Ever wonder why nursery rhymes are so ominous? I mean, not all of them, but many of them...
This first struck me when I revisited these rhymes in my head to sing Isabelle to sleep. Of course one of the first songs that comes to mind is "Rock a bye baby" - and this is one of the most depressing!!
Not to say I didn't enjoy them growing up. I love rhymes! Rhymes are aimed at teaching kids pronunciation, enhancing their creativity and imagination and introducing them to a world of music and books. But I still am curious to know what the purpose of some startling rhymes is. Just curious. Rest assured - I'm in no way planning to start a crusade against them! It was a just thought and I wonder if anyone knows why. Most definitely, Isabelle will learn "Humpty Dumpty" and the song of sixpence and she will probably want to sing "Rock-a-bye-baby" to her dolls when she is a little older... I'm just going to tell her that these rhymes were written so that:
1. You would be careful with little babies and not put their cradles on even a shrub (least of all a tree!)
2. You are like an egg - you sit dangerously on a high wall and wobble about, you're going to break something
3. And... err... don't hang clothes in the garden...you maybe better off using a dryer or hanging them in the balcony with grills attached...yes.
This first struck me when I revisited these rhymes in my head to sing Isabelle to sleep. Of course one of the first songs that comes to mind is "Rock a bye baby" - and this is one of the most depressing!!
- Rock-a-by baby
- On the tree top,
- When the wind blows
- The cradle will rock.
- When the bough breaks,
- The cradle will fall,
- And down will fall baby
- Cradle and all
- Sing a song of sixpence,
- A pocket full of rye
- Four and twenty blackbirds,
- Baked in a pie.
- When the pie was opened,
- The birds began to sing;
- Wasn't that a dainty dish,
- To set before the king?
- The king was in his counting house,
- Counting out his money;
- The queen was in the parlour,
- Eating bread and honey.
- The maid was in the garden,
- Hanging out the clothes;
- When down came a blackbird
- And pecked off her nose.
Not to say I didn't enjoy them growing up. I love rhymes! Rhymes are aimed at teaching kids pronunciation, enhancing their creativity and imagination and introducing them to a world of music and books. But I still am curious to know what the purpose of some startling rhymes is. Just curious. Rest assured - I'm in no way planning to start a crusade against them! It was a just thought and I wonder if anyone knows why. Most definitely, Isabelle will learn "Humpty Dumpty" and the song of sixpence and she will probably want to sing "Rock-a-bye-baby" to her dolls when she is a little older... I'm just going to tell her that these rhymes were written so that:
1. You would be careful with little babies and not put their cradles on even a shrub (least of all a tree!)
2. You are like an egg - you sit dangerously on a high wall and wobble about, you're going to break something
3. And... err... don't hang clothes in the garden...you maybe better off using a dryer or hanging them in the balcony with grills attached...yes.
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ReplyDeleteHe he!! Yes - I've heard of them... and thanks for reading! :)
DeleteYes - I've often wondered about these since my first child was born. I didn't think much about them until then. There is a book at the library that explains where many of the rhyhmes came from. I saw it in passing years ago - I'll have to try to find it and check it out!
ReplyDelete(I figured the maid got her nose pecked off because she was being "nosy" and into everyone's business!) (Oh, and for awhile I changed the words to "and pecked on her nose" so at least she didn't loose the whole thing, ha!)
If you do get back to it, do let me know the name of this book...would love to get my hands on it too! And I peck ON her nose too for the time being! LOL!
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