English rhymes and stories


The Dark and Mysterious Origins of 10 Classic Nursery Rhymes

In the canon of great horror writing, Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley tend to dominate the craft. But Mother Goose isn’t too far behind. Yes, that fictional grande dame of kiddie poems has got a bit of a dark streak, as evidenced by the unexpectedly sinister theories surrounding the origins of these 10 well-known nursery rhymes.

Table Of Contents

  1. 1. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep // 1731
  2. 2. Goosey Goosey Gander // 1784
  3. 3. Jack and Jill // 1765
  4. 4. London Bridge Is Falling Down // 1744
  5. 5. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary // 1744
  6. 6. Three Blind Mice // 1805
  7. 7. Eeny Meeny Miny Mo // Early 19th Century
  8. 8. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush // 1840
  9. 9. Rock-A-Bye Baby // 1765
  10. 10. Ring Around the Rosie // 1881

1.

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep // 1731

Though most scholars agree that “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is about the Great Custom, a tax on wool that was introduced in 1275, its use of the color black and the word master led some to wonder whether there was a racial message at its center. Its political correctness was called into question yet again in the latter part of the 20th century, with some schools banning it from being repeated in classrooms, and others simply switching out the word black for something deemed less offensive. In 2011, news outlets reported on the proliferation of “Baa, Baa, Rainbow Sheep” as an alternative.

2. Goosey Goosey Gander // 1784

This nursery rhyme isn't really about a goose. / Sean Gallup/GettyImages

It’s hard to imagine that any rhyme with the phrase goosey goosey in its title could be described as anything but feel-good. But one popular version of the ditty is actually a tale of religious persecution. Some years after the song’s first appearance in the historical record, it was appended with some disturbing lines. “[T]here I met an old man, who wouldn't say his prayers, so I took him by his left leg and threw him down the stairs.” Ouch!

According to noted English folklorists Iona and Peter Opie, “It is very probable that they had a separate origin. They are much the same as the lines which school-children address to the cranefly (‘Daddy-long-legs’), sometimes pulling off its legs as they repeat,
Old Father Long-Legs
/ Can’t say his prayers;
/ Take him by the left leg,
/ And throw him downstairs.”

3. Jack and Jill // 1765

One of the most common theories surrounding the story’s origin is that it’s about France’s Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who were both found guilty of treason and subsequently beheaded. The only problem is that those events occurred nearly 30 years after “Jack and Jill” was first written. The more likely story attributes the rhyme to the 17th-century king of England, Charles I. Apparently he attempted to increase taxes on alcohol, which were generally measured in units known as jacks and gills. After that failed, he instead reduced the of a jack (about one-eighth of a pint), and in turn, the gill, which is twice the size of a jack. So the gill’s increased price “came tumbling after.”

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4. London Bridge Is Falling Down // 1744

Part of Old London Bridge, c1600. / Print Collector/GettyImages

In 2006, Fergie got saucy with some of this classic kid tune’s lyrics. But the original song wasn’t much better. Depending on whom you ask, “London Bridge is Falling Down” could be about a 1014 Viking attack or the normal deterioration of an old bridge. More specifically, many sources tie the nursery rhyme to the alleged destruction of London Bridge at the hands of Olaf II of Norway some time in the early 1000s. (“Alleged” because some historians don’t believe that attack ever took place.) The song’s popularity around the world is often cited as further proof that it was the Vikings who created it, believing that they brought the tune to the many places they traveled.

There's a pretty big problem with this explanation, though. It largely hinges on Samuel Laing's 19th-century translation of an Old Norse poem that seems to mirror the well-known “London Bridge.” The translation begins, “London Bridge is broken down—Gold is won, and bright renown.” That apparently illustrative similarity is no accident, though. It’s quite likely that the translation was, in fact, intentionally mimicking the already well known nursery rhyme. A more accurate translation, from years later, renders the similarities between the skaldic verse and the children's rhyme basically non-existent.

5. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary // 1744

Mary I. / Print Collector/GettyImages

“Contrary” is one way to describe a murderous psychopath. This popular English nursery rhyme, which reads like a solicitation for gardening advice, is actually—according to many—a recounting of the homicidal nature of Queen Mary I of England, a.k.a. Bloody Mary. A fierce believer in Catholicism, her reign as queen—from 1553 to 1558—was marked by the execution of hundreds of Protestants. (Silver bells and cockle shells, in this understanding, are actually torture devices, not garden accouterments.)

