Mythology & Folklore

There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket

by Anonymous (English nursery rhymes) traditional; recorded 17th–19th century

From The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected by J. O. Halliwell (London: Warne; first ed. 1842; this printing 1886)

Mythology & Folklore

There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket
Nineteen times as high as the moon;
Where she was going I couldn't but ask it,
For in her hand she carried a broom.

Old woman, old woman, old woman, quoth I,
O whither, O whither, O whither, so high?
To brush the cobwebs off the sky!
Shall I go with thee? Aye, by and by.

✦ ✦ ✦

Halliwell's class: Gaffers and Gammers.

MLA

Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/258/.

Chicago

Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/258/.

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