MotherGoose's "Mother Goose" Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the original Mother Goose?

Answer: Historians cannot agree on the identity of Mother Goose

According to the Mother Goose society, Mother Goose was "many she's and he's-different writers-in different times" (http://www.librarysupport.net/mothergoosesociety/who.html). The earliest recorded reference to Mother Goose was in Jean Loret's "La Muse Historique" (1650) which contained the line "Comme un conte de la Mere Oye" ("Like a Mother Goose story"). Charles Perrault also referred to Mother Goose in his book of fairy tales published in 1697 and this marks the beginning of Mother Goose's rise to fame.

The claim that Elizabeth Goose or Vergoose was the original Mother Goose is largely disputed by historians and there is no supportive documentary evidence.

2. When is Mother Goose Day?

Answer: May 1

Gloria Delamar founded the Mother Goose Society and Mother Goose Day (May 1) in 1987. At the same time she launched her book "Mother Goose: From Nursery to Literature". September 30 is my birthday (I'd love to give you a point for this answer but I can't!). October 31 is Halloween and April 1 is April Fools Day of course. Mother Goose Day is now celebrated in many kindergarten and elementary schools across America.

3. Which famous Impressionistic composer wrote the ballet music "Mother Goose"?

Answer: Maurice Ravel

Maurice Ravel is probably more well-known for his composition "Bolero" (featured in the movie "10" starring Dudley Moore and Bo Derek). Originally he wrote "Ma Mere L'Oye" ("My Mother Goose") as a suite of five piano duets for Mimi and Jean Godebski (the children of his friends). He then composed a full ballet by adding a prelude and interludes to link the five pieces.

4. Mother Goose became popular in England when John Newbery published "Mother Goose's Melody" in 1765. The editor of this book is widely believed to have been an Irish writer, the author of "The Vicar of Wakefield" and "She Stoops to Conquer". Who was he?

Answer: Oliver Goldsmith

John Newbery was Oliver Goldsmith's friend and publisher. According to some Irish sources, when Goldsmith finished compiling the book for Newbery, he discovered he was two rhymes short of the required number so he passed off two of his own compositions as traditional Mother Goose nursery rhymes. The two rhymes attributed to Goldsmith are "Hickory, Dickory, Dock" and "Jack and Jill".

5. Nursery rhymes are often thinly disguised descriptions of real people and historical events. "The Grand Old Duke of York" is commonly believed to relate to the War of the Roses - the struggle for the English crown between the Houses of York and Lancaster. Who was the Duke of York?

Answer: Richard Plantagenet

Richard Plantagenet was the Duke of York referred to in the rhyme. Henry VI was a Lancastrian king. Edward IV was the son of Richard, Duke of York, who was crowned king in 1461 after Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. The Duke of York is a title bestowed on the second son of the reigning monarch of Britain. Queen Elizabeth II's second son Andrew was given the title upon his marriage in 1986.

6. Some scholars have claimed that "Little Miss Muffet" represents a particular queen and the spider represents John Knox, a Scottish religious reformer and founder of Presbyterianism. Which queen is said to be "Little Miss Muffet"?

Answer: Mary Queen of Scots

Many historians have tried to determine who Little Miss Muffet really was but there is no real evidence for any of the theories. Mother Goose scholars generally disagree with the theory that she was Mary Queen of Scots. It has been claimed that "Little Bo Peep" and "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" also represent Mary, Queen of Scots.

7. One of the most common "urban legends" is that the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosey" or "Ring-a-Ring o' Roses" is about an epidemic of which disease?

Answer: bubonic (black) plague

There is some debate as to whether this nursery rhyme really is about the plague. If you are interested in the details, the Snopes website has an excellent discussion about this theory (http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.htm). Contrary to popular belief, plague is not a disease of the past. It is still with us today in many parts of the world, even in America.

8. Which of the following nursery rhymes is said to have been written as a protest against an export tax on fleece imposed in Britain?

Answer: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" is about the export tax on wool imposed in England in 1275. Its purpose was to protect the English textile industry from foreign competition. The master represents the king, Edward I.

9. In 1714 George I ascended the throne of England. However, a political group called the Jacobites supported the son of the deposed James II's claim to the throne. Which of the following nursery rhymes is NOT a political commentary of (alleged) Jacobite origin?

Answer: There was a Crooked Man

The Jacobites considered that George, as a German, should not be king. They supported "James III's" claim to the throne but James was excluded by an Act of Parliament which said that no Catholic, nor anyone married to a Catholic, could be sovereign. The conflict was summarised in the following rhyme: "Jim and George were two great lords / They fought all in a churn / And when that Jim got George by the nose / Then George began to girn (whine)".

It was wishful thinking on their part! George I became the first of the Hanoverian kings.

10. Which of King Henry VIII's ministers is said to be immortalised in the nursery rhyme "Little Boy Blue" because of his failure to secure Henry's divorce from his first wife?

Answer: Thomas Wolsey

Thomas must have been a popular name in that era. All four were advisers to Henry VIII at one time or another, but "Little Boy Blue" is said to refer to Archbishop Wolsey. Wolsey fell into disfavour when he was unable to secure Henry's divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Wolsey's failure is referred to in the line "he's under the haycock fast asleep". Wolsey was dismissed in 1529 and died the following year after being charged with high treason.

Source: Author MotherGoose

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Most of the information for this quiz came from the Mother Goose Society website. This society was founded in 1987 to promote the tradition of Mother Goose rhymes and tales. (Note: this quiz is not for children).

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