6. Three Blind Mice // 1805

“Three Blind Mice” is supposedly yet another ode to Bloody Mary’s reign, with the trio in question believed to be a group of Protestant bishops—Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Radley, and The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer—who (unsuccessfully) conspired to overthrow the queen and were burned at the stake for their heresy. Critics suggest that the blindness in the title refers to their religious beliefs.

7. Eeny Meeny Miny Mo // Early 19th Century

No, there’s nothing particularly inflammatory about the lines “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo, Catch a tiger by his toe.” Different versions of the tune popped up around the world, and most are appropriately innocent. The late 19th/early 20th century version in the United States was explicitly racist, though, with a racial slur in place of the tiger kids catch today. That version has, for good reason, fallen out of favor.

Even with the lyrical switch-out, a reference to the poem can still be offensive. In 2004, two Black passengers sued Southwest Airlines for intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress, following an incident where a flight attendant used the rhyme in a humorous fashion during takeoff when she told passengers: “Eeny meeny miny mo, Please sit down it’s time to go. ” (The court sided with the airline.)

8. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush // 1840

The theorized origin for this nursery rhyme isn't exactly cute. / Tran Vu Quang Duy/Moment/Getty Images

“Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” is often sung as part of a children’s game. Historian R. S. Duncan, a former governor of England’s Wakefield Prison, suggested that the song originated with that 420-year-old institution’s female prisoners, who exercised around a mulberry tree. Which is probably not the connotation your 6-year-old self had in mind.

9. Rock-A-Bye Baby // 1765

One interpretation of this famous lullaby is that it is about the son of King James II of England and Mary of Modena. It’s widely believed that the boy was not their son at all, but a child who was brought into the birthing room and passed off as their own in order to ensure a Roman Catholic heir to the throne.

10. Ring Around the Rosie // 1881

Experts doubt the plague theory for this nursery rhyme. / Stephen Simpson/Moment/Getty Images

Considering that some of today’s classic nursery rhymes are more than two centuries old, there are often several theories surrounding their origins—and not a lot of sound proof about which argument is correct. But of all the alleged nursery rhyme backstories, “Ring Around the Rosie” is probably the most infamous. Though its lyrics and even its title have gone through some changes over the years, the most popular contention is that the sing-songy verse refers to the 1665 Great Plague of London. “The rosie” is the rash that covered the afflicted, the smell from which they attempted to cover up with “a pocket full of posies.” The plague killed nearly 15 percent of the country’s population, which makes the final verse—“Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down”—rather self-explanatory.

But Snopes labels this reading false, and quotes folklorist Philip Hiscock with a more likely suggestion: That the nursery rhyme probably has its origins “in the religious ban on dancing among many Protestants in the nineteenth century, in Britain as well as here in North America. Adolescents found a way around the dancing ban with what was called in the United States the ‘play-party.’ Play-parties consisted of ring games which differed from square dances only in their name and their lack of musical accompaniment. They were hugely popular, and younger children got into the act, too.”

A version of this story ran in 2015; it has been updated for 2022.

Fairy Tales, Nursery Rhymes, and Children's Songs

I've added a lot to this page but I've tried to keep it easy to scroll. There aren't just fairy tales -- keep scrolling down (or click the link) to find Nursery Rhymes and children's songs.

[Fairy Tales]     [Nursery Rhymes]     [Songs]     [Videos]

These sections contain more than just the words/lyrics.  Each section has free printable coloring pages, craft ideas, puppets, felt board characters, word wall word worksheets, picture crossword puzzles and other activity sheets to go with the songs, rhymes and stories!


