Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
But when she came back
He was smoking a pipe.
She went to the grocer's
To buy him some fruit;
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.She went to the baker's
To buy him some bread;
But when she came back
The poor dog was dead.She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin;
But when she came back
The poor dog was laughing.She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat;
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.The dame made a curtsey,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant."
The dog said, "Bow wow!"History:
The first stanza of this verse was written in 1804 by Sarah Martin and is on display at Oxford University. She based her poem on the 1803 "Old Dame Trot, and Her Comical Cat" poem.