While I stood talking to him , a sudden gust of wind blew up the road , and down came the bough of a tree ; and , to my surprise , a cradle with a baby in it also . The baby screamed dreadfully , and I did n't know how to quiet it ; so I ran back to the old woman , and left it with her , asking if that was the way babies were taken care of there . `` Bless you , my dear ! its ma is making patty-cakes ; and put it up there to be out of the way of Tom Tinker 's dog . I 'll soon hush it up , '' said the old woman ; and , trotting it on her knee , she began to sing : `` Hey ! my kitten , my kitten , Hey ! my kitten , my deary . '' Feeling that the child was in good hands , I hurried away , for I saw something was going on upon the hill-top . When I got to the hill-top , I was shocked to find some people tossing an old woman in a blanket . I begged them to stop ; but one of the men , who , I found , was a Welchman , by the name of Taffy , told me the old lady liked it . `` But why does she like it ? '' I asked in great surprise . `` Tom , the piper 's son , will tell you : it 's my turn to toss now , '' said the man . `` Why , you see , ma'am , '' said Tom , `` she is one of those dreadfully nice old women , who are always fussing and scrubbing , and worrying people to death , with everlastingly cleaning house . Now and then we get so tired out with her that we propose to her to clean the sky itself . She likes that ; and , as this is the only way we can get her up , we toss till she sticks somewhere , and then leave her to sweep cobwebs till she is ready to come back and behave herself . '' `` Well , that is the oddest thing I ever heard . I know just such an old lady , and when I go home I 'll try your plan . It seems to me that you have a great many queer old ladies on this island , '' I said to another man , whom they called Peter , and who stood eating pumpkin all the time . `` Well , we do have rather a nice collection ; but you have n't seen the best of all .
We expect her every minute ; and Margery Daw is to let us know the minute she lights on the island , '' replied XXXXX , with his mouth full .
Peter Taffy Tinker Tom Welchman deary hill-top left patty-cakes piper