  • Aesop's Fables  (Greek)
  • Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Middle East)
  • Beauty and the Beast (French)
  • Bremen Town Musicians (German)
  • Cinderella
  • Emperor's New Clothes (Danish)
  • Firebird (Ukranian)
  • Frog Prince
  • Gingerbread Man
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears
  • Greek Mythology
  • Guardian of the Forest
  • Hansel and Gretel  (German)
  • Jack and the Beanstalk
  • Little Mermaid (Danish)
  • Little Red Hen
  • Little Red Ridinghood  (French)
  • Marie and the Orange Fish (African)
  • Molly Murphy and the Scorched Leprechaun (Irish)
  • Moon Maiden  (Japanese)
  • Puss in Boots
  • Rapunzel
  • Rumpelstiltskin (German)
  • Seven Voyages of Sinbad (Middle East)
  • Shakespeare Stories (British)
  • Sleeping Beauty
  • Small Abdul and the Caliph's Daughter (Muslim)
  • Snow White and the Dwarves
  • Stone Soup
  • Three Little Pigs
  • Thumbelina (Danish)
  • Ugly Duckling (Danish)

  • A Tisket, A Tasket
  • Baa, Baa Black Sheep
  • Daffy Down Dilly
  • Donkey, Donkey Old and Gray
  • Five Busy Honey Bees
  • Five Green Shamrocks
  • Five Little Chickens
  • Five Little Ducks
  • Five Little Fishies
  • Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
  • Five Little Owls
  • Five Little Pumpkins
  • Five Little Snowflakes
  • Hey Diddle Diddle
  • Hickory Dickory Dock
  • Humpty Dumpty
  • I Had a Little Nut Tree
  • I See the Moon
  • Jack and Jill
  • Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home
  • Little Bo Peep
  • Little Boy Blue
  • Little Jack Horner
  • Little Miss Muffet
  • Man in the Moon
  • Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
  • Old King Cole
  • Old Mother Hubbard
  • Owl and the Pussycat
  • Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
  • Pussycat, Pussycat where have you been?
  • Sing a Song of Sixpence
  • Star Light, Star Bright
  • This Little Chick
  • Three Blind Mice
  • Wise Old Owl

  • Baby Bumblebee
  • B-I-N-G-O
  • Bullfrog Song 
  • Butterfly Song (bible)
  • Crocodile Song 
  • Farmer in the Dell
  • Five Green and Speckled Frogs
  • Going on a Lion Hunt
  • Hand Washing Song
  • Here Comes Peter Cottontail  (Easter)
  • If You Should Meet an Elephant  (four seasons)
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • Jesus Song
  • Mary Had a Little Lamb
  • Mr.   Sun
  • Old MacDonald Had a Farm
  • Penguin Song
  • Six Little Ducks
  • Squirrel Song
  • Teasing Mr. Crocodile
  • Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
  • Wheels on the Bus

 

You may also enjoy our nursery rhyme themed online jigsaw puzzles.

Try nursery rhyme picture bingo cards or fairy tales picture bingo cards.

 

Poems in English with translation and meaning

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English poetry is a good way to learn a language. They will introduce you to new vocabulary, and thanks to their beautiful sound and sometimes very deep meaning, they will become a portion of inspiration and motivation if the usual language practice no longer brings joy.

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What are the advantages of English poetry?

  • You memorize new words faster thanks to rhyme and precise time signature.

  • You will learn how sentences are built in English - this will help improve your writing and speaking skills.

  • You get food for thought and find answers to many life questions.

  • You get to know a new poet, creativity and culture and broaden your horizons.

  • You can entertain any audience and impress your family and friends with your talent.

We have made for you a selection of short and easy poems in English with translation into Russian, which are suitable for both adults and children to study. For convenience, the poems were divided into themes.

Poems in English about life

Mood to reflect on the meaning of life? It is better to read poetry in English - and you will improve your language, and new thoughts will appear.

Original

Free translation

Sun of the sleepless! melancholy star!
Whose tearful beam glows tremulously far,
That show’st the darkness thou canst not dispel,
How like art thou to joy remember’d well!

Sogleams the past, the light of other days,
Which shines, but warms not with its powerless rays;
A night-beam Sorrow watcheth to behold,
Distinct, but distant - clear, but oh, how cold!

George Gordon Byron

Sleepless sun! Sad star!
How tearfully your ray always flickers,
How the darkness becomes even darker with it,
How it resembles the joy of former days!

So the past shines on us in the night of life,
But powerless rays no longer warm us;
The star of the past is so visible to me in grief,
Visible, but far away - bright, but cold!

George Gordon Byron

Original

Literal translation

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

What is our life if, full of worries,
We do not have time to stop and look at it.

