DGZITK UGGLT Trivia Quiz

Answer: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

"Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are."

The tune used when singing this nursery is the French folk song, "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", to which Mozart composed 12 piano variations.

Answer: Old Mother Hubbard

"Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone
But when she got there, the cupboard was bare
And so her poor dog had none."

Old Mother Hubbard refers to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who inspired this metaphorical nursery rhyme when he tried to get King Henry VIII (the dog) a divorce (a bone) from then wife Katherine of Aragorn. The Catholic Church wouldn't allow it, and so the poor dog had none. Later, Henry split from the Catholic Church and formed his own.

Answer: Little Miss Muffet

"Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away."

According to legend, this nursery rhyme is based on a little girl named Patience Muffet whose father was an entymologist (one who studies insects). One day, as she was eating her breakfast, one of her father's spiders got loose and scared poor Miss Muffet to death. She now lives on in immortality for her moment of cowardice.

Answer: Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

"Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick."

It is thought that this nursery rhyme refers to the English pirate Black Jack, who was extremely adept at evading authorities in the 16th century.

Answer: Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

"Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Had a wife and couldn't keep her
Put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well."

Allegedly, this is a story about a man who had an unfaithful wife, so he got her a chastity belt (the pumpkin shell). This chastity belt could only be opened by the one with the key, so she could not be unfaithful anymore. Don't we teach our kids some lovely lessons?

Answer: Humpty Dumpty

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again."

There are several different theories on the origins of this rhyme. Some think that Humpty Dumpty referred to the falls of King Richard III or Charles I. Others believe that "Humpty Dumpty" was the nickname of a cannon that got blown off of a church steeple during the English Civil War in 1648.

Answer: Mary Had A Little Lamb

"Mary had a little lamb
Whose fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go."

Supposedly, the famous lamb was taken in by a young girl named Mary Sawyer in Boston in 1815. One day it followed her to school, and the story was so impressive that it inspired this poem.

Answer: Jack And Jill

"Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack feel down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after."

This could be based on old Norse mythology, or on the beheading of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.

Answer: Hickory Dickory Dock

"Hickory dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one, the mouse ran down
Hickory dickory dock."

Early clocks were often made of apple wood, made from the rich black Forest region of western Germany. Those old wooden clocks needed proper lubrication, and most clockmakers used ham or bacon grease. Mice, then, were drawn to the tasty-smelling wooden gears and plates, which thus inspired the well known nursery rhyme.

Answer: Hey Diddle Diddle

"Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon."

It is thought that this rhyme refers to Queen Elizabeth I, who enjoyed dancing to fiddle music. Moon and Lap-Dog were nicknames for two of her advisors. Spoon was the nickname of a lady in waiting. Spoon was also a taster who sampled the Queen's food before she ate. Dish was the nickname of the court who brought the Queen's food to her. Dish and Spoon eloped. Yes, the Dish did run away with the Spoon. Later, someone created this rhyme.

Answer: Three Blind Mice

"Three blind mice
Three blind mice
See how they run
See how they run
They all ran after the farmer's wife
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life
As three blind mice?"

According to legend, the "farmer's wife" is the daughter of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary I. Mary was a staunch Catholic and her violent persecution of Protestants led to the nickname of "Bloody Mary". The "three blind mice" were three noblemen who adhered to the Protestant faith who were convicted of plotting against the Queen. She did not have them dismembered and blinded as inferred in "Three Blind Mice", but she did have them burnt at the stake.

Answer: Ten Little Monkeys

"Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said
'No more monkeys jumping on the bed!'"

As far as I know, this rhyme is just a rhyme to help children learn counting.

Answer: Sing A Song Of Sixpence

"Sing a song of sixpence
A pocket full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the king?"

It is thought that this rhyme refers to the pirate, Blackbeard. Pirates wages were usually sixpence and liter of rye (whiskey). Also, the next part refers to the pirates (blackbirds) laying a trap (a pie) for a wealthy ship passing by (a dainty dish for Blackbeard, the king of pirates).

Answer: Fuzzy Wuzzy

"Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy...was he?"

Since I have no idea where this one came from, here's a bonus poem about a bear: "Algy saw the bear.
The bear saw Algy.
The bear was bulgy.
The bulge was Algy."

Answer: Pop Goes The Weasel

"All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop! goes the weasel."

This is a silly verse, and perhaps the best known to the 17th century English song. However, other verses tell of the plight of the working class in England, such as this one:
"A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle
That's the way the money goes
Pop! goes the weasel."

Answer: I'm A Little Teapot

"I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout
Tip me over
And pour me out."

This action rhyme has all kinds of motions to it that kids enjoy, but there's really no other hidden meaning...as far as I know.

Answer: Itsy Bitsy Spider

"The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Up came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again."

This is just another fun finger rhyme that has survived the test of time. It is also known as "Eency Weency Spider."

Answer: Little Bo Peep

"Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn't know where to find them
Leave them alone and they'll come home
Wagging their tails behind them."

This rhyme could be from a popular hide and seek game from the Elizabethan or Victorian eras in England.

Answer: Ring Around The Rosey

"Ring around the rosey
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down!"

The historical period referred to in this rhyme dates back to the great plague of London in 1665 (the bubonic plague). The symptoms of the plague included a rosey red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosey). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs (or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term "Ashes Ashes" refers to the cremation of the dead bodies. The death rate was over 60% and the plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitting via water sources.

Answer: Rain Rain Go Away

"Rain rain, go away
Come again some other day
All the children want to play."

The history and origins of the lyrics to this English nursery rhyme date back to the reign of Elizabeth I. During this period of English history there was constant rivalry with Spain culminating in the Spanish Armada consisting of many Spanish galleons being sent to attack England. This attempt failed, not only because of the swift nature of the smaller English ships but also by the stormy weather which scattered the Armada fleet. And you thought it was just because rain is depressing! Actually, the full version has an extra two lines:
"Rain rain, go to Spain
Never show your face again!"

Answer: Rock-a-bye Baby

"Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all."

The words and lyrics to this nursery rhyme are reputed to reflect the observations of a young pilgrim boy in America who had seen Native American mothers suspend a birch bark cradle from the branches of a tree, thus enabling the wind to rock the cradle and the child to sleep.

Answer: This Little Piggy

"This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy cried 'Wee wee wee' all the way home."
This nursery rhyme was first published in 1728, and is just a playful rhyme using toes as piggies.

Answer: Jack Sprat

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
And so between the two of them
They licked the platter clean."

It is said that Jack Sprat was about King Charles I and his greedy wife, Henrietta Maria. When Parliament refused to finance Charles' war with Spain and left him "lean," he turned the tables and dissolved Parliament. He and his wife imposed an illegal war tax and forced the common people to house their troops. They "licked" England clean to feed their own appetites.

Answer: Baa Baa Black Sheep

"Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
One for my master and one for the dame
One for the little boy who lives down the lane
Baa Baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full."

During the Middle Ages a peasant was required to give one-third of his income to his "master" (the King), one-third to the "dame" (the nobility), and could keep one third for himself (the "little boy").

Answer: Mother Goose

The code used in this quiz was a simple substitution code with all the letters of the alphabet following the pattern on the keyboard. A=Q, B=W, C=E, D=R, E=T, F=Y, G=U, H=I, I=O, J=P, K=A, L=S, M=D, N=F, O=G, P=H, Q=J, R=K, S=L, T=Z, U=X, V=C, W=V, X=B, Y=N, and Z=M. Hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know if you find any mistakes...I checked and re-checked, but it's possible I missed something. Also, if you know any alternate origins of these nursery rhymes, please feel free to drop me a line and let me know that as well!