# Mother Goose: John Smith - Source: The Real Mother Goose (mother-goose.gutenberg.org), Public domain, Blanche Fisher Wright, illustrator, 1916, via Project Gutenberg - Reading level: Ages 4 to 6 - Subjects: Poems, Animals, Nature - Topics: little, simon, went, simple, diddle, drake - Length: 422 words, about 3 min - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: Is John Smith within? Yes, that he is. Can he set a shoe? Ay, marry, two. Here a nail, there a nail, Tick, tack, too. ## Simple Simon Simple Simon met a pieman, Going to the fair; Says Simple Simon to the pieman, "Let me taste your ware." Says the pieman to Simple Simon, "Show me first your penny," Says Simple Simon to the pieman, "Indeed, I have not any." Simple Simon went a-fishing For to catch a whale; All the water he could find Was in his mother's pail! Simple Simon went to look If plums grew on a thistle; He pricked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon whistle. He went to catch a dicky bird, And thought he could not fail, Because he had a little salt, To put upon its tail. He went for water with a sieve, But soon it ran all through; And now poor Simple Simon Bids you all adieu. ## Five Toes This little pig went to market; This little pig stayed at home; This little pig had roast beef; This little pig had none; This little pig said, "Wee, wee! I can't find my way home." ## Three Blind Mice Three blind mice! See how they run! They all ran after the farmer's wife, Who cut off their tails with a carving knife. Did you ever see such a thing in your life As three blind mice? ## A Little Man There was a little man, and he had a little gun, And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead; He went to the brook, and saw a little duck, And shot it right through the head, head, head. He carried it home to his old wife Joan, And bade her a fire to make, make, make. To roast the little duck he had shot in the brook, And he'd go and fetch the drake, drake, drake. The drake was a-swimming with his curly tail; The little man made it his mark, mark, mark. He let off his gun, but he fired too soon, And the drake flew away with a quack, quack, quack. ## Doctor Foster Doctor Foster went to Glo'ster, In a shower of rain; He stepped in a puddle, up to his middle, And never went there again. ## Diddle Diddle Dumpling Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John Went to bed with his breeches on, One stocking off, and one stocking on; Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John. ## Jerry Hall Jerry Hall, he was so small, A rat could eat him, hat and all. ## Picture credits - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain () - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain () - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain () - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain () - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain ()