Nursery Rhymes as Mother Goose Knows Them

Ah, nursery rhymes — the first little poems most of us ever learned. Many of us grew up with Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and dozens more. These small verses traveled across oceans and generations. Whether you’re in the United States, Canada, Australia, or the UK, the familiar rhythms show up almost unchanged. In some places they’re called Mother Goose rhymes, in others simply nursery rhymes, but they’re still the same old friends.

Part of their magic is that they don’t need music to feel musical. The rhythm and rhyme do the work. Even before children can read, they can recite them — building memory, language, and confidence along the way. Most of these rhymes weren’t originally written for children, but children adopted them anyway — and held on tight.

Many nursery rhymes have roots in folk songs, old ballads, forgotten customs, or bits of history that slipped away over time. Some hint at wars, others at kings, trades, or village life. Even when the original meaning is unclear, the rhyme survives — carrying a fragment of the world that made it.