“And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon.”
“Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. Rain, rain go away. Little Johnny wants to play.” I suspect saying this over and over won’t have any affect. This is the second day of cold, chilling rain. Last night the rain was heavy, and I fell asleep to the plinking of drops on the roof. Last night was also cold again, in the 30’s. I watched the Sox play Philly (they lost their perfect record), and when the camera followed the pitcher ‘s wind-up, I was distracted by seeing the pitcher’s breath and watching him trying to keep his hands warm. The players were bundled as much as they could be. Long sleeves were part of the uniform of the night. It was football weather.
When I was really young, I learned all the nursery rhymes from listening to my mother. She’d say them in a sing-song voice which my ears loved hearing. I remember seeing a ladybug outside on a leaf and telling her to fly away home, her house was on fire and her children were gone. All the Littles were friends of mine. I felt bad for Little Bo Peep and Little Boy Blue but really bad for Little Miss Muffet and her new founded fear of hungry spiders. I am a child born on the Sabbath, fair and wise and good in every way. I liked quoting that one. Some of them I could sing, badly, but it didn’t matter. They were fun. Old MacDonald’s was the best with all the animals sounds. Row, Row, Row your Boat was a round but somehow we always ended up finishing on the same lines no matter when we started.
Thinking about these rhymes got me to look them up, and I was surprised to find out how old some of them are. Little Bo Peep lost her sheep in 1805 and Little Boy Blue fell asleep in 1744. Miss Muffet has had her spider phobia since 1805. Ding Dong Bell is the oldest dating from 1580, that poor kitty.
I don’t know if nursery rhymes are still popular, but I really hope they are though it would be okay with me if the kitty finally came out of the well.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: cold, Ding Dong Bell, football weather, Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, nursery rhymes, rainy, Red Sox, Row Row Row Your Boat
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
April 9, 2015 at 12:59 pm
Hi Kat,
Every time I hear “Rain, rain go away” I am reminded of a scifi story possibly of the same name. It started raining and it wouldn’t stop. Someone figured out they had to chant that rhyme until it did. And they had to remember how many times it took because they were going to have to do it an additional time every time it rained.
I don’t recall my mother doing nursery rhymes. We managed to learn most of them anyway. My mother liked to do “Slowly I turn. Step by step…” scaring us into giggling fits. I do a version of this with my dogs but only Rocky understands it means time to kick a toy around the house. Piki Dog just waits to see what happens.
I looked up Ding Dong Bell and noted with interest that the old illustration for the rhyme is a well surrounded by ratting terriers. Perhaps they were protecting their job security. 🙂
Yesterday was rain, snow, hail, rainy hail and more rain. Today is drizzle, wind and chilly dampness. Sigh.
Enjoy the day.
April 9, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Hi Caryn,
There is also another Bradbury called All Summer in a Day. It takes place on Venus where it rains all the time except for one day when the sun shines. A girl who came from Earth and remembered the sun was picked on and was locked in a closet and missed the sun.
My mother too did the step by step with her hands held out in front looking a bit like claws. We also giggled.
Gracie was sick this morning, stomach problems again. She is just now eating treats again. The vet said to giver OTC human antacid pills so I do.
We didn’t have the snow yesterday but had rain. Today is one ugly, damp, cold day!
Have a great afternoon!
April 9, 2015 at 1:29 pm
I can’t remember many nursery rhymes from when I grew up but we did learn some in school when we started to learn English. WE had the Ladybug one too and one about a fly but those are the only swedish ones I can remember 🙂
Warm and nice again today and it will go on like that for some days they say. I will definetaly have to star mowing the lawn this weekend, that’s the only thing I don’t like with spring 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
April 9, 2015 at 2:46 pm
Christer,
I figure most countries have folk tales which children read. Some, I know, are scary.
I liked the ladybug nursery rhyme. I never thought about what it meant having her house on fire.
My lawn is far away from needing to be mowed. It still has its winter look. We have had 50˚ only once. The rest of the time it is in the low 40’s during the day. The nights are cold.
Enjoy the evening!
April 9, 2015 at 2:18 pm
We were at the Nats-Mets game here in D.C. last night, where you also could see your breath and where we waited out our first rain delay of the season. We drank cocoa and huddled under our layers but toughed it out from first pitch to last. Brr…
April 9, 2015 at 2:47 pm
sprite,
I kept thinking what an ugly night for baseball. A few years ago I went to a game in Cleveland around this time of year. It was freezing. I kept going to the ladies’ room to sit on the radiator to get warm. It snowed the next day.
April 9, 2015 at 10:51 pm
Retractable domed stadium. The Bluejays, Diamond Backs and the Astros have retractable domes. The Rangers don’t have a retractable roof because the Managing partner in the nineties when they built the Ballpark in Arlington was George W. Bush. A man who had no vision for the Rangers and later the country, 🙂 There’s nothing like watching a ballgame in the ninth inning at ten at night and the thermometer finally drops down to ninety degrees.
April 9, 2015 at 11:42 pm
Bob,
Here it would be needed in April and, God willing, in October. Monday for the home opener it will be 68. Perfect weather to watch a game.
A while back, when they bought the team, the current owners were contemplating building a new stadium. The hue and cry could be heard all over New England. They chose to revamp Fenway. No domed stadium here.
April 9, 2015 at 3:46 pm
Common rain nursery rhyme (translated):
“It rains, it rains, the ground gets wet.
Don’t make me wet, don’t make me wet,
make only the naughty children wet.”
Not applicable today. Sunny blue sky, 20°C/68°F. Spring 🙂
April 9, 2015 at 6:52 pm
Birgit,
I like it. What an easy to way to find the naughty kids!
Dark rain filled clouds right now and really cold tonight. Parts of New Hampshire got snow, a couple of places 5 inches!
April 9, 2015 at 8:34 pm
And it rained and we waited, and it rained and we waited some more and it rained and I attacked the desert table. We waited for 3 1/2 hours and the game started and the Tigs thrashed the hopeless Twins again
We left at the end of 7 and the heavens opened.
The family from Switzerland have seen their first ball game and now own every Detroit Tiger apparel item. Somewhere in Basel there will be 4 very loyal fans.
April 9, 2015 at 8:51 pm
My Dear Hedley,
I saw them in your Facebook picture dressed in their Tiger regalia and looking quite proud.
Your Tigers remain as of now undefeated!