The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-14
MOTHER GOOSE TALES
The Famous Nursery Melodies Are
OF French Origin.
The Old Yankee Claim of Authorship
Refuted by the 300-Year-OId Stories
of Ma Mere l. Dye.
london Daily News

London Daily News.
Everybody knows all about Mother Goose
This traditional grandmother's name was
attached by Charles Perrault in l69. 10 the
fairy tales Of ''Blue Beard" and The
Sleeping Beauty" ard. ''Puss in Boots"
which are justly dear to all the world but
". ID. Howells. In I7Z9' Perrault's tales
were translated by Mr. Sander with the
French on the opposite page, and since
those days they have delighted innumera-
BILE children. supplied the materials of in
numrable panto mines. and been wrangled
over by countless antiquaries. The very
latest literary project Of Sir Walter Scott.
conceived at Naples in the last year of his
life. was TO edit Mother Goose's tales. or as
they were called in France, "Contes de ma
Mere fOye," with antiquarian and myth
illogical notes. This work like Scott's lives
or Peterborough and of John. Duke of
Argyll, was never finished
Goose stories was OLD French for fairy
tales, as "ananzi stories or '.spider sto-
ries" was, and is the name used by the
negroes from the Gold Coast The Goose
is much older than Perrault, who merely
adopted a traditional name. English pub
fishers Of children's books especially New
berry, finding the name of Mother Goose
popular, inserted ii on the title page OF a
volume of nursery rhymes, Mother
Goose's Melody" This little collection
again was pirated in America, and this
dishonest connection with Mother Goose is
all that America can boast. "Contes de
ma Mere rOye." like "Contes du Loup,"
Tales of the Wolf" is an old French ex-
preston for old wives fables. The trans
lation of Perrault Q729 naturalized ii in
England; Mother Gooss's Melodies were
published and were pirated in America in
the last century. Behold here the true
history OF Mother Goose. No writer has
yet found her in England, still less in
America, before lI2y.
SHE WAS NO YANKEE.
In spite of facts perfectly perspicuous,
American authors have had the audacity
TO claim Mother Goose as a daughter Of
Columbia On this topic William II Whit
more has published a book, THE Original
Mother Goose's Melody" Griffith. Farran
& Coz Herein he pulverizes the American
legend in an honest If unpatriotic manner.
and restores to France the honors of Ma
Mere rOye'' 1t was high time to speak
out The myth has been made familiar 20
American babes and stockings, ii is always
appearing in American literary Journals.
liShed it, with enviable aplomD, In Wide
Awake. an illustrated magazine OF Bos-
tonian youth. The origin OF the untrue
story is a letter by Mr.. Eliot in Boston
paper in 1860. Mr. Wheeler republished it
in the Press and in an edition of Mother
Goose Mr.. Eliot, I'm 1860, asserted that
his own great-grandfather Thomas Fleet,
published in Boston, Mass, in 1719 book
es da %ad for f fne Sgre or ho
Fleet had married a Miss Goose; her moth
er, Mrs. Goose, was always singing nursery
songs, and Fleet printed these, attrfbutlng
them TO Mother Goose" in 49, The
adoption of this title was in ridicule of his
good mother-in-law." Now Mr.. Eliot's state
10 fHa ffxr Of Mr
Crowninshield, who said that he had seen
the Boston edition of 17l9. Nobody q4n see
it now; if it ever existed at all it ha wan
ished.
But even 81 II exists and can be recgk&ed.
it proves nothing at all. There may haS
in i719, and in Boston. But Nother Goo
in France, was an old name of a myth
patroness of the nursery in 1850. when Lou $
of Mother Goose An expression proyerfY s.
in 1850 may be Of any age. The English
clearly translation. Now the ealiest kno'
English translation of PeTraults pro- :
'Tales OF Mother Goose is -
1922 a discovery due to Austi
Dobson. No copy Of this edition is known
later editions are common enough. Tai
date is later than 17l9, the date OF the re-
ported Boston book, but Perraults FrenchF
Consequently If there was a Boston edition
of 1719 (Which is not proNed), 1t Is much
later than the French Thus, america and
as a mythical character Of the nursery.
The legend has no historical basis, on the
other hand II is contradicted by history.
Rut we can scarcely hope that Mr.. Whit
more's book will destroy a fable which hss.
once got into the magazines and literary
Journals. Scholars In fairy lore were never
deceived. but they are a mere remnant
MELODIES WRITTEN IN $780,
So much for the prose tales. The nur-
sery rhymes called Mother Goose's Mel
ody" were copyrighted" by Carman. STEP
son of Newbery, the publisher, In l7so.
The book may possibly be earlier. may
possibly have been compiled, with the
burlesque antiquarian notes. by Oliver
Goldsmith, who was also, perhaps. the
author of "Goody Two Shoes" Cold
smith, we know. sang the song OF The
old woman tossed in a blanket'Ihe was
fond Of children and he was booksellers
hack But 1t cannot be proved that he
edited Mother Goose's Melody" 1t IS
only a pious opinion One Isaiah Tnomas.
books Including Mother Goose's Melody
about 1851 If Mr.. Thomas paid New.
bery's successors Tor the eopyrlsnS ne must
The third edition is of 1893. Ii includes
songs from Shakspeare's plays ana max
inns or notices of humorous kind Since
that day American editions have been
numerous. And that Is the whole OF
Americas connection with Motner loose.
all know "Crosspatch, draw the latch,
and "Ding. long dell. the cats In the WELL
and Little Jack HOrner, anu Iod. Ddr
Black Sheep" and the rest They are the
birthright both OF American and English
children We are happy that they should
share with us in the innocent old nonsense.
But we deny Mother Goose 10 Boston or 10
England. She is French. and old Erench.
Her stories are told in Mr.. Whitmore's book
as ''R. s., Gentleman" translated them.
from Perrault, in 1729: The same admirable
version with no modern nonsense and re-
fnement is given in The Blue Fairy Book"
Later hacks have corrupted and sentiment
allied the original honest tales of Perrault's
s'Mother Goose" They have cut out all the
conclusion of THE Sleeping Beauty. They
have stolen and have mutilated thear cap
and only very ignorant or impudent people
can go on repeating that Mother Goose, Of
an old French family, was a daughter or
the Hub, or took her goslings out on the
Common.