Follow the Leader Trivia Quiz

Answer: Corn

This an extract from the "Little Boy Blue" nursery rhyme. The rhyme is reputed to be about Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. It was first printed around 1744 in "Tommy Thumb's Little Song Book".

Here is the complete poem:

"Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn.
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.
Where is the boy that looks after the sheep?
'He's under the haycock, fast asleep.'
Will you wake him? 'No, not I;
For if I do, he's sure to cry.'"

Answer: Behind them

This is part of the "Little Bo-Peep" rhyme. The earliest recording of the rhyme is dated around 1805, and contains only the first verse. The other verses were added along the way.

The complete poem is:

"Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Leave them alone, and they'll come home,
Bringing their tails behind them.

Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamt she heard them bleating;
But when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For they were still all fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they'd left their tails behind them.

It happened one day, as Bo-Peep did stray
Into a meadow hard by,
There she espied their tails, side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.

She heaved a sigh and wiped her eye,
And over the hillocks she raced;
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
That each tail be properly placed."

Answer: Brown paper

This is part of the "Jack and Jill" rhyme, which was first published around 1795. There are a couple of interpretations regarding this rhyme. The first is that it is related to the beheading of King Louis XVI of France and his wife Marie Antoinette. The second is connected with an attempt by King Charles I of England to change the taxation laws on liquid measures, something that was rejected by the Parliament.

The complete poem is as follows:

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

Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
With vinegar and brown paper."

Answer: Shells

The excerpt is from "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary", which was first published around 1744. Among explanations put forward regarding the rhyme's meaning are that it refers to Catholicism or Queen Mary of England or Mary Queen of Scots.

The complete poem is:

"Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row."

Answer: One

This is part of "Hickory, Dickory, Dock", which was first published in 1744. Apparently there is no hidden meanings behind the rhyme, which was simply used as an instruction in time telling.

The complete rhyme is:

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

Answer: Unicorn

This comes from the "Lion and the Unicorn" rhyme, the lyrics of which are dated from 1603. The rhyme relates to King James VI of Scotland becoming James I of England and uniting the two countries. There were two lions on the coat of arms of England and two unicorns on the coat of arms of Scotland. The new unified coat of arms has one lion and one unicorn.

The complete poem is:

"The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town."

Answer: Wednesday

Part of the "Solomon Grundy" rhyme which was first published around 1844. The rhyme is about the life of Solomon Grundy, who lives his life with significant events occurring on sequential days of the week. It was used as a way of teaching children the days of the week.

The full poem is:

"Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
That was the end,
Of Solomon Grundy."

Answer: Puddle

This is part of the "Doctor Foster" rhyme which was first published in 1844. The rhyme relates to an accident that befell King Edward I when he visited Gloucester. Apparently during his visit there the King fell from his horse and landed in a large puddle!

The full rhyme is:

"Doctor Foster
Went to Gloucester
In a shower of rain.
He stepped in a puddle
Right up to his middle
And never went there again!"

Answer: Farthings

Part of the "Oranges and Lemons" rhyme which was first published around 1744. The rhyme, which refers to several of London's many churches, apparently has a more sinister meaning that relates to public executions. This is highlighted by the penultimate line which says "Here comes a chopper to chop off your head"!

The complete poem is as follows:

"'Oranges and lemons,' say the Bells of St. Clement's.
'You owe me five farthings,' say the Bells of St. Martin's.
'When will you pay me?' say the Bells of Old Bailey.
'When I grow rich,' say the Bells of Shoreditch.
'When will that be?' say the Bells of Stepney.
'I do not know' say the Great Bells of Bow.

Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."

Answer: Clay

Part of the "London Bridge is Falling Down" rhyme which has an old history, but was first published in the seventeenth century. The rhyme tells of the many attempts to build a bridge connecting the North and South parts of London. The first bridge was built by the Romans. As the rhyme says, the first bridge was made of wood and clay, and at later stages was fortified with the materials mentioned in the rhyme.

The full poem is rather lengthy but here it is in its entirety:

"London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair Lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair Lady.

Bricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair Lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair Lady.

Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair Lady.

Silver and gold will be stolen away,
Stolen away, stolen away,
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
My fair Lady.

Set a man to watch all night,
Watch all night, watch all night,
Set a man to watch all night,
My fair Lady.

Suppose the man should fall asleep,
Fall asleep, fall asleep,
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
My fair Lady.

Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
Smoke all night, smoke all night,
Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
My fair Lady."