Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes Part 1

Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes.

by Various.

PREFACE

There are probably more nursery rhymes in China than can be found in England and America. We have in our possession more than six hundred, collected, for the most part, in two out of the eighteen provinces, and we have no reason to believe that we have succeeded in getting any large proportion of what those two provinces contain.

In most of the rhymes there are features common to those of our own "Mother Goose," among which are those referring (1) to insects, (2) animals, (3) birds, (4) persons, (5) children, (6) food, (7) parts of the body, (8) actions, such as patting, grabbing, tickling, etc., (9) professions, trades and business.

We have tried to reproduce the meaning of the original as nearly as possible; this has not always been an easy task. Let it be understood that these rhymes make no pretentions to literary merit, nor has the translator made any attempt at regularity in the meter, because neither the original nor our own "Mother Goose" is regular. Our desire has been to make a translation which is fairly true to the original, and which will please English-speaking children. The child, not the critic, has always been kept in view.

Attention is called to the affection manifested in such rhymes as "Sweeter than Sugar," "Sweet Pill," "Little Fat Boy," and "Baby is Sleeping." There is no language in the world, we venture to believe, which contains children's songs expressive of more keen and tender affection than those we have mentioned. This fact, more than any other, has stimulated us in the preparation of these rhymes. They have been prepared with the hope that they will present a new phase of Chinese home life, and lead the children of the West to have some measure of sympathy and affection for the children of the East.

The compilation was much facilitated by the work done by Baron Vitali, of the Italian Legation in Peking; Rev. Arthur H. Smith, author of "Chinese Characteristics;" Miss Mabel Whiting, of Peking; Miss Mitch.e.l.l, of c.h.i.n.kiang; Mrs. McClure, of Honan; Miss Chalfant, of Shantung; Mr. Chao Tsz-chi, Chinese Consul at New York; Mr. Yamamoto, of Peking, and Rev. Chauncy Goodrich, of T'ung Chou, while the entire work is due to the fact that our attention was called by Mrs. C. H.

Fenn, of Peking, to her old nurse repeating these rhymes to her little boy.

The ill.u.s.trations have all been prepared by the translator specially for this work.

I. T. H.

OCTOBER, 1900

SWEETER THAN SUGAR

My little baby, little boy blue, Is as sweet as sugar and cinnamon too; Isn't this precious darling of ours Sweeter than dates and cinnamon flowers?

LITTLE SMALL-FEET

The small-footed girl With the sweet little smile, She loves to eat sugar And sweets all the while.

Her money's all gone And because she can't buy, She holds her small feet While she sits down to cry.

THE CRICKET

On the top of a mountain A hemp stock was growing, And up it a cricket was climbing.

I said to him, "Cricket, Oh where are you going?"

He answered: "I'm going out dining."

THE b.u.t.tERFLY

Away goes the b.u.t.terfly, To catch it I will never try; The b.u.t.terfly's about to 'light, I would not have it if I might.

OF WHAT USE IS A GIRL?

We keep a dog to watch the house, A pig is useful, too; We keep a cat to catch a mouse, But what can we do With a girl like you?

THE FIRE-FLY

Fire-fly, fire-fly, Come from the hill, Your father and mother Are waiting here still; They've brought you some sugar, Some candy and meat, Come quick, or I'll give it To baby to eat.

COME AND PLAY

Little baby, full of glee, Won't you come and play with me?

Strike the stick and kick the ball, And at the pic-nic place we'll call.

And you shall come and eat with me, And you shall come and drink my tea.

When I invite you thus to play, How is it that you run away?

THE COW

"There's a cow on the mountain."

The old saying goes, On her legs are four feet; On her feet are eight toes; Her tail is behind On the end of her back, And her head is in front On the end of her neck.

GRANDPA FEEDS BABY