Nursery Rhymes

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Agatha Christie took a great deal of inspiration from nursery rhymes - Ten Little Niggers, Hickory Dickory Dock, and on and so forth (am in a bit of a hurry as I type this. ). And it's something I've always had something of a fascination for. So I thought maybe we could start a little discussion on it, of the "share knowledge" variety, coming in two parts -

1 - Sharing some nursery rhymes. They could be inspirational, not everyone knows them.

2 - Saying what we know about their origins.

...and because it's me doing the asking, I'd like to focus on "darker" nursery rhymes, or with "darker" origins. That's what makes it interesting. These things we sing to our children, and than when we think about it, much like, say, Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, really aren't what we call "suited for children" at all...

Yutzster, in another thread, has given us:

Ladybird, Ladybird, run away home!
Your house is on fire,
And your children all gone!

I'd really like to know more about this rhyme, for instance. And my share of contributing:

Little mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells (?)
And pretty maids in a row.

I saw a cartoon when I was a kid, explaining the origins of some Mother Goose rhymes. Looking back on it, the cartoon rather delighted on giving us the grim side of it. It was then that I learned that the rhyme above is talking about Queen Mary of Scotland, politically quite contrary, whose garden (court) had "silver bells, cockleshells and pretty maids in a row". I actually disremember what these three were, but they represented something in her court life. I think she liked oysters, or something, for the shells.

And as a kid, therefore, this nursery rhyme and the cartoon introduced me to the late life of Mary of Scots - her prosecution, hard life and death, as portrayed by the cartoon.

London Bridge was no picnic either.

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady

Falling down indeed! If I can trust the cartoon, the old london bridge was really something in its time. It even became more of a street than a bridge, with houses all along the top of it. When a big fire devastates it and claims some of its foundations so that it latter crumbles away, taking with it everyone who was on it plus all the houses on it... falling down indeed, my fair lady!

Heck, Ten Little Niggers is damn grim. It speaks for itself.

Ten little niggers went out to dine
One choked his little self and then there were nine
Nine little niggers stayed up very late
One overslept and then there were eight
Eight little niggers travelled to Devon
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven
Seven little niggers ( don't remember... )
( don't remember... )
Six little niggers went to a hive
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five
Five little niggers went into Law
One took up Chancery and then there were four
Four little niggers went to the see
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three
Three little niggers went to the zoo
A big bear hugged one and then there were two
Two little niggers ( don't remember... )
( don't remember... )
One little nigger, standing all alone,
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

...speaks for itself. And it inspired Agatha Christie, who knows what it can do to YOU?

[u1bd2005]

How about

Ooie Gooie was a worm,
A little worm was he,
He sat upon the railway tracks,
The train he did not see,
Ooie Gooie.

This is a short poem, not sure who wrote it, but its about a worm that got squished by a train.

[Boney]

Deep...

[CaptainBinky]

Ooie Gooie was a worm,
A little worm was he,
He sat upon the railway tracks,
The train he did not see,
Ooie Gooie.

nyeesss.... That's up there with

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
So Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy
Wuzzy?

Don't think these are really what Rui was after though. Can't see Fuzzy Wuzzy inspiring Agatha Christie 

[Babar]

Eeny Meeny Miny mo,
Catch a nigger by it's toe,
If it screams, let it go,
Eeny Meeny Miney mo.


I'd really like to know what the hell the origin of that little rhyme was.

Everyone know Ring-a Ring-a Roses and Humpty Dumpty. Jack and Jill is pretty gruesome as well, no idea where it came from.

[Tuomas]

While Henry Hamilton-Smythe minor (8 ) was playing croquet with Cynthia Jane De Blaise-William (9), sweet-smiling Cynthia raised her mallet high and gracefully removed Henry's head. Two weeks later, in Henrys nursery, she discovered his treasured musical box. Eagerly she opened it and as "Old King Cole" began to play a small spirit-figure appeared. Henry had returned - But not for long, for as he stood in the room his body began ageing rapidly, leaving a child's mind inside. A lifetime's desires surged through him. Unfortunately the attempt to persuade Cynthia Jane to fulfil his
romantic desire led his nurse to the nursery to investigate the noise. Instinctively Nanny hurled the musical box at the bearded child, destroying both.

------------------------------------------

Play me old king cole
That I may join with you,
All your hearts now seem so far from me
It hardly seems to matter now.

And the nurse will tell you lies
Of a kingdom beyond the skies.
But I am lost within this half-world,
It hardly seems to matter now.

Play me my song.
Here it comes again.
Play me my song.
Here it comes again.

Just a little bit,
Just a little bit more time,
Time left to live out my life.

Play me my song.
Here it comes again.
Play me my song.
Here it comes again.

Old king cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
So he called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.

But the clock, tick-tock,
On the mantlepiece -
And I want, and I feel, and I know, and I touch,
Her warmth...

Shes a lady, shes got time,
Brush back your hair, and let me get to know your face.
Shes a lady, she is mine.
Brush back your hair, and let me get to know your flesh.

I've been waiting here for so long
And all this time has passed me by
It doesnt seem to matter now
You stand there with your fixed expression
Casting doubt on all I have to say.
Why dont you touch me, touch me,
Why dont you touch me, touch me,
Touch me now, now, now, now, now...

[MrColossal]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struwwelpeter

check out Shockheaded Peter

http://www.fln.vcu.edu/struwwel/struwwel.html

The Tiger Lillies, an awesome band, made a stage show and album based off of it, it's amazing.