Nursery Rymes that you remember - traditional (scary, gross etc)

Was talking to my mum at the weekend as I remembered fragments of little nursery rhymes that she used to sing to me as a child. The difference to what I know of today's rhymes is that the old ones that got passed down from parent to child for however many generations could be quite downright traumatic lol but most of all were really quite good!.... I recall the first one I'll list below putting the fear of god in me each time I had to have a bath.

Thing is, I guess in this day and age where kids are plonked down in front of the tv or computer... such rhymes will be lost in time and I thought it would be kind of cool to make a thread and see what rhymes we remember (or need to look up as we've forgot bits) and it could make quite a nice collection

Anyway, I'll start it off with 3 that I really really liked

Plughole

A mother was washing her baby one night
The poor little thing was a terrible sight.
The mother was poor and the baby was thin;
'twas naught but a skeleton covered with skin.

The mother turned 'round for a soap off the rack.
She was only a moment but when she turned back
Her baby had gone, and in anguish she cried,
"oh, where has my baby gone?" the angels replied:

Oh, your baby has gone down the plug hole.
Oh, your baby has gone down the plug.
The poor little thing was so skinny and thin,
He should have been washed in a jug or a tin.

Your baby is perfectly happy;
He won't need a bath anymore.
He will watch down on you in the future,
To make sure you use the plug more.

Worms

Nobody loves me, everybody hates me
I think I'll go and eat worms
Long. slim slimey ones
Short fat curly ones
Gooey gooey gooey gooey worms

While the long slim slimy ones
Slip down easily
The short fat curly ones stick
When the short fat curly ones stick between your teeth
Thats when the juice goes
Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp Ah!
Pass another plate mate, with HP sauce

There Was An Old Woman

There was an old woman who swallowed a fly,
I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.
There was an old woman who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a bird,
How absurd! to swallow a bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a cat,
Imagine that! to swallow a cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a dog,
What a hog! to swallow a dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a goat,
Just opened her throat! to swallow a goat,
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a cow,
I don't know how she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat,
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a horse,
She's dead—of course!

The Hearse Song (The Worms Crawl In)

Worms crawl in and worms crawl out.
Worms crawl out and out you spout.
Your liver turns a slimy green.
Your guts rush out like milk & ice cream.

Can't remember the rest. Probably just as well! :s

Older women did not fare well in nursery rhymes, seeming to be generally unsympathetic characters! There was this one about one with poor housing and very poor mothering skills..


and Old Mother Hubbard always had a solid ring of truth for me.. our cupboard was always bare! We'd make sugar sandwiches when those were two of the only ingredients in the house. Only later in life did I discover that we were not the only poverty-stricken children to have come up with that recipe. I saw a comedian telling about it in his act, in the vein of "we were so poor that" ..


Not so much as it gets into the topics of death, and some kind of reincarnation though.. I only ever remembered the first verse or two. But I suppose old Dame Hubbard would be neither the first nor the last to substitute magical thinking for grief.

where will we be in 100 years from now.... yes i remember that one.

well, as for me, the first ever one i heard was the highchair song.

sitting in the high chair, big chair my chair

sitting in the high chair bang my spoon

sitting in a highchair, big chair my chair,

sitting in a highchair feed me soon.

that was the very first one i was taught

i also knew 3 6 9.. you know, 3 6 9, the goose drank wine, that one

miss polly put the kettle on i used to sing a lot

doctor foster

pat-a-cake

round and round the garden

3 little dickie birds sitting on a wall

london bridge

omg their are too many to name

They were all ruined by Andrew Dice Clay, unfortunately. I wish I could read books to children. That would be very enjoyable.

I'm reading Edgar Allan Poe's complete works. That guy was truly gifted.

Andrew Dice Clay's "Little Miss Muffet" is a classic.

That nursery rhyme makes me think of the puzzle on the old game show Definition:

Q. What Old Mother Hubbard said to her cupboard....
A. (6 one-letter words): I C U R M T.

More seriously, perhaps, there is the rhyme
Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner,
Eating his Christmas pie:

He stuck in his thumb,
he pulled out a plum,
and said "What a good boy am I!"

