Bushcrafty rhymes for children

[Toddy]

I'm looking for rhymes and poems for little children.

Something like the
"Night, night, sleep tight,
Don't let the bugs bite,
If they bite, squeeze them tight,
and they'll no' bite another night."

but softer somehow, more like a lullaby.

Any ideas or suggestions ?

M

 

[Man of Tanith]

Who's inin the forest dark and deep?
Squirrels gathering acorns to keep keep keep.
Who's in the forest dark and deep?
Bear cubs tumbling in a heap heap heap
Who's in the forest dark and deep?
Foxes on the prowl creep creep creep.
Whos in tbe forest dark and deep?
Owls I the tree tops fast asleep.


There's more but I csnt remember it without the book. Wee man loves that one

 

[crosslandkelly]

I sang the same one to my daughter when she was small, only it went.

"Night, night, sleep tight,
Don't let the bed bugs bite,
If they do, get a shoe,
and squish them,
till they're black and blue."

She used to love it.

 

[superc0ntra]

I know a bunch of them in Swedish but none in English, sorry.

 

[Goatboy]

A Swarm of Bees in May

A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay,
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon,
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.

 

[bilmo-p5]

A wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he saw, the less he spoke,
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
We should be like that wise old bird.

 

[Lister]

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

 

[Goatboy]

Hi Toddy,

I don't know if you've seen this site? Lots of old rhymes here. LINK

Cheers,
GB.

 

[boatman]

Cry Baby Bunting
Daddy's gone a-hunting
Gone to fetch a rabbit skin
To wrap the Baby Bunting in
Cry Baby Bunting
..............................
This is an old nursery rhyme and very bushy


Dinogad's shift is speckled, speckled,
It was made from the pelts of martens.
`Wee! Wee!' Whistling.
We call, they call, the eight in chains.
When your father went out to hunt -
A spear on his shoulder, a club in his hand -
He called on his lively dogs,
`Giff! Gaff! Take, take! Fetch, fetch!'
He killed fish from his coracle
Like the lion killing small animals.
When your father went to the mountains
He would bring back a roebuck, a boar, a stag,
A speckled grouse from the mountain,
And a fish from the Derwennydd falls.
At whatever your father aimed his spear -
Be it a boar, a wild cat, or a fox -
None would escape but that had strong wings.

or in 7th century British/Welsh

Peis dinogat e vreith vreith.
o grwyn balaot ban wreith.
chwit chwit chwidogeith.
gochanwn gochenyn wythgeith.
pan elei dy dat ty e helya;
llath ar y ysgwyd llory eny law.
ef gelwi gwn gogyhwc.
giff gaff. dhaly dhaly dhwg dhwg.
ef lledi bysc yng corwc.
mal ban llad. llew llywywg.
pan elei dy dat ty e vynyd.
dydygai ef penn ywrch penn gwythwch pen hyd.
penn grugyar vreith o venyd.
penn pysc o rayadyr derwennyd.
or sawl yt gyrhaedei dy dat ty ae gicwein
o wythwch a llewyn a llwyuein.
nyt anghei oll ny uei oradein.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Little Robin red breast,
Sat upon on a thistle.
Every time he pricked his ar5e,
He gave a little whistle.

 

[oldtimer]

I can't remember how young I was when my grandmother taughr :

Red sky at night, shepherds' delight.

Could I recommend Iona and Peter Opies books: "The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren" and "Nursery Rhymes" both OUP. The Opies were the doyens of childhood culture in the UK and their research is fascinating and profound. Fellow scotsScots too, I believe!

If I get a chance today I'll go through my copies together with other books I have to find some examples for you.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Red sky at night, shepherds' delight.

Red sky in the morning......
BARNNNNN'S ONNNNN FIIIIIRE!

 

[oldtimer]

Little Bob Robin
Where do you live?
Up in yonder wood sir
on a hazel twig

A little cock sparrow sat on green tree,
And he chirruped, he chirrupped, so merry was he.
A naughty boy came with his bow and arrow,
Says he, I will shoot this cock sparrow;
His body wil make me a nice little stew,
And his giblets will make me a little pie too.
Oh no, said the sparrowI won't make a stew
So he clapped his wings and away he flew.

RIDDLE
As I was walking in a field of wheat,
I picked up something good to eat;
Neither fish, flesh fowl, nor bone,
I kept it till it ran alone.
SOLUTION: An egg

Jeremiah, blow the fire,
Puff, puff, puff,
First you blow it gently.
Then you blow it rough.

ANOTHER RIDDLE
A shoemaker makes shoes without leather,
With all four elements put together,
Fire, water, earth, air,
And every customer takes two pair.
SOLUTION: A blacksmith (sic) Should be farrier!

ANOTHER RIDDLE
I went to the wood and I got it;
I sat me down and I sought it;
I kept it still against my will
And so by force home I brought it.
SOLUTION:A thorn in the foot. ( The original is said to pre-date Homer)

All the above from The Oxford book of Nursery rhymes: Iona and Peter Opie.

I saw Esau sawing wood,
And Esau saw I saw him;
Though Esau saw I saw him saw
Still Esau went on sawing
(Typical from Lore and Language of School Children Opie op cit)

ANON
Teacher, they tell me when thou wert alive,
Thou teaching thrift, thyself couldnst never thrive,
So like the whetstone many men are wont
To sharpen others when themselves are blunt.

( Not sure as a an ex-teacher whether I should help to perpetuate this!)

 

[crosslandkelly]

Someone. Walter de la Mare.

Some one came knocking
At my wee, small door;
Someone came knocking;
I'm sure-sure-sure;
I listened, I opened,
I looked to left and right,
But nought there was a stirring
In the still dark night;
Only the busy beetle
Tap-tapping in the wall,
Only from the forest
The screech-owl's call,
Only the cricket whistling
While the dewdrops fall,
So I know not who came knocking,
At all, at all, at all.

 

[HeltorChasca]

I like Spike Milligans famous short poem:

There are holes in the sky
Where the rain gets in
But they're ever so small
That's why the rain is thin.

That'll do.............hc

 

[Outdoordude]

I know a bunch of them in Swedish but none in English, sorry.

Have you heard the one about the trolls. My mum used to sing it to me when I was little.

 

[boatman]

http://www.speakeandlowestories.talktalk.net/billy_goats_gruff.htm

 

[Goatboy]

I like Spike Milligans famous short poem:

There are holes in the sky
Where the rain gets in
But they're ever so small
That's why the rain is thin.

That'll do.............hc

I'm sure this was in the same book as your poem and I always thought Spike Milligan wrote it but it was apparently a lady called Stevie Smith about an owl.

Aloft
In the loft
Sits Croft
He is soft