A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes/Wig, Hat, and Cane
XXX. WIG, HAT, AND CANE
By the side of a murmuring stream,
As an elderly gentleman sat,
On the top of his head was a wig,
On the top of his wig was a hat.
The wind it blew high and blew strong,
As the elderly gentleman sat,
And bore from his head in a trice,
And plunged in the river his hat.
The gentleman then took his cane,
Which lay by his side as he sat,
And he dropped in the river his wig,
In attempting to get at his hat.
His breast it grew cold with despair,
And full in his eye madness sat,
So he flung in the river his cane,
To swim with his wig and his hat.
Cool reflection at length came across,
While this elderly gentlem an sat,
So he thought he would follow the stream,
And look for his cane, wig, and hat.
His head being thicker than common,
O'erbalanced the rest of his fat,
And in plumped the son of a woman,
To follow his cane, wig, and hat.