An Old Woman Lived in Nottingham Town
An old woman lived in Nottingham town,
Who owned a small house, and painted it brown;
And yet this old woman grew crazy with fright,
Lest some one should burn her house in the night.
Notes
I couldn't find this rhyme in some of the most comprehensive collections of nursery rhymes (like The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes and The Annotated Mother Goose). Perhaps it was new to the early 20th century. I found it in The Little Mother Goose (1912).
If anyone knows anything about the origin of this rhyme, or if you recall hearing it growing up, please email me and let me know. -Mama Lisa
Thanks and Acknowledgements
This rhyme can be found in The Little Mother Goose (1912), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith, and printed in the USA.
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