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  • Archive for the 'Great Britain' Category

    Contents

    Does Anyone Know a Song with the Line, “The Ship Sailed for the White Cliffs of Dover”?

    A Short Poem about the Life of a Child, based on a Persian Verse

    A Rain Rhyme that Involves Baking a Cake

    Dragon fly! – A Rhyme about a Dragonfly, Boys and Fish

    Can Someone Help with the Lap Rhyme, “Run run horsey with your long hair”?

    A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

    On Friendship…

    Lyrics to Anna Banana and Hannah Banana with an MP3

    Raffi Lyrics and Musical Arrangements

    A Nursery Rhyme Story and Illustration

    Does Anyone Know a Rhyme about Moving on Different Days of the Week?

    Chenodia – Mother Goose in Dead Languages

    There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

    Nursery Rhyme Illustrations

    Some Proverbs about Earth for Earth Day

    Making Vibrant Easter Eggs, with Photos

    In April’s Sweet Month: A Nursery Rhyme

    Early Spring a Poem by Fay Inchfawn with an MP3 Recording

    This Life’s an Enchanted Fairy Land…

    Ram Navami a Hindu Festival

    Posts

    Does Anyone Know a Song with the Line, “The Ship Sailed for the White Cliffs of Dover”?

    Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

    Dan wrote,

    I went to school in Chilton (England) when I was six (1972), in California now, and my class sang this song, but that is the only line I can recall, I even recall the melody…

    “And when the journey was all over /
    The ship sailed for the /
    White Cliffs of Dover.”

    Anybody? Was it maybe a song about a ship with two cats and the crew were all mice, and when they got home all that was left were two fat cats?

    Dan

    If anyone can help Dan, please let us know in the comments below.

    Thanks!

    Lisa

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    A Short Poem about the Life of a Child, based on a Persian Verse

    Friday, November 13th, 2009

    This is a short, four lined poem that encompasses a child’s life from birth till death. It seems sad, yet it’s really a wish for a happy life full of people who care for the child…

    The Babe

    On parent knees, a naked new-born child,
    Weeping thou sat’st while all around thee smiled:
    So live, that, sinking to thy life’s last sleep,
    Calm thou may’st smile, while all around thee weep.

    William Jones (1746-1794)

    William Jones was a Persian scholar and linguist. He translated this poem from a Persian poem by an unknown author. This poem is sometimes called “The Babe”, sometimes “On Parent Knees”, and sometimes “Epigram”. An Epigram is a short, witty poem. It can also mean a paradoxical statement.

    If anyone knows the original Persian version, please send me a copy at lisa@mamalisa.com and I’ll add it to this post.

    Thanks!

    Lisa

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    A Rain Rhyme that Involves Baking a Cake

    Thursday, November 12th, 2009

    Here’s a rain rhyme from Northumberland that reminds us that rainy weather is a good opportunity to stay indoors and cook!

    Rain, rain, go away,
    And come again another day,
    When I brew and when I bake,
    I’ll give you a little cake.

    Stay dry!

    Mama Lisa

    It's raining cake!

    PS You can tell it’s raining where I am and that I’m considering baking something yummy!

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    Dragon fly! – A Rhyme about a Dragonfly, Boys and Fish

    Monday, November 9th, 2009

    image 

    Dragon fly! Dragon fly!

    Dragon fly! dragon fly! fly about the brook,
    Sting all the bad boys who for the fish look;
    But let the good boys catch all they can,
    And then take them home to be fried in a pan,
    With nice bread and butter they shall sup up their fish,
    While all the little naughty boys shall only lick the dish.

    This rhyme can be found in Rhymes Old and New collected by M.E.S. Wright, (1900).

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    Can Someone Help with the Lap Rhyme, “Run run horsey with your long hair”?

    Friday, August 21st, 2009

    Karla wrote:

    Hi, My name is Karla Wass.

    Recently my grandmother has passed, and as a child she would place us (15 grandkids + 10 great grandkids) on her knee and sing to us. Unfortunately, none of us could remember the name and she left so suddenly we were unable to ask her it. I would love to have the lyrics to the song or even some help finding how to sing, well just to know the words that she was saying would be great. She did sing it to us in English, and what i remember is “run run horsey with your long hair, the faster the horsey runs the short goes his hair”. She always said they would sing this while they were sewing.

    If you are not able to help i understand, after searching the web and talking with some family members no one can properly sing this song, Her service is next Tuesday and she will be laid to rest with our grand father the following Saturday.

    I appreciate and assistance thank you for your time.

    If anyone can help Karla, please let us know in the comments below. (Even if it’s after the date of the service, I’m sure Karla will be glad to find the song any time.)

    We appreciate it.

    Mama Lisa

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    A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

    Thursday, August 6th, 2009

    I’ve embedded this lovely book of nursery rhymes for you to enjoy! It’s A Collection of Nursery Rhymes… Nurse Lovechild’s Legacy (1916). Many of the illustrations are from the 18th and early 19th century Chapbooks. The book has been embellished by one of my favorite nursery rhyme illustrators: C. Lovat Fraser (1890 – 1921). You can click the arrow below to turn the pages or scroll with the other arrows on the side.

    If you prefer to have it on your own computer, you can download A Collection of Nursery Rhymes from Internet Archive ! Just go to the link and choose “PDF” to download it.

    Enjoy!

    Mama Lisa

    PS You can also come visit Mama Lisa’s House for a HUGE collection of Nursery Rhymes… many including illustrations, mp3s, midis and scores!

    A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

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    On Friendship…

    Monday, June 15th, 2009

    Friendship is no plant of hasty growth,
    Though planted in esteem’s deep-fixed soil,
    The gradual culture of kind intercourse
    Must bring it to perfection.

    By Joanna Baillie

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    Lyrics to Anna Banana and Hannah Banana with an MP3

    Friday, June 5th, 2009

    A third grader named Marisa taught me a hand clapping rhyme called “Hannah Banana”. It comes from a jump rope rhyme called “Anna Banana”. The lyrics to “Anna Banana” are:

    Anna Banana
    Plays the piana.
    All she can play
    Is the Star Spangled Banner.
    Anna Banana split.

    “Hannah Banana”, on the other hand, is a hand clapping rhyme. What’s interesting to me is that “Anna” switched to “Hannah”. We have two theories about why this might have happened. The first is simply is that “Hannah” is now a more popular name in the US than “Anna”. Children on the playground may have heard “Anna” as “Hannah” since the names sound so similar, and switched it. Our other theory is that “Hannah Banana” is somewhat close to “Hannah Montana”, the popular character from the children’s TV show. Children may have switched the rhyme to “Hannah Banana” based on that similarity. We may never know for sure why there’s now a version of “Anna Banana” called “Hannah Banana”, but it’s interesting to speculate.

    Here’s the new rhyme “Hannah Banana”, with instructions for playing it and an mp3 of Marisa chanting it…

    MP3 of Hannah Banana

    Hannah Banana
    Plays the piana
    All she could play
    Is split she’s an idiot.
    (Repeat)

    Istructions for Hand Clapping Game:

    1st 3 lines of Rhyme:

    1. Clap your own hands
    2. Clap your partner’s hand diagonally
    3. Clap your own hands
    4. Clap your partner’s other hand diagonally
    5. Repeat 1 – 4

    Last line of Rhyme: Move feet out (like a little split).

    Keep repeating the rhyme – each time moving feet out more on the last line – whoever falls over first loses.

    Many thanks to Marisa for teaching me this rhyme and for chanting it for us!

    Enjoy!

    Mama Lisa Banana

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    Raffi Lyrics and Musical Arrangements

    Sunday, May 31st, 2009

    Many children love Raffi’s music! I’ve just discovered something wonderful on his site… Raffi’s Lyrics and Scores – which include his specific arrangements to many of the songs he sings.

    Enjoy!

    Mama Lisa

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    A Nursery Rhyme Story and Illustration

    Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

    Young nursery rhyme lovers will enjoy this little story featuring Mother Goose characters.  Kids who aren’t familiar with a lot of nursery rhymes can learn new ones.  I made each character linkable to a page where you can read that character’s rhyme.  At the end of the story is an illustration that includes many of these beloved nursery rhyme characters.

    image

    MOTHER GOOSE’S MAY PARTY.

