# Obscure nursery rhymes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098 "2004-10-19T20:08:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/21 "2004-10-20T01:37:34Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > I eat my peas with honey, > I’ve done it all my life. > They do taste kind of funny, > But it keeps them on the knife “Dear Mom: Last night at a restaurant, I saw a man eating peas with a kife! I was so shocked I dropped a whole fistful of mashed potatoes!” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/22 "2004-10-20T02:39:59Z")
> [@Dan Norder](#): > > No, no they aren’t. Children’s rhymes were extensively collected back then. Lack of being recorded is damn good evidence it didn’t exists ## Actually, the first known collection comes from [1744](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msixpence.html) Anyway, rhymes: I wish that my room had a floor I don’t care much for a door But this walking around without touching the ground Is getting to be quite a bore. * * * As I was walking up a stair I met a man that wasn’t there. He wasn’t there again today. I wish, I wish he’d go away. * * * I saw a peacock with a fiery tail I saw a comet rain down hail I saw a cloud with ivy circled round I saw a mighty oak creep upon the ground I saw a spider swallowing a whale I saw the ocean full of ale I saw a glass sixteen foot deep I saw a well full of men’s tears that weep I saw their eyes all in a flame of fire I saw a house as big as the moon and higher I saw the sun even in the midst of night I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight. (took me ages to work out that one) ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/23 "2004-10-20T02:43:20Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Sorry for the multiple posting :wally …but to return to the OP, like **AllShookDown** I knew all expect King Pippin…but a different version of this: Hickory dickory dock The mouse ran up the clock The clock struck one The mouse ran down Hickory dickory dock [/QUOTEI can only recall the Dice Clay version… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/24 "2004-10-20T05:01:57Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I wish that my room had a floor > I don’t care much for a door > But this walking around > without touching the ground > Is getting to be quite a bore. 😕 This is an actual nursery rhyme? > [@Peter Morris](#): > > I saw a peacock with a fiery tail > I saw a comet rain down hail > I saw a cloud with ivy circled round > I saw a mighty oak creep upon the ground > I saw a spider swallowing a whale > I saw the ocean full of ale > I saw a glass sixteen foot deep > I saw a well full of men’s tears that weep > I saw their eyes all in a flame of fire > I saw a house as big as the moon and higher > I saw the sun even in the midst of night > I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight. > > (took me ages to work out that one) Care to share the answer with the rest of us? Sounds less like a nursery rhyme than a pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon riddle. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/25 "2004-10-20T10:50:57Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Ah, lovely Devon, > Where it rains eight days out of seven. Who says this is nonsense? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/26 "2004-10-20T11:32:53Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > As I was walking up a stair > I met a man that wasn’t there. > He wasn’t there again today. > I wish, I wish he’d go away. I want to know why they tell this one to children. It completely freaked me out when I was little. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/27 "2004-10-20T12:24:55Z")
The oranges and lemons one goes like this, or at least it did when I was little: “Oranges and Lemons” sing the bells of St Clements “You owe me 10 farthings” sing the bells of St Martins “How shall you pay me?” sing the the bells of Old Bailey “When will that be?” sing the bells of Stepney “I’m sure I don’t know” sings the great bell of Bow Here comes a candle to light yout to bed and here comes a chopper to chop off your head! Again, lots of gore for the kiddies. We had a game called “Dusty Bluebells”, does anyone else recall it? In and out of the dusty bluebells In and out of the dusty bluebells In and out of the dusty bluebells Who’ll be your master? Tap-a-rap-a-rap-a on the left hand shoulder Tap-a-rap-a-rap-a on the left hand shoulder Tap-a-rap-a-rap-a on the left hand shoulder I’ll be your master Also, does anyone remember “If wishes were horses then beggars would ride, If cabbages were watches, I’d wear one at my side And if ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no work for tinkers!” Which is one of my grandmother’s favourite sayings! ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/28 "2004-10-20T12:31:37Z")
> [@](#): > > “Oranges and Lemons” sing the bells of St Clements > “You owe me 10 farthings” sing the bells of St Martins > “How shall you pay me?” sing the the bells of Old Bailey > “When will that be?” sing the bells of Stepney > “I’m sure I don’t know” sings the great bell of Bow > Here comes a candle to light yout to bed > and here comes a chopper to chop off your head! I know this one as: Oranges and Lemons Say the bells of St. Clements. You owe me five farthings Say the bells of St. Martins. When will you pay me Say the bells of Old Bailey. When I grow rich Say the bells of Shoreditch. When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney. I’m sure I don’t know Says the great bell of Bow. Here comes a candle to light you to bed. And here comes a chopper to chop off your head. And we always knew it as “In and out of the Scottish bluebells”, and “Who shall be my master?” ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/29 "2004-10-20T13:13:46Z")
Originally Posted by **Peter Morris** I saw a peacock with a fiery tail I saw a comet rain down hail I saw a cloud with ivy circled round I saw a mighty oak creep upon the ground I saw a spider swallowing a whale I saw the ocean full of ale I saw a glass sixteen foot deep I saw a well full of men’s tears that weep I saw their eyes all in a flame of fire I saw a house as big as the moon and higher I saw the sun even in the midst of night I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/30 "2004-10-20T13:31:27Z")
