Mother Goose

was created especially for

Michael Jeremy Smith
at the age of 8


With love from
Mom and Dad
September 9, 2001

 The rain fell against the house on 1234 Anywhere Street. "We can't play outside; it's just too wet," sighed Mike. "It's too wet and gray for Larry, Wayne and Bob to come over." A rhyme came to mind, and this gave Mike an idea for a new game.

Rain, rain go away,
come again some other day.
For Mike, Larry, Wayne and Bob, it's just too wet to play today.

"This is fun!" Mike said. He quickly tried another rhyme.

Hey, diddle, diddle!
Mike played the fiddle.
Larry, jumped over the moon.
Mike laughed to see such a sport, and Larry ran away with the spoon.

"That was pretty good," Mike said. "Here's another one."

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.
Bake Mike a cake and a gingerbread man.
Put it in the oven, so fluffy and light,
then serve it to Mike, Larry, Wayne and Bob tonight.

Mike laughed out loud when he thought of this one.

Mike saw an old woman
who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children,
she didn't know what to do.
She gave Mike some broth
and some cinnamon bread,
and kissed him, hugged him,
and put him to bed.

Mike wondered what he could do with "Jack be nimble."

Mike Be Nimble, Mike be quick,
Mike jumped over the candlestick.
Mike jumped so high
he touched the sky,
and didn't get back
'til the Fourth of July.

Mike remembered he had heard this one in school one day.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
and doesn't know where to find them.
"Leave them alone," Mike said
on the phone,
"and I'll travel close behind them."

Jack and Jill went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
and Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got and off did trot,
careful not to stray.
But there sat Jill so sad and still,
so then Mike said, "Let's play!"

What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice.
That's what little girls are made of.

Mike giggled when he thought of this one.

What are little boys made of?
Snakes and snails and
puppy dog tails.
That's what little boys are made of.

Mike really giggled when he thought of this one.

Thirty days have September, April,
June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
excepting February alone;
Mike sees twenty-eight days there,
and Mike sees twenty-nine
each leap year.

"This is getting too easy," said Mike.
"I'll try a harder one."

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
eating her curds and whey.
Before a big spider could sit down
beside her, Mike stood bold
with a big stick to hold,
and he frightened the spider away.

It only took a moment for Mike to come up with a new rhyme.

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's
men, couldn't put Humpty together again.
Then along came Mike with
his tape, and his glue,
and put back the pieces as good as new.

Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
the mouse ran down,
and followed Mike into town.
Hickory, dickory, dock!

Mike had trouble with the next rhyme. "Try adding your name to this one," Mike said.

Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers, where's the peck of pickled
peppers Peter Piper picked?
Oh, well, Mike doesn't like to eat
pickled peppers anyway.

Mike thought of this clever rhyme for "Three Men in a Tub."

Rub-a-dub dub,
three men in a tub.
Who do you think they could be?
The barber, the baker, and the candlestick
maker, all floating in the sea.
Larry couldn't believe all of the fish that they retrieved,
until Mike pulled out three.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
how Mike wonders where you are.
Up above Mike's world so high,
like a diamond in the sky.
Your bright and shining little spark,
makes Mike happy as a lark.
Glowing brightly near and far,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.