    BY AGNES CARR.

    It was May-day, and the sun popped out of bed early that morning to wake up the little birds and flowers, that they might clear their throats, and wash their bright faces in dew, by the time the old woman had swept the cobwebs from the sky, and left a beautiful blue roof over Gooseneck village; for they knew it was the 1st of May, and that dear old Mother Goose, who taught the Kindergarten, or infant school, was going with all her little scholars to have a May party under the trees in the merry green wood.

    And the children knew it too, and they were all on hand bright and early- Tommy Green and Johnny Stout, Humpty Dumpty and Little Bo-peep, Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue in a brand-new suit of clothes, and Goldilocks with her yellow hair flying in the wind, Tom, the Piper’s son, and poor Simple Simon, the dunce of the school, with many others that we have known and loved-and all brought baskets filled with good things for their dinner.

    "Oh, won’t we have fun!" said Margery Daw to Jacky Horner. "I hope you have got something nice in that big basket of yours."

    "Yes, indeed," said Jack. "Cook made me a lovely pie, and stuffed it just full of plums. I will try and pull one out for you;" and he lifted up the napkin over the basket, and was trying to break a hole in the pie-crust, when Mother Goose came in, and seeing him, said, "Here, here, Master Jack! keep your fingers out of the pie. I never saw such a boy. He sticks his thumb into everything, from Christmas pies to inkstands."

    "Oh, Mother Goose, do let us start!" shouted the children.

    "Yes, yes, my dears, very soon. We are only waiting for Contrary Mary. I have sent Nimble Dick for her; and here they come now."

    Sure enough, there was heard a jingling of bells, and in danced Mary, quite contrary, with her fingers covered with rings, and her apron filled with flowers from her garden, with which to make a wreath for the May-Queen.

    And now they all started, walking two and two, with Mother Goose at the head, holding the youngest scholar, Baby Bunting, tight by the hand, for fear he should fall down and tear his new rabbit-skin overcoat, while Tom, the Piper’s son, played "Over the hills and far away" on his pipe, and all the little folks danced and skipped along to the gay tune.

    When they reached the pleasant wood, they were all glad to sit down on the green moss and rest awhile; and Mother Goose said, "The first thing is to choose a May-Queen: now who shall it be?"

    "Goldilocks!" "Goldilocks!" shouted the children, for they all loved the dear little girl with pretty hair and sweet blue eyes.

    "Oh, no, no!" said Goldilocks, and she hid behind Tommy Tucker.

    But they made her come out and sit on a throne formed of Miss Muffet’s tuffet, scattered over with wild violets and May-flowers, which grew all around; and Contrary Mary put a beautiful crown of "roses and lilies and daffadown-dillies" on her golden curls, and she looked just the dearest little May-Queen in all the world.

    Then all the children joined hands, and danced round the throne, singing,

    "Hail to the Queen of May
    On this our festal day!
    Gay flowers we’ll bring,
    Sweet blossoms of spring,
    To crown our Queen of May."

    The little Queen then gave each one a flower, and let them kneel and kiss her tiny white hand; and then they scattered through the woods, and played "Oats, peas, beans," tag, and other games, until Little Boy Blue blew a blast on his horn, which meant "Come to dinner"; and when they all came running back at the call, they found Mother Goose had a table-cloth spread on the grass, and all the biscuits, cake, and fruit from their baskets set out on green leaves, while in the centre stood Jack Horner’s pie, a bowl of curds and whey that Miss Muffet brought, and a plate of strawberry tarts sent by the Queen of Hearts; and Jack and Jill were bringing a pail of nice cold water from the spring.

    How hungry they all were, too, and how good everything tasted! while they had such a laugh at little Miss Muffet, who screamed and ran away when a great daddy-long-legs walked across the table.

    They ended the feast with the plum pie, which the little Queen cut, and gave every one a piece; and they all said it was so nice. Jack Horner felt quite proud, and thought he was a bigger boy than ever.

    After everything was eaten up, Margery Daw and Little Bo-peep washed the dishes, while Little Boy Blue went fast asleep under the fence, and Mother Goose told all the little ones a story, until the cobwebs began to come over the sky, and the sun whispered to the little birds and flowers it was time to shut their peepers for the night, when they started for home, Goldilocks the Queen riding in the middle of the procession on big John Stout’s shoulder; and when they bade their teacher a tired but happy good-night, all said they had had the nicest kind of a day, and hoped next year Mother Goose would give them another May party.

    image 

    GOING HOME FROM THE PICNIC.-Drawn by Jessie Curtis.

    This seems to be the order of characters in the illustration above: Simple Simon, Contrary Mary, Tommy Tucker, Little Bo-peep, Tommy Green or Johnny Stout, Humpty Dumpty, Nimble Dick holding Goldilocks, Little Boy Blue, Tom, the Piper’s son, Jack and Jill, and Mother Goose carrying Baby Bunting

    Enjoy!

    Mama Lisa

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    Does Anyone Know a Rhyme about Moving on Different Days of the Week?

    Sunday, May 10th, 2009

    AFG wrote to me:

    Have you any knowledge of a rhyme which includes each day of the week and has to do with “Moving House” ?

    i.e…

    Move on Monday and . . .

    Move on Tuesday and . . .

    Move on Wednesday and . . .

    etc. etc

    AFG.

    If anyone can help out with this rhyme, please comment below.

    Thanks!

    Mama Lisa

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    Chenodia – Mother Goose in Dead Languages

    Sunday, May 10th, 2009

    Chenodia, The Classic Mother Goose (1871) by John Bigelow was just released online.  It appears to be the traditional English nursery rhymes translated into Latin and Ancient Greek.

    If anyone knows anything else about this text, please let us know in the comments below.

    Mama Lisa

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    There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

    Friday, May 8th, 2009

    image

    I’ve loved the image of the old woman living in the shoe since I was a child.  (So much so, that it inspired the Mama Lisa logo!)  Of course, the rhyme itself leaves something to be desired…

    There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
    She had so many children she didn’t know what to do;
    She gave them some broth without any bread;
    She whipped them all soundly, and put them to bed.

    I’ll just keep the first line in my mind with the wonderful image of living in a giant shoe…  Like the interesting one above.  It’s from a drawing by P. Vinton Brown.

    Enjoy!

    Mama Lisa

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    Nursery Rhyme Illustrations

    Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

    I’ve just started adding illustrations from The Only True Mother Goose Melodies to my nursery rhyme site, Mama Lisa’s House of Nursery Rhymes.  This book was published and copyrighted in Boston in 1833 by Munroe & Francis.

    All the rhymes from the book are already part of the site.  So it’s nice to add these classic illustrations.  They look like they were done as block prints.  Here you can see their version of Baa Baa Black Sheep…

    image

    Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
    Yes, marry have I, three bags full,
    One for my master, and one for my dame,
    And one for the little boy that lives in the lane.

    I’ll try to pick out some of my favorites and post them here as I go through the illustrations.

    Hope you enjoy them!

    Mama Lisa

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    Some Proverbs about Earth for Earth Day

    Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

    Image of Earth by Lisa Yannucci

    Here are some proverbs for Earth Day…

    Old Proverbs:

    -The Earth produces all things and receives all again.
    -Earth is the Best Shelter
    -What the heaven showers down, the Earth drinks up. (Greek Proverb)

    This one is not about the Earth, but it involves the Earth.

    -Six feet of earth make all men of one size. (Italian – Sei pie di terra agguaglion tutti.)

    Here’s a line from Tennyson, The Day Dream (L’ Envoi.):

    We are Ancients of the earth,
    And in the morning of the times.

    Happy Earth Day!

    Mama Lisa

    PS Feel free to add any poems or proverbs about Earth in the comments below.

