A Frog He Would a-Wooing Go – Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott – 1895 Edition

A FROG HE WOULD
A-WOOING GO

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A Frog would a-wooing go, Heigh Ho….

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So he set off with his opera hat….

And on his way, he met a Rat

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Pray, Mr. Rat, won’t you come with me….

Pretty Miss Mousey for to see.

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… they soon arrived at Mousey’s Hall….

And gave a loud knock, and gave a loud call.

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Pray, Miss MOUSEY, are you within?”
….
“Oh, yes, kind Sirs, I’m sitting to spin.”

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“Pray, Miss MOUSE, will you give us some beer?”

“For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.”

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“Pray, Mr. FROG, will you give us a song?
….
“But let it be something that’s not very long.”

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“Indeed, Miss MOUSE,” replied Mr FROG,

“A cold has made me as hoarse as a Hog.”

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“Since you have caught cold,” Miss MOUSEY said.

“I’ll sing you a song that I have just made.”

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But while they were all thus a merry-making,

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A Cat and her Kittens came tumbling in.

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The Cat she seized the Rat by the crown;
….
The Kittens they pulled the little Mouse down.

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This put Mr. FROG in a terrible fright;

He took up his hat, and he wished them good night.

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But as Froggy was crossing a silvery brook,
….

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A lily-white Duck came and gobbled him up.

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So there was an end of one, two, and three,
. . .
The Rat, the Mouse, and the little Frog-gee!

Back Cover

Note: I posted only part of the text. Probably because this book was first published in the 1890s, the rhyme is rough and the text is a bit muddled.  Yet, Caldecott’s illustrations are delightful.

 


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