An Aside: Curious Variations in Nursery Rhymes

Play time

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper.
He went to bed and wrapped his head
In vinegar and brown paper!

Real Mother Goose

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Then up Jack got and off did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
With vinegar and brown paper.

Treasury

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper.
He went to bed,
To mend his head
With vinegar and brown paper.

Real Mother Goose

“To bed! To bed!”
Says Sleepy-head;
“Tarry awhile,” says Slow;
“Put on the pan,”
says Greedy Nan;
“We’ll sup before we go.”

Treasury

“Come, let’s to bed,” says Sleepy-head;
“Sit up awhile,” says Slow;
“Bang on the pot,” says Greedy-gut,
“we’ll sup before we go.”

“To bed, to bed,” cried Sleepy-head,
But all the rest said “No!
It is morning now,
You must milk the cow,
And tomorrow to bed we go.”

Real Mother Goose

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker’s man!
So I do, master,
As fast as I can.

Pat it, and prick it,
And mark it with T,
Put it in the oven
For Tommy and me.

Pudgy

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man,
Bake me a cake, as fast as you can.
Pat it and prick it, and mark it with a B,
And put it in the oven for Baby and me.

Treasury  (Patty-Cake)

Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker’s man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Pat it and prick it, and mark it with a “B,”
And put it in the oven
For baby and me.

Playtime

Hush-a-bye baby,
On the tree top.
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.

When the bough bends
The cradle will fall,
And down will come baby,
Cradle and all.

Treasury (Rock-a-Bye Baby)

Rock-a-bye baby,
On the tree top,
when the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall.
And down will come baby,
Cradle and all.

My Childhood Version

Rock-a-bye baby,
In the tree tops,
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall.
And down will come baby,
Cradle and all.

Treasury

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark.
He could not see which way to go,
if you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep.
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

Playtime

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
Watching over while I sleep.
For you never shut your eye,
’til the sun is in the sky.

My Childhood Version

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

Playtime

There was an old woman
Tossed up in a basket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon.
Where she was going
I couldn’t but ask it,
For in her hand she carried a broom.

“Old woman, old woman,
Old woman,” said I,
“Where are you going to up so high?”
Thus she replied,
And this was her answer,
“To brush all the cobwebs off the sky!”

Treasury

There was an old woman
Tossed up in a basket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon.
Where she was going
I just had to ask it,
For in her hand she carried a broom.

“Old woman, old woman, old woman,” said I,
“O whither, O whither, O whither so high?”
“To sweep the cobwebs off the sky!
And I’ll be with you
By and by.”

Pudgy

Ring-a-ring-a-rosies,
A pocket full of posies;
Hush! Hush! Hush!
We’ll all tumble down.

Treasury

Ring around the rosie,
A pocket full of posies,
A-choo! A-choo!
We all fall down.

The king has sent his daughter,
To fetch a pail of water,
A-choo! A-choo!
We all fall down.

The bird upon the steeple,
Sits high above the people,
A-choo! A-choo!
We all fall down.

My Childhood Version

Ring around the rosies,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down.

Treasury: Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat

Pussy cat, pussy cat,
Where have you been?
I’ve been to London,
To visit the queen.

Pussycat, pussycat,
What did you there?
I frightened a
Little mouse,
Under her chair.

Treasury: Little Girl, Little Girl

Little girl, little girl,
Where have you been?
“Gathering roses
To give to the queen.”

Little girl, little girl,
What gave she you?
“She gave me a diamond
As big as my shoe.”

Treasury

I’m a little teapot,
Short and stout,
Here’s my handle,
Here’s my spout.
When I see the teacups,
Hear me shout,
“Tip me up, and pour me out!”

Pudgy

I’m a little teapot, short and stout;
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I see the teacups, hear me shout,
“Tip me up and pour me out.”

My Childhood Version

I’m a little teapot, short and stout;
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout,
“Tip me over and pour me out.”