Origins: Simple Simon

Subject: RE: Origins: Simple Simon
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 27 Jun 23 - 06:17 AM

He went to catch a dickey bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he’d got a little salt
To put upon its tail.

Childhood memory: I can remember seeing a line drawing on a drum of Saxa salt, showing a boy joyfully running after a bird and pouring salt on its tail from a salt celler. I was young enough that I had to have it explained to me that this illustrated their tagline "free running".

Subject: RE: Origins: Simple Simon
From: GUEST,Peter Cripps
Date: 27 Jun 23 - 05:12 AM

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
What have you got there?
Pies you fool!

Subject: RE: Origins: Simple Simon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 04:30 PM

Simple Simon 3
Here's a longer version from The Real Mother Goose (1916), illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright:

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Let me taste your ware."

Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
"Show me first your penny,"
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Indeed, I have not any."

Simple Simon went a-fishing
For to catch a whale;
All the water he could find
Was in his mother's pail!

Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.

He went to catch a dicky bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he had a little salt,
To put upon its tail.

He went for water with a sieve,
But soon it ran all through;
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.

Subject: RE: Origins: Simple Simon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 04:29 PM

Also from Gwyneth:

Simple Simon 2
Here's another version of Simple Simon from A History of Nursery Rhymes (1899) by Percy B. Green:

Simple Simon went a-fishing
For to catch a whale,
All the water he had got
Was in his mother's pail.

Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle,
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.

Simple Simon went to town
To buy a piece of meat,
He tied it to his horse's tail
To keep it clean and sweet.

Subject: RE: Origins: Simple Simon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 04:29 PM

from Gwyneth Try:

Simple Simon
From The Puffin Mother Goose Treasury illustrated by Raymond Briggs . First Edition 1966, 2010 Edition
Simple Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Let me taste your ware.
Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
Show me first your penny;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Indeed I have not any.
Simple Simon went a-fishing
For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got
Was in his mother’s pail.
Simple Simon went a-hunting
For to catch a hare;
He rode a goat about the streets,
But couldn’t find one there.
He went to catch a dickey bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he’d got a little salt
To put upon its tail.
He went to shoot a wild duck,
But wild duck flew away;
Says Simon, I can’t hit him
Because he will not stay.
He went to ride a spotted cow,
That had a little calf;
She threw him down upon the ground,
Which made the people laugh.
Once Simon made a great snowball
And brought it in to roast;
He laid it down before the fire
And soon the ball was lost.
He went to try if cherries ripe
Did grow upon a thistle;
He pricked his finger very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.
He went for water in a sieve,
But soon it all ran through;
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.

Subject: Simple Simon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 04:09 PM

SIMPLE SIMON

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Let me taste your ware.
Said the pieman unto Simon,
Show me first your penny;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Indeed I have not any.
Simple Simon went a-fishing,
For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got,
Was in his mother's pail.
Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.[1]
He went for water in a sieve
But soon it all fell through
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu![2]

tune is Yankee Doodle Dandy???

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Simon_(nursery_rhyme)