration]

Till Robin-redbreast painfully
Did cover them with leaves.

[Illustration: IN ONE ANOTHER'S ARMS THEY DYED.]

Randolph Caldecott's Picture Books

[Illustration]

"The humour of Randolph Caldecott's drawings is simply
irresistible, no healthy-minded man, woman, or child could look
at them without laughing."

_In square crown 4to, picture covers, with numerous coloured plates._

1 John Gilpin
2 The House that Jack Built
3 The Babes in the Wood
4 The Mad Dog
5 Three Jovial Huntsmen
6 Sing a Song for Sixpence
7 The Queen of Hearts
8 The Farmer's Boy
9 The Milkmaid
10 Hey-Diddle-Diddle and Baby Bunting
11 A Frog He Would a-Wooing Go
12 The Fox Jumps over the Parson's Gate
13 Come Lasses and Lads
14 Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross, &c.
15 Mrs. Mary Blaize
16 The Great Pan