On mornings like today this old Mother Goose nursery rhyme pops into my head and I say it again and say it again and say it again and again…
One misty moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man,
Clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment
And I began to grin.
How do you do? And how do you do?
And how do you do again?
When I was a school teacher we had a training session on how important nursery rhymes were to a child’s language development and future reading skills. So take that baby on your knee and have fun with all the nursery rhymes out there. Sing them instead of just saying them. I remember bouncing my kids on my knee with this one, too.
Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes
There’s also a rhyme we would repeat in Russian that goes something like this…
Где были?
У бабушки!
Что ели?
Кашку!
Что пили?
Бражку!
Кашка масленька
Бражка сладенька
Бабушка добренька!
Where were you?
At granny’s!
What did you eat?
Porridge*!
What did you drink?
A little home-brewed beer**
The porridge is buttered,
The home-brewed beer is sweet,
Granny is kind!
To market, to market
to buy a fat pig
Home again home again
Jiggity jig
To market, to market
to buy a fat hog
Home again home again
Jiggity jog!
My babies loved that one – of course the bouncing added to the fun.
“This little piggy” was another favourite. “It’s raining, it’s pouring” was another.
🙂
I loved singing nursery rhymes with my children. Such a good way for children to learn.
Funny but I didn’t learn misty moisty morning untill I taught preschool. We would emphasize a new nursery rhyme each week. You know they are beginning to grasp the concept behind rhyming when children start making up rhyming endings to go with each others names, Ellen melon. Though they can be cruel, and then that is another kind of lesson isn’t it.
Kathy B, you got my elementary school name correct. Some kids would say “ellen watermelon” 🙂
I find myself quoting Misty Moisty some mornings, too. Only I learned it:
One misty, moisty morning
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man
Dressed all in leather.
Dressed all in leather,
With a cap under his chin,
How do ye do and how do ye do
And how do ye do again!
I am really enjoying your blog. I grew up on Mother Goose and Fairy Tales and passed them along to my children, and then to my grandchildren. To this day, they are still some of my favorite stand-bys.
Little Tommy Tucker, Jack Spratt, There Was A Little Girl, Pussycat, Pussycat; Little Miss Muffet, I could go on and on and on. My older sister was 12 years my senior. She read to me and taught me these – and taught me the popular songs of the day. When I was just a little over a year old, she had me reciting things and singing “Dream”(when you’re feelin’ blue) on the front porch for her friends. I’d get tired of singing and start to cry. That was the end of the concert. I think she gave me a fine start in life by doing that.
Nancy
You never cease to amaze me. Ellen Watermelon? I was Freckle-faced Frankenstein…consider yourself lucky!
we don’t do as many nursery rhymes these days….sadly, all the “nursery rhymes” books only have the first stanza maybe 2….they hardly ever have the whole story.
all those old rhymes were initially set to music…but the music is all but lost now. I have a book that was mine as a child with the music written out to many of the old songs…..
oh but rhymes are not entirely lost from my kids’ childhood…they are called Dr Seuss books or SONGS. My kids love music. For over a year my son requested “Eight Days a Week” many times a day!!
🙂
That is truly a fitting poem for the photo you shared!!!
Memories, memories, memories! Love it!