DanFosing/public-domain-poetry huggingface dataset:
More Nonsense Limerick 50
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Dumbree,
Who taught little owls to drink tea;
For he said, "To eat mice 
Is not proper or nice,"
That amiable man of Dumbree.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 23.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Isles,
Whose face was pervaded with smiles;
He sung high dum diddle,
And played on the fiddle,
That amiable Man of the Isles.
More Nonsense Limerick 53
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Ibreem,
Who suddenly threaten'd to scream;
But they said, "If you do, 
We will thump you quite blue,
You disgusting old man of Ibreem!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 86.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the West,
Who never could get any rest;
So they set him to spin,
On his nose find his chin,
Which cured that Old Man of the West.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 74.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Whitehaven,
Who danced a quadrille with a Raven;
But they said - "It's absurd,
To encourage this bird!"
So they smashed that Old Man of Whitehaven.
More Nonsense Limerick 49
by Edward Lear

There was an old man on the Border,
Who lived in the utmost disorder;
He danced with the cat, 
And made tea in his hat,
Which vexed all the folks on the Border.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 50.
by Edward Lear

There was an old Man of th' Abruzzi,
So blind that he couldn't his foot see;
When they said, "That's your toe,"
He replied, "Is it so?"
That doubtful old Man of th' Abruzzi.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 61.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Nile,
Who sharpened his nails with a file;
Till he cut off his thumbs,
And said calmly, "This comes - 
Of sharpening one's nails with a file!"
More Nonsense Limerick 77
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Thames Ditton,
Who called out for something to sit on;
But they brought him a hat, 
And said, "Sit upon that,
You abruptious old man of Thames Ditton!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 65.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Dee,
Who was sadly annoyed by a flea;
When he said, "I will scratch it,"
They gave him a hatchet,
Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee.
More Nonsense Limerick 12
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Dunluce,
Who went out to sea on a goose:
When he'd gone out a mile, 
He observ'd with a smile,
"It is time to return to Dunluce."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 75.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Leghorn,
The smallest as ever was born;
But quickly snapt up he,
Was once by a puppy,
Who devoured that Old Man of Leghorn.
More Nonsense Limerick 60
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of West Dumpet,
Who possessed a large nose like a trumpet;
When he blew it aloud, 
It astonished the crowd,
And was heard through the whole of West Dumpet.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 76.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Hague,
Whose ideas were excessively vague;
He built a balloon,
To examine the moon,
That deluded Old Man of the Hague.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 4.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who seldom, if ever, stood still;
He ran up and down,
In his Grandmother's gown,
Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 38.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Quebec,
A beetle ran over his neck;
But he cried, "With a needle,
I'll slay you, O beadle!"
That angry Old Man of Quebec.
Nursery Rhyme. CCLXIX. Gaffers And Gammers.
by Unknown

