A was an Area Arch
Where washerwomen sat;
They made a lot of lovely starch
To starch Papa's cravat.
B was a Bottle blue,
Which was not very small;
Papa he filled it full of beer,
And then he drank it all.
C was Papa's gray Cat,
Who caught a squeaky Mouse
She pulled him by his twirly tail
All about the house.
D was Papa's white Duck,
Who had a curly tail;
One day it ate a great fat frog,
Besides a leetle snail.
E was a little Egg,
Upon the breakfast table;
Papa came in and ate it up,
As fast as he was able.
F was a little Fish.
Cook in the river took it,
Papa said, 'Cook! Cook! bring a dish!
And, cook! be quick and cook it!'
G was Papa's new Gun;
He put it in a box;
And then he went and bought a bun,
And walked about the Docks.
H was Papa's new Hat;
He wore it on his head;
Outside it was completely black,
But inside it was red.
I was an Inkstand new,
Papa he likes to use it;
He keeps it in his pocket now,
For fear that he should lose it.
J was some Apple Jam,
Of which Papa ate part,
But all the rest he took away,
And stuffed into a tart.
K was a great new Kite;
Papa he saw it fly
Above a thousand chimney pots,
And all about the sky.
L was a fine new Lamp;
but when the wick was lit,
Papa he said, 'This light ain't good!
I cannot read a bit!'
M was a dish of Mince;
It looked so good to eat!
Papa, he quickly ate it up,
And said, 'This is a treat!'
N was a Nut that grew
High up upon a tree;
Papa, who could not reach it,said,
'That's much too high for me!'
O was an Owl who flew
All in the dark away,
Papa said, 'What an owl you are!
'Why don't you fly by day!'
P was a little Pig,
Went out to take a walk;
Papa he said, 'If Piggy dead,
He'd all turn into Pork!'
Q was a Quince that hung
Upon a garden tree;
Papa he brought it with him home,
And ate it with his tea.
R was a Railway Rug,
Extremely large and warm;
Papa he wrapped it round his head,
In a most dreadful storm.
S was Papa's new Stick,
Papa's new thumping Stick,
To thump extremely wicked boys,
Because it was so thick.
T was a Tumbler full
of Punch all hot and good;
Papa he drank it up, when in
The middle of a wood.
U was a silver Urn,
Full of hot scalding water;
Papa said, 'If that Urn were mine,
I'd give it to my daughter!'
V was a Villain; once;
He stole a piece of beef.
Papa he said, 'O! dreadful man!
That Villain is a Thief!'
W was a Watch of Gold:
It told the time of day,
So that Papa knew when to come,
And when to go away.
X was King Xerxes, whom
Papa much wished to know;
But this he could not do, because
Xerxes died long ago.
Y was a Youth, who kicked
And screamed and cried like mad;
Papa he said, 'Your conduct is
Abominably bad!'
Z was a Zebra striped
And streaked with lines of black;
Papa said once, he thought he'd like
A ride upon his back.
