The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-26
soME OLD RHYMES.
How the WelI-Known Nursery jim
giles Origi nated.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
Most of our nursery songs have a his
tory, and 1t is Interesting to know their
origin. Before the ballad was written
there was the story which. perhaps.
might have been forgotten had not the
verses given 1t perennial fame. Some of
these nursery rhymes are very old, ana
it is wonderful to think how they and
their story have come down to us through
the centuries. Six hundred years is a long
time for a story to live and not few Of
those that were familiar TO us when we
were children are even older than that.
Humpty Dumpty was bold, bad
baron, who lived In the days of King
John, committing many cruel deeds in his
strong stone castle, but at last was tum-
bled from power. HIS history was put
into a riddle, the meaning of which was
an egg. The rhyme Is more than four
hundred years old.
THE Beggars Daughter of Bednall
Green is the poetic version of what may
have happened many times during Eng
lands stormy history. A powerful noble
man is defeated In battle and disappears
from the sight of those that know him.
The next day, however, a poor old beggar
and his daughter seek aims in the same
nelghborhood. The pretty Bessee" of
the ballad is the reputed daughter of the
great Simon de MonIfort, Earl of Leices-
ter, who was defeated at Evesham in l265,
and she marries at last noble knight, as
in justice she should. The story IS one
of the most popular of English ballads.
Little JACK horner is older tnan the
seventeenth century. The thrifty Jack of
the verses was the servant OF a bishop who
lived in the time of bluff King Hal. Being
sent by his master with a bundle of title
deeds to the king, he managed to extract
one or two of the most valuable and kept
them himself representing TO the bishop
that his majesty had bestowed them upon
him for the faithful discharge of his duty.
The plums are the richest part of
Christmas pie, and naughty Jacks
''pums' were literally the choice portion
of the bishops gift.
PUSSY Cat, Pussy Cat. where have you
been?'' dates from the reign of Queen
Elizabeth and was popular rustic song
in the old Devon county, where Drake and
Raleigh lived.
Boys and Girls Come Out to Play" and
Lucy Locket Lost Her Pocket date
from the time of Charles IL, the merry
rhymes refer TO any particular thing or
.aThe Babes in the Wood was for long
time supposed to refer TO the murder of
the princes in the tower by Richard III,
but is now known 10 have been founded
upon an actual crime committed in Nor
folk, near Wayland Wood, IN the fifteenth
century. An old house in the neighbour
hood is still pointed out TO visitors, upon a
mantelpiece in which is carved the entire
representation Of the pathetic story
"A Frog He Would A-wooing Go" was
Sing Song Of sixpencep was sung by
boys and girls as long ago as the time OF
James the First of England, 1903. The
-four and twenty blackbirds baked in
pie" are the twenty-four hours of the day.
When 1.-THE pie was cut" that is, when
the day opens, the birds begin to sing; 50
you see the simple rhymes we're intended
merely to illustrate a natural phenome-
Three wise men Of Gotham went to sea
in bowl" is ap ancient Lincolnshire
song. Gotham was village not far from
NnrflamnfOn whose inbahifanfG
credited with having very simple wits. Be
ing situated away from the sea naturally
the Villagers were ignorant OF seafaring
life Yet they were bright enough TO save
their borough from the wrath Of King
John once upon a time. When the angry
monarch marched to attack them he found
some of them trying to hedge a cuckoo,
some were rolling their cheese to market,
and still others were storing their carts
wagons and cattle upon their roofs. "Peo-
pie as foolish as these men Of Gotham are
unworthy my vengeance" said the king;
and he marched away, little deeming that
the simple folk had purposely deceived
him.
"Goody Two Shoes" was given 70 the
world by Oliver Goldsmith, In 1854. II Is
one of the most popular of poor Goldy,s''
productions and celebrates an actual &C.
currence, although some Of the incidents
'Bluebeard" was the production of
Charles Penault, French author of ee-
lebrity The ballad was founded ON a
Retz, a great noble OF Brittany, who was
executed for sorcery and murder in 1444
The ballad appeared in 1887.
Penauh was also the author OF those
other famous rhymes. Cinderella" 'srom
Thumb" and Jack. the Giant Killer" an
founded on popular folklore tales.
Three Blind Mice" is IN music hook
of 1909 and must have been familiar 10
the early English settlers OF our country.
"Old Mother Hubbard and "Goosey
Goosey, Gander," date back 70 the six
tenth century.