Book description
Mr Jack has been nimble and he's been quick, searching through the
history of nursery rhymes and he's found out all kind of plum tales,
just like little Jack Horner. He's unearthed the answers to some very
curious questions...
Who were Mary Quite Contrary and Georgie Porgie? How
could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson?
And if Ring a Ring a Roses isn't about catching the plague,
then, what is it really about?
The ingenious book delves into the hidden meanings of the nursery
rhymes and songs we all know so well and discovers all kinds of
strange tales ranging from Viking raids to firewalking and from
political rebellion to slaves being smuggled to freedom.
Children have always played at being grown up and all kinds of
episodes in our history are still being re-enacted today in a series
of dark games (Oranges and Lemons traces a condemned man's
journey across London to his execution, Goosie Gander is about
dragging a hidden Catholic priest to prison) And there are many many
more.
Full of vivid illustrations and with each verse reproduced, here are
a multitude of surprising stories you won't be able to resist passing
on to everyone you know. Your childhood songs and rhymes will never
sound the same again.
When not engaged in research, Albert Jack lives somewhere between
Guildford and Cape Town, where he divides his time between fast living
and slow horses, neat vodka and untidy pubs.
