This less scary version of this well-known lullaby is from Denslow's Mother Goose. The book was published in 1901 in New York and was illustrated by Denslow. I believe Denslow made it less scary for his book since he did the same with other rhymes and I haven't been able to find this version anywhere else.
One interesting point to note is that Denslow made the mother and baby American Indians in his illustrations for this selection. One theory is that this song was created by a pilgrim boy who sailed to America on the Mayflower. There he saw cradles made out of birchbark hanging from the trees. That's how some of the Indians made them in those days.
Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
When the bough bends it never can fall,
Safe is the baby, bough, cradle and all.
Notes
Here's the more traditional version (it's sung in the mp3 recording):
Hush-a-bye baby on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come cradle and baby and all.
*****
Here's another version from Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1, written and compiled by Edward William Cole (1st Published in 1879 in Melbourne, Australia):
Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall;
Down will come baby, bough, cradle, and all.
Hush-a-bye baby, Daddy is near:
Mammy's a lady, and that's very clear.
See Rock-a-bye Baby for another version.
Photos & Illustrations
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Illustrations by W.W. Denslow with a little graphic editing by Mama Lisa. 3rd illustration by H. Willebeck Le Mair from Our Old Nursery Rhymes (1911), arranged by Alfred Moffat.
MP3: Allyson Hester
2nd MP3 performed by 17 talented university student musicians who were sisters in the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women at California State University-Stanislaus in 2007. The musical score the recording is based on comes from Our Old Nursery Rhymes (1911) arranged by Alfred Moffat.