There was an old man of Tobago,
Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago;
Till, much to his bliss,
His physician said this - 
"To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go."
More Nonsense Limerick 23
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Hong Kong,
Who never did anything wrong;
He lay on his back, 
With his head in a sack,
That innocuous old man of Hong Kong.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 68.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man on some rocks,
Who shut his wife up in a box;
When she said, "Let me out,"
He exclaimed, "Without doubt,
You will pass all your life in that box."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 77.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Jamaica,
Who suddenly married a Quaker;
But she cried out - "O lack!
I have married a black!"
Which distressed that Old Man of Jamaica.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 28.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the West,
Who wore a pale plum-coloured vest;
When they said, "Does it fit?"
He replied, "Not a bit!"
That uneasy Old Man of the West.
More Nonsense Limerick 58
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Port Grigor,
Whose actions were noted for vigour;
He stood on his head 
Till his waistcoat turned red,
That eclectic old man of Port Grigor.
More Nonsense Limerick 99
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Messina,
Whose daughter was named Opsibeena;
She wore a small wig, 
And rode out on a pig,
To the perfect delight of Messina.
More Nonsense Limerick 15
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of the Dargle
Who purchased six barrels of Gargle;
For he said, "I'll sit still, 
And will roll them down hill,
For the fish in the depths of the Dargle."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 60.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the South,
Who had an immoderate mouth;
But in swallowing a dish,
That was quite full of fish,
He was choked, that Old Man of the South.
More Nonsense Limerick 100
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Thermopylae,
Who never did anything properly;
But they said, "If you choose 
To boil eggs in your shoes,
You shall never remain in Thermopylae."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 35.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Marseilles,
Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils;
They caught several Fish,
Which they put in a dish,
And sent to their Pa at Marseilles.
More Nonsense Limerick 48
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Spithead,
Who opened the window, and said, - 
"Fil-jomble, fil-jumble, 
Fil-rumble-come-tumble!"
That doubtful old man of Spithead.
More Nonsense Limerick 22
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Three Bridges,
Whose mind was distracted by midges,
He sate on a wheel, 
Eating underdone veal,
Which relieved that old man of Three Bridges.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 83.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Coast,
Who placidly sat on a post;
But when it was cold,
He relinquished his hold,
And called for some hot buttered toast.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 66.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Dundee,
Who frequented the top of a tree;
When disturbed by the crows,
He abruptly arose,
And exclaimed, "I'll return to Dundee."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 17.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Moldavia,
Who had the most curious behaviour;
For while he was able,
He slept on a table,
That funny Old Man of Moldavia
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 52.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Peru,
Who watched his wife making a stew;
But once by mistake,
In a stove she did bake,
That unfortunate Man of Peru.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 81.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the East,
Who gave all his children a feast;
But they all ate so much,
And their conduct was such,
That it killed that Old Man of the East.
More Nonsense Limerick 57
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Dumblane,
Who greatly resembled a crane;
But they said, "Is it wrong, 
Since your legs are so long,
To request you won't stay in Dumblane?"
Misers
by Unknown

There was an old man of Nantucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket;
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man -
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 18.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Madras,
Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;
But the length of its ears,
So promoted his fears,
That it killed that Old Man of Madras.
More Nonsense Limerick 7
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Dunrose;
A parrot seized hold of his nose.
When he grew melancholy, 
They said, "His name's Polly,"
Which soothed that old man of Dunrose.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 13.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,
Who never had more than a penny;
He spent all that money,
In onions and honey,
That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 20.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Peru,
Who never knew what he should do;
So he tore off his hair,
And behaved like a bear,
That intrinsic Old Man of Peru.
More Nonsense Limerick 8
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Toulouse
Who purchased a new pair of shoes;
When they asked, "Are they pleasant?" 
He said, "Not at present!"
That turbid old man of Toulouse.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 46.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the North,
Who fell into a basin of broth;
But a laudable cook,
Fished him out with a hook,
Which saved that Old Man of the North.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 82.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Kamschatka,
Who possessed a remarkably fat cur,
His gait and his waddle,
Were held as a model,
To all the fat dogs in Kamschatka.
More Nonsense Limerick 59
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of El Hums,
Who lived upon nothing but crumbs,
Which he picked off the ground, 
With the other birds round,
In the roads and the lanes of El Hums.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 102.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Cape,
Who possessed a large Barbary Ape;
Till the Ape one dark night,
Set the house on a light,
Which burned that Old Man of the Cape.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 53.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Melrose,
Who walked on the tips of his toes;
But they said, "It ain't pleasant,
To see you at present,
You stupid Old Man of Melrose."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 106.
by Edward Lear

There was an old Person of Burton,
Whose answers were rather uncertain;
When they said, "How d'ye do?"
He replied, "Who are you?"
That distressing old person of Burton.
More Nonsense Limerick 82
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Crowle,
Who lived in the nest of an owl;
When they screamed in the nest, 
He screamed out with the rest,
That depressing old person of Crowle.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 3.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a nose,
Who said, "If you choose to suppose,
That my nose is too long,
You are certainly wrong!"
That remarkable Man with a nose.
More Nonsense Limerick 14
by Edward Lear

