Oranges and Lemons

One For Sorrow

One for sorrow, two for joy,

Three for a girl, four for a boy,

Five for silver, six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss,

Ten for a bird you must not miss

A Was an Archer

A was an archer, who shot at a frog,

B was a butcher, and had a great dog.

C was a captain, all covered with lace,

D was a drunkard, and had a red face.

E was an esquire, with pride on his brow,

F was a farmer, and followed the plow.

G was a gamester, who had but ill luck,

H was a hunter, and hunted a buck.

I was an innkeeper, who loved to carouse,

J was a joiner, and built up a house.

K was King William, once governed this land,

L was a lady, who had a white hand.

M was a miser, and hoarded up gold,

N was a nobleman, gallant and bold.

O was an oyster girl, and went about town,

P was a parson, and wore a black gown.

Q was a queen, who wore a silk slip,

R was a robber, and wanted a whip.

S was a sailor, and spent all he got,

T was a tinker, and mended a pot.

U was an usurer, a miserable elf,

V was a vintner, who drank all himself.

W was a watchman, and guarded the door,

X was expensive, and so became poor.

Y was a youth, that did not love school,

Z was a zany, a poor harmless fool.

The versions I have included are the ones I remember, the rhymes I have tried to pass on to my own children, and I apologize if they differ from the versions you knew and loved

But nursery rhymes are so much more than simple verses for children. Some have a decidedly sinister edge, which is perhaps why they have been used to such chilling effect in horror films

When I came to write this book, I was surprised how clearly I could remember the words to many of the nursery rhymes I learned as a young child. The verses are apparently effortlessly fixed in my memory when it seems so easy to forget much of what Ive carefully tried to learn since

Perhaps thats part of their charm, and decoding the hidden meanings offers a tantalizing glimpse of the past and a fascinating insight into our social history.