Day 257
Rain, rain – go away … come again another day.
It’s raining, it’s pouring – the old man is snoring. He bumped his head and he went to bed and he couldn’t get up in the morning.
If you couldn’t surmise … it’s been raining. A cold and dreary day with rain on and off with bursts of downpour – apparently only during the times I was outside walking to/from my car. Wearing the only coat I have without a hood. Naturally.
So, also naturally the Rain, rain – go away nursery rhyme popped into my head as I was getting doused. But along with it came a downpour of bits and pieces of centuries old nursery rhymes that I have not thought about in twenty some years.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, they licked the platter clean.
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick – Jack jumped over the candlestick.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water – Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.
I take it Jack was a common name in England in the days of yore. Jack Sprat was first published in 1639, while nimble Jack dates back to circa 1815. And, amazingly, Jack and Jill’s origin dates back to 13th century Iceland.
None of them are very good in my opinion … and on the surface seem rather tame (though historians go much deeper into the interpretations of these rhymes). I just think that one is rather piggy (licking plates) and the other violent (cracking heads open and falling down hills)! But, regardless of their meanings, they are catchy and obviously stick in people’s minds (or at least mine) for 50 some years!
Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, the mouse ran down – hickory, dickory, dock.
I, personally, never understood this one. So, what’s the big deal – did the clock chime scare the mouse so it ran away? Was the mouse late for tea? I don’t get it.
Three blind mice, three blind mice, see how they run, see how they run! They all ran after the farmer’s wife, who cut off their tails with a carving knife. Did you ever see such a sight in your life – as three blind mice?
Talk about gruesome. “Here, honey, let me tell you a nursery rhyme before you go to sleep.” Gee – nothing like setting up your kid for a nightmare!
I prefer simple rhymes like … Eenie, meenie, miney, mo. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers let him go – eenie, meenie, miney, mo!
How many times did we use that rhyme as kids? And how many times did we substitute the word tiger for something else – usually inappropriate!?
Mary, Mary quite contrary – how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.
While I always, as a kid, thought this was about flowers … it actually has deep religious connotations … including nuns, executions and miscarriages. I’m not joking – look it up!
Little boy blue, come blow your horn. The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
It’s thought that this rhyme (first published circa 1744) is much older than its print date … when Edgar in Shakespeare’s King Lear alluded to it when the play first appeared in print in 1608. No religious anything tied to this one – ’tis actually nothing more than a rhyme about a sleepy shepherd boy!
Star light, star bright – first star I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might – have the wish I wish tonight.
This is, undoubtedly, my favorite … and I say it whenever I am outside and see my first star of the evening/night. I wonder how many times I’ve wished upon a star? I wonder how many wishes have come true?
In any case … I so wished on that first star tonight. And what did I wish for?
Rain, rain – go away. Come again another day!