There was an old person in black,
A Grasshopper jumped on his back;
When it chirped in his ear, 
He was smitten with fear,
That helpless old person in black.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 80.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man who said, "Hush!
I perceive a young bird in this bush!"
When they said - "Is it small?"
He replied - "Not at all!
It is four times as big as the bush!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 111.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man, on whose nose,
Most birds of the air could repose;
But they all flew away,
At the closing of day,
Which relieved that Old Man and his nose.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 11.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a flute,
A sarpint ran into his boot;
But he played day and night,
Till the sarpint took flight,
And avoided that man with a flute.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 8.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a gong,
Who bumped at it all the day long;
But they called out, "O law!
You're a horrid old bore!"
So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.
Nursery Rhyme. CCLXXI. Gaffers And Gammers.
by Unknown

There was an old man,
And he had a calf,
And that's half;
He took him out of the stall,
And put him on the wall;
And that's all.
More Nonsense Limerick 10
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Bromley,
Whose ways were not cheerful or comely;
He sate in the dust, 
Eating spiders and crust,
That unpleasing old person of Bromley.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 37.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Basing,
Whose presence of mind was amazing;
He purchased a steed,
Which he rode at full speed,
And escaped from the people of Basing.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 63.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Cromer,
Who stood on one leg to read Homer;
When he found he grew stiff,
He jumped over the cliff,
Which concluded that Person of Cromer.
More Nonsense Limerick 66
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Cannes,
Who purchased three fowls and a fan;
Those she placed on a stool, 
And to make them feel cool
She constantly fanned them at Cannes.
More Nonsense Limerick 80
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Bow,
Whom nobody happened to know;
So they gave him some soap, 
And said coldly, "We hope
You will go back directly to Bow!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 85.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who sat on a horse when he reared;
But they said, "Never mind!
You will fall off behind,
You propitious Old Man with a beard!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 92.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man, who said, "Well!
Will NOBODY answer this bell?
I have pulled day and night,
Till my hair has grown white,
But nobody answers this bell!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 84.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Bangor,
Whose face was distorted with anger;
He tore off his boots,
And subsisted on roots,
That borascible person of Bangor.
More Nonsense Limerick 98
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Brigg,
Who purchased no end of a wig;
So that only his nose, 
And the end of his toes,
Could be seen when he walked about Brigg.
More Nonsense Limerick 97
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Bude,
Whose deportment was vicious and crude;
He wore a large ruff 
Of pale straw-colored stuff,
Which perplexed all the people of Bude.
Courtship
by Unknown

There was an old monk of Siberia,
Whose existence grew drearier and drearier;
He burst from his cell
With a hell of a yell,
And eloped with the Mother Superior.
More Nonsense Limerick 62
by Edward Lear

There was an old man whose despair
Induced him to purchase a hare:
Whereon one fine day 
He rode wholly away,
Which partly assuaged his despair.
More Nonsense Limerick 91
by Edward Lear

There was an old man, who when little
Fell casually into a kettle;
But, growing too stout, 
He could never get out,
So he passed all his life in that kettle.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 7.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Chili,
Whose conduct was painful and silly;
He sate on the stairs,
Eating apples and pears,
That imprudent Old Person of Chili.
More Nonsense Limerick 52
by Edward Lear

There was an old man whose remorse
Induced him to drink Caper Sauce;
For they said, "If mixed up 
With some cold claret-cup,
It will certainly soothe your remorse!"
Cows
by Unknown

There was an old man who said, "How
Shall I flee from this horrible cow?
I will sit on this stile
And continue to smile,
Which may soften the heart of that cow."
More Nonsense Limerick 72
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Blythe,
Who cut up his meat with a scythe;
When they said, "Well! I never!" 
He cried, "Scythes for ever!"
That lively old person of Blythe.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 36.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Cadiz,
Who was always polite to all ladies;
But in handing his daughter,
He fell into the water,
Which drowned that Old Person of Cadiz.
More Nonsense Limerick 19
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Brill,
Who purchased a shirt with a frill;
But they said, "Don't you wish, 
You mayn't look like a fish,
You obsequious old person of Brill?"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 87.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Anerley,
Whose conduct was strange and unmannerly;
He rushed down the Strand,
With a Pig in each hand,
But returned in the evening to Anerley.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 97.
by Edward Lear

