Most of the adventures that Alice has in this book come from children’s nursery rhymes or the various historical theories behind them. This is a fascinating exercise in itself with scholars referring to a rich range of sources - Norse mythology, political satire, religious persecution, wars and capital punishment to name a few.
Just in case you didn’t spot all the nursery rhymes, or have forgotten them, here are the first line(s) of the ones used. Please note, there are typically several versions to each nursery rhyme, so some you might know by different words.
One two three four five, once I caught a fish alive.
Mary Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow?
I had a little nut tree, nothing would it bear.
Bobby Shafto’s gone to sea, silver buckles on his knee.
Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard, to give the poor doggie a bone.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Bye Baby Bunting. Daddy’s gone a-hunting.
Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop.
This little piggy went to market.
Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home.
Little-Bo Peep has lost her sheep.
Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn.
Three blind mice, three blind mice, see how they run.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
The three little kittens they lost their mittens.
Ding dong bell. Pussy’s in the well.
The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts all on a summer’s day.
Tom, Tom, the piper’s son, stole a pig and away he run.
As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.
There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile.
Brother Jaques, Brother Jaques, are you sleeping?
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross.
One for sorrow, two for joy.
Ring a Ring o’Roses, a pocket full of posies.
Baa Baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Simple Simon met a pieman, going to the fair.
Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub, and who do you think they be?
Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.
To market, to market, to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.
Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Doctor Foster went to Gloucester in a shower of rain.
Georgie Porgie pudding and pie. Kissed the girls and made them cry.
Girls and boys come out to play, the moon doth shine as bright as day.
Oh, the Grand Old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men.
Little Jack Horner sat in the corner, eating a Christmas pie.
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he.
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife but couldn’t keep her.
Cock a doodle do! My dame has lost her shoe.
Goosey, Goosey Gander, where shall I wander?
Here we go gathering nuts in May/Here we go round the mulberry bush.
Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold.
Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker’s man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean.
Diddle, diddle dumpling, my son John. Went to bed with his trousers on.
It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring.