The Old Man
There was an old man
In a velvet coat,
He kissed a maid
And gave her a groat.
The groat it was crack’d
And would not go,—
Ah, old man, do you serve me so?
Illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright
This little rhyme paints a funny picture of an aging gentleman trying to be charming. Dressed in his fine velvet coat, he kisses a young maid and hands her a groat — a small silver coin worth four pence in old England. But there’s the twist: the coin is cracked and useless. His grand gesture falls flat, and the maid’s quick retort gives the whole scene its punch. It’s light mischief wrapped in rhyme — a wink at vanity and the gentle art of getting what one deserves.
