New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-04
Musical Notes and Comment

The Jewish Encyclopedia, Or. kohut
says:
tits in fact. simply Jewish nursery
ngme now known 10 have been borrowed
ION or fashioned after a popular HeIiicn
iallad. the prototype of when seems lo
rave been an old French song. Ire
dertincation OF "Akid Kid" with The
House That Jack Built dates back about
eighty years the Aramaic or Chaldalc
text was published in A "Sepher Hagga-
dah in Venice as long ago aS louH Inc
German song referred 10 by Or. kohut IS
that known a. Der Bauer schickt zen
JOckel aus" for which no German folk-lOr-
Isl has ever claimed great antiquity. Inc
French song cor French songs, lot lheIe
are two of theml 10 which l)r. hohu'
refers he himself printed I'm translation IN
ne children's magazine entitled HAPPY
Thoughts" in September. 1901. Not only
vas the song printed as early as 1909. by
which time il may have been hoary WIN
age. but The Interpretation accepted by
fious Jews until modern thought dppaT-
emily grew ashamed Of il. was made IN a
latin treatise which was printed al
Helmstett i'm 1925 The story tells Of an
only kid. bought by my father for TWO
pieces OF money (su<ipD. The cat eats
ne kid, the dog bites the cat. the stan
bca's the dog. the fire burns the star, the
water quenchcs the fire. the OK drinks the
Na'er the butcher kills the OK. the angel
Of death slavs the butcher and God de-
sroys The angel Of death. The interpreta-
iioh which is still accepted by orthodox
Jews j. thus set forth by Halliwell in ms
NTcery Rhymes Of England
The kid, which was one Of the pure ami
mas. denotes the Hebrews. The father,
pl whom il was purchased. is Jehovah.
Nao represents himself as sustaining tins
relation to the Hebrew nation. The two
pieces Of money signify Moses and Aaron,
through whose mediation the Hebrews
ssie brought out Of Egypt 90 The cat
ssho,es the Assyrians. by whom the ten
uoes we're carried into captivity. 90 The
oos Is symbolcal of the Babylonians.
" The staff signifies the Persians 90 The
ny indicates the Grecian Empire under
.aeAsndar the Great 90 The water be
whths the Roman. or the fourth or the
fssat monarchies 10 whose dominion the
Se"s we're subjected. % The OK is Sy III
,a OF the Saracens who subjected Pales-
S's ana brought IL under the Caliphate
49, me butcher that killed the OK denotes
- crusaders by whom the Holy Land
yes "rested out OF the hands OF the
, srens. 49, The angel Of death signlhes
psiL turkish power by which the land OF
assume was taken from the Franks and
p. suIch u Is still subject. 00 The com
..ment OF the tenth stanza is de-
rs saeo 70 show that God will take signal
,ss.ngeance on the Turks. Immediately
h
NJ Isstored TO their land and live under
Messiah ''''''' u '''e'' 'oi'e e>''O'
+" !" not at all improbable that the con-
sung portion Of this interpretative
tSp"ecy may derive renewed interest
N" recent occurrences in the Balkan
oia but that does not concern this
~! Inc German folksong which Or.
p.oas-' would have US look upon as the
!pe OF a Hebrew lyrical riddle OF
eu antiquity which few German folk
nave begins something like this:
ro. master sends the huntsman out
IL some pears TO gather
psa.hdh VIII not gather pears,
1 Hrnss reiuse 10 fall from trees,
'shan Will not pluck them.
IN. eOpon the farmer sends a dog 10
A. "e huntsman. a cudgel TO beat the
a. hre to burn the cudgel. water 70
| b,, -, ue hre. an OK to drink the water.
4 A. refuse TO do as they are hidden.
t,,s sun The master sends the devil to
Nh. we Whole pack of recalcitrants:
du,, poh all become willing to do their
An. ine English version has crossed the
n - and though he has never seen il
for. mere, the writer can repeat it
o., memory as he learned II in North
po,. half century and more ago. To
g. sne efficacy Of the literary struct-
k we Jingle as a memory-help. II may
rhy,A mat all but the portion having a
sseai lit has departed from the
kr recollection. He cannot remem-
the old lady bought the pig at
teI 'or a crooked sixpence. as Halli-
"a, po'ts' nor can he tell what it was
q. Ousht about the conversion Of all
TAD IN the story, when. after they
d. n's' protested that the one whom
sAarm. - '"'ufe' nAo oone 'nem