No time to stop under the branches
And watch as long as sheep or cows do.

No time to look around when we walk through the forest,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in the grass.

There is no time to see streams in the light of day,
Full of stars, like the sky at night.

There is no time to turn around at the gaze of Beauty herself
And see how her legs dance.

There is no time to wait until her lips
Adorn the smile of her eyes.

Such a life is poor if, full of worries,
We do not have time to stop and look at it.

William Henry Davis

Original

Free translation

Life, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.

Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
Oh, why lament its fall?

Rapidly, merrily,
Life’s sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly!

What though Death at times steps in
And calls our best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway?

Yet Hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.

Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!

Charlotte Brontë

Believe that life is not a game,
Dark forest is not fairy tales;
How often a light rain in the morning
Promises us a day of miracles.

Let the sky look gloomy -
Clouds will rush;
A shower of roses will revive,
Withered slightly.

Crazy, irrevocable,
The days of life are leaving,
Cheerful, pleasant,
They will leave us!

So what if death is always
Follows life?
After all, trouble seems terrible,
When there is no hope.

Hope for difficulties in spite of
Every moment holds us;
She is a wing of tranquility
And a spring of fresh strength.

Let us meet many and difficult
Obstacles here,
But glorious and wonderful
Years of life are waiting for us!

Charlotte Brontë

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Poems in English about love

When it is difficult to express your feelings to a loved one, a love poem will save the situation.

Original

Literal translation

If I had two nickels to rub together,
I would rub them together
Like a kid rubs sticks together
Until friction made combustion
And they burned a hole in my pocket
Into which I would put my hand
And then my arm
And eventually my whole self.
I would fold myself
Into the hole in my pocket and disappear
Into the pocket of myself, or at least my pants,
But before I did
Like some ancient star,
I’d grab your hand.

Kevin Varrone

If I could rub two nickels together,
I would rub them together,
Like a child rubs sticks,
Until the friction ignites
And they burn a hole in my pocket,
Into which I would stick a brush,
And then my whole hand
And finally all of myself.
I would put myself
Into a hole in my pocket and disappear
In my pocket or at least in my pants
But before I do that
Like some ancient star
I would grab your hand.

Kevin Varron

Original

Literal translation

When you are old and gray and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

William Butler Yeats

When you are middle-aged, gray-haired and full of sleep
And you begin to nod off at the fireplace, take this book,
And read slowly, and remember that soft look,
Which was once inherent in your eyes, and their deep shadows.

How many loved your moments of happy grace
And loved your beauty with true or false love,
But one person loved the soul of a wanderer in you
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And, bending over the red-hot grate,
Mutter, a little sad, how love has fled,
And walked over the mountains there, overhead,
And hid her face in the host of stars.

William Butler Yeats

Poems in English about friendship

As they say, strong friendship will not break, but with poems it will become even stronger! Tell a friend a poem in English to show how much he means to you.

Original

Literal translation

I cannot ease your aching heart,
Nor take your pain away,
But let me stay and take your hand
And walk with you today!

I'll listen when you need to talk,
I'll wipe away your tears,
I'll share your worries when they come,
I'll help you face your fears.

I'm here, and I will stand by you
On each hill you have to climb.
So take my hand, let's face the world
And live one day at a time!

You're not alone, for I'm still here.
I'll go that extra mile.
And when your grief is easier,
I'll help you learn to smile.

Unknown author

I can't heal your aching heart,
I can't take away your pain,
But let me stay, take your hand
And walk with you today!

I will listen when you need to talk,
I will wipe your tears,
I will share your worries if they arise,
I will help you face your fears.

I am here and I will be by your side
On every hill you have to climb.
So take my hand, let's look at this world
And we will live one day!

You are not alone because I am still here.
I'll go the extra mile.
And when your grief eases,
I will help you learn to smile.

Unknown author

Original

Literal translation

I have a friend
Whose name is...
And we have fun together.
We laugh and play
And sing all day
In any kind of weather.

Unknown author

I have a friend,
Whose name is...
And we have fun together.
We laugh and play
And sing all day
Whatever the weather.

Unknown author

Poems in English about birthday

Do you want to impress the birthday man with an unusual congratulation? Learn a holiday poem for him in English!

Original

Free translation

Have an amazing birthday,
Have a wonderful life every day,
May you have plans of success
And try to avoid making a mess.

