Doesn’t the title sound gruesome? Well, I didn’t like to name my current post as it is because it seemed morbid and I do not want you to think that I am fixated with the concept of death because of the titles of my posts. But I think it’s the most appropriate title because what I’m going to write is really shocking …

Now that I got you interested, I want you to know that I was just kidding. It really isn’t shocking … just plain interesting. Well, it was interesting for me and I hope it will be for you too.

Are you ready to understand the history behind some of the Nursery Rhymes recited by our young ones? If the answer to that is “Yes!” then hear goes, “I can’t hear you. Have you eaten? Are you ready to understand the history behind some of the nursery rhymes?” Do I hear a, “Yes”?

Don’t you just hate it when people address you that way? Well sometimes we address kids that way but it really perks them up, right? I’m hoping that since you’re reading this article, deep down there’s a kid in you. And that you wouldn’t want to behead me for the tone in which I’m writing this post (makulit!).

I spoke of beheading in the previous paragraph so that I could insert what I’m going to write now. Here goes… “I was appalled by the idea that I went to a pre-school named after the beheading of a king and a queen. To those of you who have an inkling of what nursery rhyme I’m referring to, you deserve a pat on the back. To those who have no idea, we’re birds of the same feather. Anyway, my pre-school was named Jack and Jill.

Jack, contrary to what others may think, is not Leonardo di Caprio of Titanic (sorry folks, I think Tipoy’s funny bone rubbed off on me a little bit). Seriously, Jack is said to be King Louis XVI who lost his crown (literally because he was beheaded). Any guesses as to Jill might be? Jill is Queen Marie Antoinette who came tumbling after. Now isn’t that a painful thought?

Since we’re talking about beheadings, there was this English queen who so loved to behead her people. I think it was because of this that a tomato juice was name after her. Yep, she’s no other than, Bloody Mary. And since we’re on the topic, not only was a drink named after her but nursery rhymes were also made in her “honor” (not that I think she would have appreciated it, had she known about them). Three Blind Mice sounds familiar? How about “Mary Mary Quite Contrary”? Well, these are allusions to the queen. To those of you who aren’t familiar with Mary Mary quite contrary, here’s an excerpt:

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

She’s Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII. The garden in the rhyme represented graveyards (I guess she didn’t have a greenthumb. Just kidding). The silver bells and cockle shells were really instruments of torture. Silver bells were thumbscrews which crushed the thumb (now that really dims the Christmas song with the same name). Even more painful is the cockleshells which were attached to the genitals (I don’t want to know what it does!).”

Since I don’t want this post to be a rhyme interpretation, you may access the link below to view the site where I got all this info from. It has a listing of almost all famous nursery rhymes and even a quiz (though I never took it because … I just didn’t want to .

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/index.htm