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    Making Vibrant Easter Eggs, with Photos

    Thursday, April 9th, 2009

    This year we didn’t have a lot of time for egg dying.  So we used a PAAS egg dye kit.  By the end we wanted to add a little extra pizzazz to the colors, so we put in about 5 drops of McCormack’s Neon food dyes to the different colors of PAAS dye.  The colors came out very vibrant (as you can see in the photos below)…

    image

    image

     image

    image

    If you have more time, I’d recommend trying to dye eggs naturally.  It’s a lot of fun and it’s fulfilling to know you did it with natural food products.  You can find out how to dye eggs naturally in the links below…

    Enjoy!

    Mama Lisa

    UPDATE: Edee Lyons sent me these ideas for creative tools to use with eggs for special effects when dying: "Crayons, tape, wax and acrylic paint. That should make the chick inside smile with delight as it goes spinning and spinning in your hands…" Thanks Edee!  If anyone else would like to share any ideas for interesting effects with eggs, feel free to comment below. -Mama Lisa

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    In April’s Sweet Month: A Nursery Rhyme

    Sunday, April 5th, 2009

    Here’s a sweet little nursery rhyme about April, that can be found in The Only True Mother Goose Melodies (c. 1843)…

    In April’s Sweet Month
    Nursery Rhyme

    In April’s sweet month,
    When the leaves ‘gin* to spring,
    Little lambs skip like fairies
    And birds build and sing.

    *begin

    Enjoy the delights of Springtime!

    Mama Lisa

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    Early Spring a Poem by Fay Inchfawn with an MP3 Recording

    Friday, April 3rd, 2009

    Here’s a lovely poem called Early Spring by Fay Inchfawn. Inchfawn’s real name was Elizabeth Rebecca Ward (1880 – 1978). She was born in England.

    Early Spring

    Quick through the gates of Fairyland
    The South Wind forced his way.
    ‘Twas his to make the Earth forget
    Her grief of yesterday.
    “‘Tis mine,” cried he, “to bring her joy!”
    And on his lightsome feet
    In haste he slung the snowdrop bells,
    Pushed past the Fairy sentinels,
    And out with laughter sweet.

    Clear flames of Crocus glimmered on
    The shining way he went.
    He whispered to the trees strange tales
    Of wondrous sweet intent,
    When, suddenly, his witching voice
    With timbre rich and rare,
    Rang through the woodlands till it cleft
    Earth’s silent solitudes, and left
    A Dream of Roses there!

    Listen to MP3 of Early Spring as recited by Chip

    You can read a whole book of Elizabeth Ward’s poetry called The Verse-Book Of A Homely Woman online at Project Gutenberg.

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    This Life’s an Enchanted Fairy Land…

    Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

    I came across a wonderful verse today by Robert Burns (1759 – 1796).  He wrote the song Auld Lang Syne.  The verse is from Epistle To James Smith.

    Original Text in Scots

    "This life, sae far’s I understand,
    is an enchanted fairy land,
    where pleasure is the magic wand, that weilded right,
    maks hours like minutes, hand in hand dance by fir’ light."

    Standard Modern English

    This life, so far as I understand,
    is an enchanted fairy land,
    where pleasure is a magic wand, that wielded right,
    makes hours like minutes, hand in hand dance by the firelight.

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    Ram Navami a Hindu Festival

    Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

    Ram Navami is April 3rd this year. It’s a Hindu Festival that’s also called Ramanavami. It’s a celebration of the birth of Rama.

    Picture of Festival Ram Navami

    Vishnu is the supreme God according to the Hindu religion. There are 10 incarnations of Vishnu – they are known as the “Dasavatara” (dasa means 10 in Sanskrit). Nine of the incarnations of Vishnu are thought to have appeared in the past and the 10th is supposed to come in the future. Rama is the 7th incarnation. Ram Navami celebrates his birthday.

    The Ramayana is a great epic poem of India. Rama is the hero of The Ramayana (”Romance of Rama”). On Ram Navami, people tell stories from this great poem.

    The stories involve Rama, his brother, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Rama’s wife, Sita. In some places there are Rama Navami processions with chariots carrying people dressed up as these four personages.

    Some people also fast for this festival and exchange gifts with their loved ones.

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    ________

    Copyright ©2009 by Lisa Yannucci. All rights reserved.
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