Oops - damned Enter key Originally Posted by **Peter Morris** Guesses: I saw a peacock with a fiery tail a comet? I saw a comet rain down hail I saw a cloud with ivy circled round I saw a mighty oak creep upon the ground shadow? I saw a spider swallowing a whale I saw the ocean full of ale alewife (fish)? I saw a glass sixteen foot deep I saw a well full of men’s tears that weep I saw their eyes all in a flame of fire I saw a house as big as the moon and higher house on a hill against the night sky? I saw the sun even in the midst of night I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight. himself in a mirror? ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/31 "2004-10-20T15:07:07Z")
Old Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard To get her poor daughter a dress, But when she got there The cupboard was bare, And so was her daughter, I guess. * * * Mary had an aeroplane In it she loved to frisk Wasn’t she a silly girl her little \* * * * Marry had a little lamb, Lobster and some pie, Some pickles and some ice cream Plus a half a loaf of rye. It made the naughty waiters grin To see her order so, And when they carried Mary out Her face was white as snow. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/32 "2004-10-20T15:33:49Z")
> [@NutMagnet](#): > > Oops - damned Enter key > > Originally Posted by **Peter Morris** > > Guesses: > > I saw a peacock with a fiery tail > a comet? > I saw a comet rain down hail > I saw a cloud with ivy circled round > I saw a mighty oak creep upon the ground > shadow? > I saw a spider swallowing a whale > I saw the ocean full of ale > alewife (fish)? > I saw a glass sixteen foot deep > I saw a well full of men’s tears that weep > I saw their eyes all in a flame of fire > I saw a house as big as the moon and higher > house on a hill against the night sky? > I saw the sun even in the midst of night > I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight. > himself in a mirror? Clue : Think Yoda. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/33 "2004-10-20T15:49:55Z")
The only one I know is an old riddle: > [@](#): > > _As I was going to St. Ives, > I met a man with seven wives, > The seven wives had seven sons, > The seven sons had seven cats. > The seven cats had seven kits. > Sons and cats and kits and wives, > How many were going to St. Ives?_ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/34 "2004-10-20T16:17:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I also learned that “Marjorie Daw” was slang for a slut or slattern – which cast a new light on this variation: > > See-saw, Marjorie Daw > Sold her bed and lay upon stray > Now, wasn’t she a silly slut > To sell her bed and lie upon dirt! Of course, that’d be “slut” in the sense of “a slovenly maid,” someone who doesn’t take proper care of her household and cleanliness - not in the sense of “a girl who sleeps around.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/35 "2004-10-20T16:45:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > As I was going to St. Ives, > I met a man with seven wives, > The seven wives had seven sons, > The seven sons had seven cats. > The seven cats had seven kits. > Sons and cats and kits and wives, > How many were going to St. Ives? Just you. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/36 "2004-10-20T18:04:49Z")
> [@racinchikki](#): > > Of course, that’d be “slut” in the sense of “a slovenly maid,” someone who doesn’t take proper care of her household and cleanliness - not in the sense of “a girl who sleeps around.” You sure? I figured “sell her bed and lie upon dirt” was a metaphor for whoring around the village. Does anyone know? What did “Marjorie Daw” mean, way back when? ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/37 "2004-10-20T18:15:28Z")
My mother was a fan of twisted nursery rhymes. _Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? 'With silver bells and cockle shells, and one g_dd\*med tulip.’ Jack and Jill went up the hill, each with a dollar and a quarter. Jill came down with two and a half; they weren’t up there for water. Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey, Along came Little Jack Horner and said, “What you got in that bowl, bitch?” \* Her favorite was the first one. It’s why her headstone has a single tulip on it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/38 "2004-10-20T18:22:02Z")
How about: Hickory dickory dock A cow ran up the clock The clock collapsed ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/39 "2004-10-20T19:55:15Z")
I have a My Book House set from 1937, there’s so many nursery rhymes in the first volume I’ve never heard, there isn’t enough room here. Some things I found interesting though: Under Swedish Rhymes - Peekaboo, I see you! Tra-la-la-la-la! If I see you, then you see me, If you see me, then I see you, Tra-la-la-la-la! I’ve only heard the first line when playing this, and an added note to the page says, “I See You is an old Swedish dance, song, and peekaboo game generally played outdoors behind trees.” Under American Rhymes - The rose is red, the violet’s blue, Sugar’s sweet and so are you. If you love me as I love you, No knife can cut our love in two. My love for you will never fail As long as pussy has her tail. I’m familiar with the first part only. It snows and it blows, and it cuts off my nose, So pray, little girl, let me in; I’ll light my pipe and warm my toes, And then I’ll be gone again! The note on this one says, “In this game, a child outside a circle of children pleads to come in. Being admitted, he performs the designated actions, lights his pipe and warms his toes. Then he suddenly tries to get out of the ring, throwing himself against the children’s clasped hands.” One last rhyme, still under American Rhymes. I’m familiar with it, but didn’t realize a game similar to Duck, Duck, Goose! is played while reciting it. A-tisket, A-tasket, A green and yellow basket, I wrote a letter to my love, And on the way I dropped it. I dropped it, I dropped it! A little boy picked it up And put it in his pocket, Pocket, pocket! Note - Children in a circle sing this song as one child runs around the circle, and drops a handkerchief behind a second child who chases him as he tries to reach the vacant place. If caught, he takes the kerchief for the next game. I have no idea how accurate the notes are, there’s a slightly different version of the song about Bingo the dog (instead of saying “name-o” it just says “name”), and it is credited as originating in Maryland. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098/40 "2004-10-20T19:59:12Z")
\*Inks! Minks! The old witch winks, The fat begins to fry! Nobody home but Jumping Joan, father, mother and I! Sticks! Stocks! Stone Dead! Blind men can’t see! Every knave will have a slave, you or I must be he! \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-nursery-rhymes/270098.md?page=3)