The story has it that there actually was
a Jack/James Horner who got a valuable
piece of property when the monasteries
were dissolved in England....

Not sure where these originated, but they were big in my family.

Beans, Beans, they're good for your heart.
The more you eat, the more you fart.
The more you fart, the better your heart.
Bean, Beans, they're good for your heart.

A flea and a fly got stuck in a flue.
Oh no said the flea, what should we do.
Let us flee said the fly,
Let us fly said the flea
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

splitimage

Funkel funkel kliner Stern, ach wie bist du mir so fern,
Wunderschön und unbekannt, wie ein strahlend Diamant,
Funkel Funkel kleiner Stern, ach wie bist du mir so fern.

That's all I can remember of the German version of Twinkle Little Star. xD Well, at least one version.

Translation:

Twinkle twinkle little star, oh how you are so far from me,
Wonderful/beautiful and unknown, like a bright diamond,
Twinkle twinkle little star, oh how you are so far from me.

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

here's a nursery rhyme I learned as a little kid:

hey diddle diddle / the cat and the fiddle / the cow jumped over the moon / the little boy laughed to see such sport / and the dish ran away with the spoon.

Ring around the rosie
A pocket full of posie
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down.

Quite fun, until you're older and find out it related to the plague.

And how did I forget the Lizzie Borden one - I quite liked it as a child.

splitimage

Here, perhaps, is a better rhyme related to Lizzie Borden:

To Lizzie, by A. L. Bixby

[moderato cantabile--Douglas MacNeill]
There's no evidence of guilt,
Lizzie Borden,
That should make your spirit wilt,
Lizzie Borden,
Many do not think that you
chopped your father's head in two;
It's so hard a thing to do,
Lizzie Borden.

You have borne up under all,
Lizzie Borden,
With a mighty show of gall,
Lizzie Borden,
But because your nerve is stout
Does not prove beyond a doubt
That you knocked the old folks out,
Lizzie Borden.

Couple more I remember:

It's raining. it's pouring,
The old man is snoring,
Went to bed and bumped his head
And didn't get up in the morning.

-------

Skinny malinx, malarga legs,
Big banana feet.
Went to the cinema
But couldn't find a seat,
When he found a seat,
He fell fast asleep,
Skinny malinx, malarga legs,
Big banana feet.

---

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.

And when she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid!

Source: The Real Mother Goose (1916)

----

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of !"
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice and all things nice
That's what little girls are made of!

Some of my favorites are actually songs, ones my mom would sing ( I am 56).
-You are my Sunshine. -Pop Goes the Weasel. -This Little Light of Mine. -Billy Goat, Billy Goat. -If you're happy and you Know it. Good memories of books, rhymes, and songs.

Another thing we liked was repeating lines from ads when using the product : "choosey Moms choose Jif", "7up-crisp and clean and no caffeine", heart healthy Cheerios, etc...

Here you go, ToeJam...I think this would make you smile.

A memory of my brother reading some of these out loud to me...to freak me out!, accompanies this:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..._Ghastly_Girls

see also: http://lynxmountain.blogspot.ca/2007...tly-girls.html

(NOT recommended for the faint of heart. It would probably be banned from today's school libraries.)

Also, had a giggle at this one:

There's too many kids in this tub.
There's too many elbows to scrub.
I just washed a behind
That I'm sure wasn't mine
There's too many kids in this tub.

(Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic)

Here is one my dad taught us.

Gene Gene made a machine.
Frank Frank turned the crank
Joe Joe made it go
Art Art blew a fart and blew the whole machine apart. (I know kind of crude :-)

Here is another one: It was a dark and stormy night. The captain called to his men. Men I want to tell you a story and this is how the story goes. It was a dark and stormy night (the story starts again)

I've always loved "London Bridge is Falling Down." I don't know if that counts as a nursery rhyme, but I've always loved it.

Same as "Rock A Bye Baby", and "Ring Around the Rosy".

Supposedly, as I became an adult, I found out these are all thinly veiled political commentaries. But in those days, you couldn't openly criticize your government or leaders. These are very old, at least a couple of centuries.

Three little angels all dress in white~ trying to get to heaven on the end of a kite but the kite end got broken down they all fell, instead of going to heaven they all went to

two little angles...

one little angel....

Three little devils all dressed in red. trying to get to heaven on the end of a thread but the thread end got broken down they all fell in stead of going to heaven they all went to

two little devils
one little devil

don't get excited~ don't lose your head. Instead of going to heaven they all went to bed.

Never seen that one before.... but I love it

Hey I remember the Beans, beans are good for the heart, the more you eat the more you fart. It was very popular in York (UK) in the 1970s.

I liked rhymes that had hand gestures (no... nothing rude) like

Incey, wincey spider climbing up the spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
Incey, wincey spider climbed the spout again

or by linking the fingers of both hands so the fingers rest on the palm of the opposite hand

Here's the lady's knives and forks

then keeping your fingers linked turn your hands over so your knuckles face upwards

Here's the lady's table

then bring both index fingers upwards so the finger tips touch, leaving all the other fingers interlinked

Here's the lady's looking glass

then bring both little fingers upwards so the finger tips touch and rocking hands from side to side

Here's the baby's cradle

A similar rhyme using interlinked fingers went

Here's the church
Here's the steeple
Open the doors
See all the people

My favourite childhood poem was (still is) Pimpernel Petroleum, especially when read with a scottish accent. I probably developed my ability to mimic accents by trying to recite this poem with an authentic lilt.

Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus
Who doesnt care for travelling from Glasgow to Luss
Pop goes her engine crunch go her gears
Her passengers are sitting with their fingers in their ears
Pimpernel Petroleum loves to make a fuss
Because Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus.

Her driver Percy Poddle is a kind wee man
Who talks to her politely as often as he can
He's careful with her steering wheel and gentle with her brake
And whispers to her Pimpernel be good for goodness sake
But Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus
Who doesnt care for travelling from Glasgow to Luss
Pop goes her engine crunch go her gears
Her passengers are sitting with their fingers in their ears
Pimpernel Petroleum loves to make a fuss
Because Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus.

Pimpernel's conductress, Miss Fanny Freda Frisk
Is exceedingly efficient but very bright and brisk
She said we've had enough of this sentimental stuff
What Pimpernel is needing is a driver who is rough
But driver Percy Poddle is a kind wee man
Who talks to her politely as often as he can
He's careful with her steering wheel and gentle with her brake
And whispers to her Pimpernel be good for goodness sake
But Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus
Who doesnt care for travelling from Glasgow to Luss
Pop goes her engine crunch go her gears
Her passengers are sitting with their fingers in their ears
Pimpernel Petroleum loves to make a fuss
Because Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus.

One morning at the corner Pimpernel got stuck
Perhaps it was on purpose perhaps it was bad luck
Sat across the roadway wheels upon the grass
Lots of cars were coming but not a thing could pass
Pimpernel's conductress, Miss Fanny Freda Frisk
Is exceedingly efficient but very bright and brisk
She said we've had enough of this sentimental stuff
What Pimpernel is needing is a driver who is rough
But driver Percy Poddle is a kind wee man
Who talks to her politely as often as he can
He's careful with her steering wheel and gentle with her brake
And whispers to her Pimpernel be good for goodness sake
But Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus
Who doesnt care for travelling from Glasgow to Luss
Pop goes her engine crunch go her gears
Her passengers are sitting with their fingers in their ears
Pimpernel Petroleum loves to make a fuss
Because Pimpernel Petroleum is a bold bad bus.

There are more verses, each getting longer as they repeat the previous verse.

Finally (for today at least)

A counting rhyme, starting at ten and working down

There were ten in the bed and the little one said roll over
So they all rolled over and one fell out etc

I sometimes use this rhyme in my signature with my hugging pigs picture.

Did you play this or did you just sing it. I totally forgot about this game. I can't believe I forgot this one. I don't think I taught my children this one. Wow~ I'll remember this when I see my sisters. thanks for the memories.