A cat is caught eating the dumplings, and then the fingers take over for 'Dance, Thumbkin, Dance', a hands-on rhyme with its own built-in instructions for wiggling each finger in turn. A lovely one for turning a rhyme into a proper little performance.
From Mother Goose / Nursery Rhymes (traditional). See the whole collection.
Pussy-cat ate the dumplings, the dumplings,
Pussy-cat ate the dumplings.
Mamma stood by, and cried, "Oh, fie!
Why did you eat the dumplings?"
DANCE, THUMBKIN DANCE
Dance, Thumbkin, dance;
(_keep the thumb in motion_
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(_all the fingers in motion_
For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,
(_the thumb alone moving_
Thumbkin, he can dance alone.
(_the thumb alone moving_
Dance, Foreman, dance,
(_the first finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(_all moving_
But Foreman, he can dance alone,
(_the first finger moving_
Foreman, he can dance alone.
(_the first finger moving_
Dance, Longman, dance,
(_the second finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(_all moving_
For Longman, he can dance alone,
(_the second finger moving_
Longman, he can dance alone.
(_the second finger moving_
Dance, Ringman, dance,
(_the third finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, dance.
(_all moving_
But Ringman cannot dance alone,
(_the third finger moving_
Ringman, he cannot dance alone.
(_the third finger moving_
Dance, Littleman, dance,
(_the fourth finger moving_
Dance, ye merrymen, dance.
(_all moving_
But Littleman, he can dance alone,
(_the fourth finger moving_
Littleman, he can dance alone.
(_the fourth finger moving_
Public domain. Text from The Real Mother Goose (Blanche Fisher Wright, 1916), via Project Gutenberg. View the source edition