Let me tell you that is one of the luckiest dogs in the world, depending on how you look at it.  I mean, what kind of person runs to the store to get beer for their dog?

Old Mother Hubbard is one of those nursery rhymes that you learn real young, but never really understand till you are much older.  I was reading this to my daughter and I was caught by how this woman was buying her dog a coffin and beer and thought, How did this become a children’s nursery rhyme?  Seriously.

It reminded me of Ring Around the Rosie.  Do you remember that one?

Ring Around the Rosie

Pocket Full of Posies

Ashes, Ashes

We All Fall Down

So, there is some speculation that this one came about because of the Black Plague, but I guess the real meaning is not really known.  Either way, a little disturbing when you think about a bunch of kiddos, holding hands, singing, and dancing in a circle to this tune.

 Last, you have the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe…well, I was surprised that this tale might have something to do with the tradition of tying shoes to the back of a car after a wedding, but in the end, still a little morbid when you think that some of the original versions of this rhyme mentioned that the old woman, “whipped all her children soundly”, before sending them to bed.

So what in the world kind of oral tradition are we supposed to be passing down to our children with these stories?  What’s your favorite nursery rhyme from when you were a kid?

All these stories that take the genius of looking through the eyes of a toy (Toy Story, Pinocchio, The Nutcracker Prince, Babes in Toyland), are fun for me.  Have you ever seen a kid (like Sid from Toy Story) be a little too rough with their toys and cringe?

What drew me to The Nutcracker Prince when I was a little girl, was the romance of the story of a girl who helps the Prince defeat the evil rat and save the toys.  What a cool story!

Isn’t it interesting, how the perception of the classic hero has evolved from something like this?  So, the Prince is a gentleman, unassuming, and gallant.  He’s a good dancer and dresses nice – how neat. *smiles*  But what about the bad boy that girls seem to go for as they get older?

How did the ideal go from something like this – to….something else? (I’m trying to think of a nice way to put some of the “bad boys” that are seen around, and just can’t think of anything.)  Can you imagine the Prince being a smart-alec kid with spiked hair?  That would make an interesting doll!

What would our childhood toys say about us, if they could tell our story?

I’ve never been to Niagara Falls, but this story caught my eye when I was researching posts for this challenge.

The Maid of the Mist legend starts with a woman who is miserable because she lost her husband at a young age.  But when she decides to take her own life, she is spotted and saved by a god of Thunder, who takes her to his home where she eventually falls in love with his son.

My first reaction to reading this story was empathy for the young maiden to have lost her love so young.  Losing your first love, however that happens, is something I think most people can understand.  I’m not a huge fan of having a heroine that needs to be rescued, but am not opposed to a helping hand when things seem the darkest.  You know what I mean?

Have you seen, The Princess Bride?  (If not, I don’t think we can be blog friends.)  This story kind of runs in similar lines, the spoiled lady who bosses the helper around until one day she realizes she loves him (sort of bizarre if you ask me, if I had been Wesley I would have been tempted to spit in her water), and then Wesley goes off to get money for marriage and dies.  Or so she thinks.

I love this movie.  I love almost everything about it except for the character of the Princess, Buttercup. (Seriously, this name?)  She’s a bit of a prima donna and not at all what I prefer for the character of a heroine, but everything else about this story is awesome.

So, not sure how I circled around that way here, but I’m finishing my first cup of coffee, so please don’t judge me. 🙂  Who is your favorite heroine?  What’s your favorite part of The Princess Bride?