Reading Notes: Week 12, Part A (Nursery Rhymes: Charms and Lullabies)

This story contained many different short charms and lullabies, each described below –

1. Cow: There was a person talking to a cow, asking it to give it some milk in exchange for a silk gown and a silver tee. The only way the cow would get these things is if it gave the person milk. The person then said that if the cow loves them, they will give them milk (pop and fly), but if they hate him then the cow should lay down and die. 

2. Peter Piper: I'm pretty sure we all know the classic tongue twister that goes along with this charm. It talks about Peter Piper picking a peck of pickled peppers, but if he actually did, then where did they go?

3. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John: I assume that this nursery rhyme was about the first four Gospels in the New Testament, and the disciples themselves – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It talks about all of them guarding the bed you lay on and having them four as angels to guard your head. One of them is to watch you, one of them is to pray for you and two are to take your soul.

4. Rock-a-bye Baby: I had heard of the first verse of this nursery rhyme, but I did not know there were multiple verses to it! As the nursery rhyme goes on, it begins to talk about different animals and what will happen to their babies if they do not come and buy a pie (a rabbit). It goes on to talk about the motion that the cradle is going through up in the tree by getting bounced around by the wind. The rest of the nursery rhyme talks about other animals and heading into the market, while also talking about the cradle bounding up and down in the tree.

Photo of a baby's crib

(Taken by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash)

"Nursery Rhymes: Charms and Lullabies," The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke