Introduction
We all know the nursery
rhymes of Mother Goose. She introduced us to Jack and Jill, Miss
Muffet, and the Three Blind Mice. But what ever happened to those guys?
Where are they today? The Fairytale and Nursery Rhyme Classics Guild
takes you behind closed doors, into the personal lives of some of our
favorite Mother Goose stars.
We'll find out where our beloved nursery rhyme characters are today,
long after our own encounters with them in childhood. The one and only
Mother Goose is back on the scene as she tells us each of their stories
utilizing their own unique settings. You will hear about the Three Wise
Men of Gotham, Humpty Dumpty and the Three Blind Mice, along with Jack
and Jill too! We learn about the last of Gotham's Wise Men as he works
with another nursery rhyme character, Dr. Foster, now his therapist,
who is helping him recover emotionally after the loss of his two fellow
Wise Men. Mother Goose opens up about the real story behind her famous
Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme, and the alcohol abuse that brought on his
eventual downfall from fame and fortune. Then we also find out where
the Three Blind Mice stand in the on-going investigation of their
involvement with the recent death of the Farmer's Wife, who as we all
know cut off their tales with a carving knife. Finally, we end with a
look at two of Mother Goose's best-known characters, Jack and Jill, and
where they went after their tumble down the hill. I grew up with these
nursery rhymes, as I believe most of us did, and I thought it would be
neat to reveal the untold stories of our classic Mother Goose rhymes.
I used Blanche Fisher Wright's The Real Mother Goose as the source for
my storybook project. Some of these rhymes date a couple hundred years
old at least. Even in today's digitized world, kids, and some adults,
are still sitting down to enjoy the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose.
What is it about these that makes them so popular generation after
generation? Some nursery rhymes are cheerful, a sort of jingle that
speaks to all ages. As you read through them you can't help but almost
begin to bounce with the melody. Then there are some odd and mysterious
ones to intrigue readers. When kids hear these or read through them
they come across active characters, which is an appealing
characteristic for a child to experience. Along with action verbs,
children hear quite a lot of descriptive language and sing-song
language. The rhymes are meant to entertain readers. The colorful
illustrations and the relatively short length of each rhyme makes them
even more appropriate for young children.
So who was Mother Goose? Did she even exist? There are two popular
legends for who Mother Goose really was. One comes from Boston,
Massachusetts, claiming the wife of Isaac Goose, either named Elizabeth
Foster Goose or Mary Goose, was the real Mother Goose. After her
husbands death, she went to live with her oldest daughter and her
publisher husband. She was known for singing her jingles, so her
son-in-law had them published. The other is thought to come from
ancient legends of the wife of King Robert II of France, "Bertha the
Spinner" or "Goose-Foot Bertha." French legends tell of her spinning
magnificent stories that captivated children. However, neither of the
stories are believed to have much truth to them.
Now it's time to reintroduce these characters with their own full blown
stories. Enjoy this nostalgic trip as Mother Goose tells us the stories
behind some of her most memorable nursery rhymes.