There was an old Person of Chester,
Whom several small children did pester;
They threw some large stones,
Which broke most of his bones,
And displeased that old person of Chester.
More Nonsense Limerick 17
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of China,
Whose daughters were Jiska and Dinah,
Amelia and Fluffy, 
Olivia and Chuffy,
And all of them settled in China.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 94.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Cheadle,
Was put in the stocks by the beadle;
For stealing some pigs,
Some coats, and some wigs,
That horrible Person of Cheadle.
Beards
by Unknown

There was an old man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared! -
Two owls and a hen,
Four larks and a wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 72.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man who said, "How, - 
Shall I flee from this horrible Cow?
I will sit on this stile,
And continue to smile,
Which may soften the heart of that Cow."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 24.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Buda,
Whose conduct grew ruder and ruder;
Till at last, with a hammer,
They silenced his clamour,
By smashing that Person of Buda
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 49.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man or Nepaul,
From his horse had a terrible fall;
But, though split quite in two,
By some very strong glue,
They mended that Man of Nepaul.
More Nonsense Limerick 63
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Barnes,
Whose garments were covered with darns;
But they said, "Without doubt, 
You will soon wear them out,
You luminous person of Barnes!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 44.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a poker,
Who painted his face with red oker;
When they said, "You're a Guy!"
He made no reply,
But knocked them all down with his poker.
More Nonsense Limerick 5
by Edward Lear

There was an old man on the Humber,
Who dined on a cake of Burnt Umber;
When he said, "It's enough!" 
They only said, "Stuff!
You amazing old man on the Humber!"
More Nonsense Limerick 26
by Edward Lear

There was an old man who screamed out
Whenever they knocked him about:
So they took off his boots, 
And fed him with fruits,
And continued to knock him about.
More Nonsense Limerick 78
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Bray,
Who sang through the whole of the day
To his ducks and his pigs, 
Whom he fed upon figs,
That valuable person of Bray.
More Nonsense Limerick 9
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Bree,
Who frequented the depths of the sea;
She nurs'd the small fishes, 
And washed all the dishes,
And swam back again into Bree.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 1.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared! -
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!"
More Nonsense Limerick 69
by Edward Lear

There was an old person in gray,
Whose feelings were tinged with dismay;
She purchased two parrots, 
And fed them with carrots,
Which pleased that old person in gray.
Nursery Rhyme. CCLXVIII. Gaffers And Gammers.
by Unknown

[The tale on which the following story is founded is found in a MS. of the fifteenth century, preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester.]
There was an old man, who lived in a wood,
As you may plainly see;
He said he could do as much work in a day,
As his wife could do in three.
With all my heart, the old woman said,
If that you will allow,
To-morrow you'll stay at home in my stead,
And I'll go drive the plough:
But you must milk the Tidy cow,
For fear that she go dry;
And you must feed the little pigs
That are within the sty;
And you must mind the speckled hen,
For fear she lay away;
And you must reel the spool of yarn
That I spun yesterday.
The old woman took a staff in her hand,
And went to drive the plough:
The old man took a pail in his hand,
And went to milk the cow;
But Tidy hinched, and Tidy flinched,
And Tidy broke his nose,
And Tidy gave him such a blow,
That the blood ran down to his toes.
High! Tidy! ho! Tidy! high!
Tidy! do stand still;
If ever I milk you, Tidy, again,
'Twill be sore against my will!
He went to feed the little pigs,
That were within the sty;
He hit his head against the beam,
And he made the blood to fly.
He went to mind the speckled hen,
For fear she'd lay astray,
And he forgot the spool of yarn
His wife spun yesterday.
So he swore by the sun, the moon, and the stars,
And the green leaves on the tree,
If his wife didn't do a day's work in her life,
She should ne'er be ruled by he.
More Nonsense Limerick 46
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Cassel,
Whose nose finished off in a tassel;
But they call'd out, "Oh well! 
Don't it look like a bell!"
Which perplexed that old person of Cassel.
Nursery Rhyme. CCLXII. Gaffers And Gammers.
by Unknown

