Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard
Nursery Rhyme
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give her poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare.
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the baker's
To buy him some bread,
When she came back
The dog was dead.
She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin,
When she came back
The dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe.
When she came back
He was smoking his pipe.
She went to the ale-house
To get him some beer,
When she came back,
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red,
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.
She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat,
When she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig,
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit,
When she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor's
To buy him a coat,
When she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes,
When she came back
He was reading the news.
She went to the seamstress
To buy him some linen,
When she came back
The dog was a-spinning.
She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose,
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsey,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant,"
The dog said, "Bow, wow!"
Notes
Here's the version of Old Mother Hubbard that you can hear in the 1st mp3 recording:
Old Mother Hubbard.
Old Mother Hubbard, she went to the cupboard,
To get her poor dog a bone.
When she got there, the cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the baker's to buy him some bread,
But when she came back the poor dog was dead.
She went to the undertaker's to buy him a coffin,
And when she came back the dog was laughing.
She went to the draper's to buy him some linen,
And when she came back the good dog was spinning.
She went to the hosier's to buy him some hose,
And when she came back he was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsy, the dog made a bow,
The dame said "your servant," the dog said "Bow-wow."
She went to the hatter's to buy him a hat,
And when she came back he was feeding the cat.
She went to the tailor's to buy him a coat,
And when she came back he was riding the goat.
She went to the barber's to buy him a wig,
And when she came back he was dancing a jig.
She went to the butcher's to get him some tripe,
And when she came back he was smoking a pipe.
She went to the fish-shop to buy him some fish,
And when she came back he was washing the dish.
She went to the tavern for white wine and red,
And when she came back the dog stood on his head.
Here's a version of this rhyme from The Little Mother Goose (1912), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith:
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor Dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor Dog had none.
She went to the baker's
To buy him some bread,
But when she came back
She thought he was dead.
She went to the joiner's
To buy him a coffin,
But when she came back
The sly dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish,
To get him some tripe,
But when she came back
He was smoking his pipe.
She went to the ale-house,
To get him some beer,
But when she came back
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern,
For white wine and red,
But when she came back
He stood on his head.
She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat,
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig,
But when she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit,
But when she came back
He was playing a flute.
She went to the tailor's,
To buy him a coat,
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the cobbler's,
To buy him some shoes,
But when she came back
He was reading the news.
She went to the sempstress,
To buy him some linen,
But when she came back
The dog was spinning.
She went to the hosier's,
To buy him some hose,
But when she came back
He was dress'd in his clothes.
The Dame made a curtsey,
The Dog made a bow;
The Dame said "Your servant,"
The Dog said "Bow wow!"
This wonderful Dog
Was Dame Hubbard's delight;
He could sing, he could dance,
He could read, he could write.
She gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected a monument
When he was dead.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
The 1st image is from Traditional Nursery Songs of England with Pictures by Eminent Modern Artists edited by Felix Summerly (1843). The 2nd illustration is from The Young Folks Treasury, Volume 1 (1909). The 3rd illustration is from The Little Mother Goose (1912), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith.