Save problems with the "cold" reaction,
Take from love hot satisfaction.
May all your dreams come true!
All the best! Happy birthday to you!

Unknown author

May your birthday be amazing,
May life seem beautiful every day,
And all things are shrouded in amazing success,
You avoid futile polemics.

Take a calm look at all problems
And enjoy the passion of love.
Let all dreams come true with dignity!
Happy birthday, c'est la vie!

Unknown author

Original

Free translation

I wish you wisdom for right decisions,
I wish you savvy to reach success.
Let all your finance be risen,
Wishing good luck and happiness.

Be strong and healthy, don't ever change,
Let true friends be beside you always.
Don't pay attention to your age,
Enjoy your life and Happy Birthday!

Unknown author

I wish you wisdom for the right decisions,
Ingenuity to achieve success,
Income of all your increases,
Good luck, happiness so as not to part.

I also wish you strength and health,
Regardless of age, do not change.
May true friends be with you,
To enjoy this day and life.
Happy birthday!

Unknown author

Original

Literal translation

Birthday girl, today's your day!
Time to eat cake, sing songs and play.
There are so many ways to have birthday fun.
Here's hoping you get to do every one!

Unknown author

Birthday girl, today is your day!
Time to eat cake, sing songs and play.
There are so many ways to have fun on your birthday.
I hope you try them all!

Unknown author

Poems in English about the New Year

Don't know what toast to say at the New Year's table? Turn on your creativity - tell a poem in English!

Original

Literal translation

New Year's Day, a happy day!
We are glad and want to play.
We all dance and sing and say,
"Welcome! Welcome, New Year's Day!"

Unknown author

New Year's Day, happy day!
We are happy and want to play.
We all dance, sing and say:
"Welcome, New Year's Day!"

Unknown author

Original

Literal translation

Come, children, gather round my knee,
Something is about to be.

Tonight's December thirty-first,
Something is about to burst.

Hark! It's midnight, dear children.
Duck! Here comes another year.

Ogden Nash

Come on, children, all to me,
Something must happen.

This evening, December 31st,
Something has to happen.

Chu! It's midnight, dear children.
Hooray! Here comes the new year.

Ogden Nash

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Poetry in English. English poems

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This section contains poems in English for every taste!

Learning English words by reading poetry is much easier, because rhyme helps me remember more words.

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  • A light poem about the love of a bird and a flower. John B. Tabb - A Duet.

    level: for beginners,

    successfully completed the lesson: 834 people

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  • Robert Louis Stevenson - Autumn Fires. Poem about autumn in English.

    level: for beginners,

    successfully completed the lesson: 567 people

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  • Rudyard Kipling's famous poem If.

    level: difficult,

    successfully completed the lesson: 221 person(s)

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  • We read a sad poem in English. Suicide in the trenches.

    level: medium,

    successfully completed the lesson: 154 people

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  • A poem about a friend. An old story.

    level: medium,

    successfully passed the lesson: 401 person(s)

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  • A short love poem in English. A White Rose.

    level: for beginners,

    successfully completed the lesson: 940 people

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  • William Blake - The Smile. Learn new words by reading a poem in English.

    level: medium,

    successfully completed the lesson: 334 people

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  • Edgar A. Guest - When You Know a Fellow. We read a poem in English.

    level: difficult,

    successfully completed the lesson: 163 people

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  • A knight's ballad called Eyes of the Cod from Lewis Carroll's famous fairy tale Alice Through the Looking-Glass.

    level: difficult,

    successfully completed the lesson: 136 people

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  • Sara Teasdale - Debt. We read a short poem about love in English.

    level: for beginners,

    successfully completed the lesson: 563 people

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  • A poem about a man who is tired of doing nothing. Tired Tim.

    level: medium,

    successfully completed the lesson: 312 people

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  • Learning a poem for the New Year. The Christmas Fires. #newyear

    level: medium,

    successfully passed the lesson: 159 people

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  • Reading a poem and learning new words. Algernon Charles Swinburne - Swan Song.

    level: medium,

    successfully completed the lesson: 179 people

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  • An unexpected opinion in the poem The Wicked Zebra.

    level: medium,

    successfully completed the lesson: 181 person(s)

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