Page 18 - eMuse Vol.9 No.05_Classical

See, saw, processes of law
The station must have a new master;
This one makes but a penny a day
‘Cos wool won’t grow any faster.
G. H. Gibson, Ironbark Splinters from the Australian Bush (1912)
Hicketty, spiketty (same old wheeze),
Sheep grew wool for mortgagees,
Mortgagees came every day:
They grew rich while I grew grey
G. H. Gibson, Ironbark Splinters from the Australian Bush (1912)

Baa, baa, black sheep.
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, oh yes sir! three bales full.
One for the master, who grows so lean and lank:
None for the mistress,
But two for the bank!
G. H. Gibson, Ironbark Splinters from the Australian Bush (1912)
Simple Simon met a dry man
On a saltbush plain;
Said Simple Simon to the dry man
“D’jer think it’s going to rain?”
More Variations On Said the Dryman to Simple Simon,
“Though the sky is overcast,
Nursery Rhymes P’r’aps it will, an’ p’raps it won’t
An’ that’s my bloomin’ forcast!”
G. H. Gibson, Ironbark Splinters from the Australian Bush (1912)
Sing a song of salt bush,
Sandy-blight an drought.
From “Twinkle Twinkle Southern Cross”
Forty thousand weaners
compiled by Robert Holden. Above illustration from the cover. Slowly pegging out.
Note the lack of political correctness in these rhymes. Start ‘em on the stock-route,
Brand ‘em with a “T“;
Little Miss Muffet Isn’t that a pretty sight
Arose from her tuffet To show a mortgagee?
To box with the old kangaroo.
There came a big wombat to join in the combat, Squatter king in sheep-yard
And little Miss Muffet withdrew. Counting out his stock;
Missus down in Sydney
ER, “Australian Nursery Rhymes”, Bulletin (5 November 1908)
Doin’ of “the Block.”
Little Boy Blue, your whip come and crack, All the Station blacks say,
And go out to the paddock to bring the cows back. “Boss, its plurry hot!”
Where is the maid with her milking pail? ‘Long comes the mortgagee,
Oh, we use machines, and they milk without fail. An’ cops the bloomin’ lot!
ER, “Australian Nursery Rhymes”, Bulletin (5 November 1908)
G. H. Gibson, Ironbark Splinters from the Australian Bush (1912)
Hush-a-bye baby, o the tree top,
Grasshoppers ate up the whole of our crop, Toast for Tommy, and toast for tea,
When the drought breaks the rabbits will come Toast for Winnie, and toast for me,
Hush-a-bye baby, the outlook is glum. Toast for Flora, and toast for Mum,
Toast for the bread and we’ll all have some.
ER, “Australian Nursery Rhymes”, Bulletin (5 November 1908)
Thomas Gunn, “Bush Nursery Rhymes” (1920)
Ding Dong dell,
Pussy’s in the well, Captain Cook
‘Twas all the water we had got, Broke his hook
And now we’ll have to waste the lot. Fishing for Australia
ER, “Australian Nursery Rhymes”, Bulletin (5 November 1908) Captain Cook
Wrote a book
The following Nursery Rhymes by George Herbert Gibson, aka All About Australia.
“Ironbark”, are rather bleak, indicating they were more intended
for adults than infant Australians. These rhymes are a departure Author unknown. Variations of the verse were regularly sung
in school grounds from early last century.
from his very popular usual light-hearted style.
18 eMuse May 2020