# Mother Goose: Rock-A-Bye, Baby - 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 - Topics: billy, mary, bessy, hector, little, protector - Length: 298 words, about 2 min - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green; Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen; And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring; And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king. ## Hector Protector Hector Protector was dressed all in green; Hector Protector was sent to the Queen. The Queen did not like him, No more did the King; So Hector Protector was sent back again. ## Billy, Billy "Billy, Billy, come and play, While the sun shines bright as day." "Yes, my Polly, so I will, For I love to please you still." "Billy, Billy, have you seen Sam and Betsy on the green?" "Yes, my Poll, I saw them pass, Skipping o'er the new-mown grass." "Billy, Billy, come along, And I will sing a pretty song." ## The Man In The Wilderness 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. ## Little Jack Horner Little Jack Horner Sat in the corner, Eating of Christmas pie: He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, And said, "What a good boy am I!" ## The Bird Scarer Away, birds, away! Take a little and leave a little, And do not come again; For if you do, I will shoot you through, And there will be an end of you. ## Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? Silver bells and cockle-shells, And pretty maids all of a row. ## Bessy Bell And Mary Gray Bessy Bell and Mary Gray, They were two bonny lasses; They built their house upon the lea, And covered it with rushes. Bessy kept the garden gate, And Mary kept the pantry; Bessy always had to wait, While Mary lived in plenty. ## Picture credits - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain () - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain () - Blanche Fisher Wright, Public domain ()