There was an old man who liv'd in Middle Row,
He had five hens and a name for them, oh!
Bill and Ned and Battock,
Cut-her-foot and Pattock,
Chuck, my lady Prattock,
Go to thy nest and lay.
More Nonsense Limerick 94
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Bar,
Who passed all her life in a jar,
Which she painted pea-green, 
To appear more serene,
That placid old person of Bar.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 98.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with an owl,
Who continued to bother and howl;
He sate on a rail,
And imbibed bitter ale,
Which refreshed that Old Man and his owl.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 27.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man who supposed,
That the street door was partially closed;
But some very large rats,
Ate his coats and his hats,
While that futile old gentleman dozed.
More Nonsense Limerick 56
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Newry,
Whose manners were tinctured with fury;
He tore all the rugs, 
And broke all the jugs,
Within twenty miles' distance of Newry.
More Nonsense Limerick 43
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Ware,
Who rode on the back of a bear;
When they ask'd, "Does it trot?" 
He said, "Certainly not!
He's a Moppsikon Floppsikon bear!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 108.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Ewell,
Who chiefly subsisted on gruel;
But to make it more nice,
He inserted some mice,
Which refreshed that Old Person of Ewell.
More Nonsense Limerick 4
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Deal,
Who in walking used only his heel;
When they said, "Tell us why?" 
He made no reply,
That mysterious old person of Deal.
More Nonsense Limerick 41
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Florence,
Who held mutton chops in abhorrence;
He purchased a Bustard, 
And fried him in Mustard,
Which choked that old person of Florence.
More Nonsense Limerick 3
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Minety,
Who purchased five hundred and ninety
Large apples and pears, 
Which he threw unawares
At the heads of the people of Minety.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 107.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Ems,
Who casually fell in the Thames;
And when he was found,
They said he was drowned,
That unlucky Old Person of Ems.
More Nonsense Limerick 16
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Pinner,
As thin as a lath, if not thinner;
They dressed him in white, 
And roll'd him up tight,
That elastic old person of Pinner.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 21.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Hurst,
Who drank when he was not athirst;
When they said, "You'll grow fatter,"
He answered, "What matter?"
That globular Person of Hurst.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 39.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Philae,
Whose conduct was scroobious and wily;
He rushed up a Palm,
When the weather was calm,
And observed all the ruins of Philae.
More Nonsense Limerick 87
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Stroud,
Who was horribly jammed in a crowd;
Some she slew with a kick, 
Some she scrunched with a stick,
That impulsive old person of Stroud.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 19.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Leeds,
Whose head was infested with beads;
She sat on a stool,
And ate gooseberry fool,
Which agreed with that person of Leeds.
More Nonsense Limerick 93
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Shoreham,
Whose habits were marked by decorum;
He bought an Umbrella, 
And sate in the cellar,
Which pleased all the people of Shoreham.
More Nonsense Limerick 64
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Nice,
Whose associates were usually Geese.
They walked out together 
In all sorts of weather,
That affable person of Nice!
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 51.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Person of Rhodes,
Who strongly objected to toads;
He paid several cousins,
To catch them by dozens,
That futile Old Person of Rhodes.
More Nonsense Limerick 74
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Rimini,
Who said, "Gracious! Goodness! O Gimini!"
When they said, "Please be still!" 
She ran down a hill,
And was never more heard of at Rimini.
More Nonsense Limerick 40
by Edward Lear

There was an old person of Pisa,
Whose daughters did nothing to please her;
She dressed them in gray, 
And banged them all day,
Round the walls of the city of Pisa.