On the Wings of Mother Goose...

April kicks off rhyming children's book month, and we're participating in Angie Karcher's RhyPiBoMo writing challenge.

Not only is Margo a big fan of this idea, but as you know, sometimes I actually think in rhyme, so it's going to be fun.

My riddling beginnings started with the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose. The most intriguing part about this type of writing is that it can be about anything, and true insights are sprinkled amidst nonsense- like clues, hidden between the lines. I love these stories, even though they're a bit dark and you never know what to expect. It's like the real version of Grimm's Fairy Tales, some are shocking! But it's awesome to share these rhymes with my little sister, like how my mom read them with me, and her mom with her.

Here are some stories we think are thought provoking from the classic, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. 

Remember to read them in a sing- songy voice.
(out loud or in your head :)

Clue from the Begonia House

THE LION AND THE UNICORN
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 sent them out of town.

DAPPLE-GRAY
I had a little pony,
   His name was Dapple-Gray,
I lent him to a lady,
   To ride a mile away.
She whipped him, she slashed him,
   She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
   For all the lady's hire.

(a little background to this nursery rhyme. I can remember being completely horrified when I first heard this story. It made such an impression on me, that I had a horse model I kept very safe for many years, and his name was Dapple- Gray- I think Margo sees Mr. Fazzy in the same way. The lady in the picture still sends chills down my spine- like Professor Umbridge!).

MYSELF
As I walked by myself,
And talked to myself,
    Myself said unto me:
"Look to thyself,
Take care of thyself,
    For nobody cares for thee."

I answered myself,
And said to myself
    In the selfsame repartee:
"Look to thyself,
Or not look to thyself,
    The selfsame thing will be."

BEES
A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay:
A swarm of bees in June
Is a worth a silver spoon;
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth fly.







 JUST LIKE ME
"I went up one pair of stairs."
    "Just like me."
"I went up two pairs of stairs."
    "Just like me."
"I went into a room."
    "Just like me.
"I looked out of a window."
    "Just like me."
"And there I saw a monkey."
    "Just like me."

(This is a good one to act out- my dad really gets a crowd going :)

And here's a puzzle for all of you Riddlers... 

What goes over the water,
And under the water, 
And always with its head down?

What am I? Answer revealed! A Ship's Nail

I gave you a clue!

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