AN old woman went to market and bought a pig; Pig had four legs, But pig would not go. Well, says the old woman, what shall I do? She went a little farther and she calls to a dog, Dog, dog, bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the dog would not. She went a little farther and she calls to a stick, Stick, stick, beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the stick would not. She went a little farther and she calls to a fire, Fire, fire, burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the fire would not. She went a little farther and she calls to some water, Water, water, quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the water would not. She went a little farther and she calls to an ox, Ox, ox, drink water, Water won't quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the ox would not. She went a little farther and she calls to a butcher, Butcher, butcher, kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the butcher would not. She went a little farther and she calls to a rope, Rope, rope, hang butcher, Butcher won't kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the rope would not. She went a little farther and she calls to a rat, Rat, rat, gnaw rope, Rope won't hang butcher, Butcher won't kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. But the rat would not. She went a little farther and she calls to a cat, Cat, cat, kill rat, Rat won't gnaw rope, Rope won't hang butcher, Butcher won't kill ox, Ox won't drink water, Water won't quench fire, Fire won't burn stick, Stick won't beat dog, Dog won't bite pig, Pig will not go, And I should have been at home two hours ago. Then the cat began to kill the rat, The rat began to gnaw the rope, The rope began to hang the butcher, The butcher began to kill the ox, The ox began to drink the water, The water began to quench the fire, The fire began to burn the stick, The stick began to beat the dog, The dog began to bite the pig, The pig began to go; So it's all over, and the old woman's home again now. OUR bow's bended, Our book's ended, If you do not like a bit You may mend it. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WANDERINGS OF OISIN by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS TO A FAT LADY SEEN FROM THE TRAIN by FRANCES CROFTS DARWIN CORNFORD THE LIVING TEMPLE by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES A WOMAN'S APOLOGY by ALFRED AUSTIN STANZAS by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD |