Bei UWM Libaries gibt es einige sehenswerte Sammlungen. Unter anderem findet man dort „Nursery rhymes“.

Kaum vorstellbar das die Kindermädchen diese Reime den Kinder zum Einschlafen vorgelesen haben.

Natürlich ist es vorstellbar. Ich muß mir drigend diese Floskel abgewöhnen. Man denke nur an den Abzählreim:

„Warte, warte nur ein Weilchen, bald kommt Haarmann auch zu dir, mit dem kleinen Hackebeilchen, macht er Schabefleisch aus dir.“

Denoch fällt es mir schwer mir Mary Poppins in dem Augenblick vorzustellen, wenn über ihre Lippen die lieblichen Worte "Here comes a candle to light you to bed, Here comes a chopper to chop off your head." kommen. Aber es war wohl so. Orwell hat in seinem Buch „1984“ diese Reime unsterblich gemacht. dort heisst es:

„(…)"Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's." That was a rhyme we had when I was a little boy. How it goes on I don't remember, but I do know it ended up,

"Here comes a candle to light you to bed, Here comes a chopper to chop off your head." It was a kind of a dance. They held out their arms for you to pass under, and when they came to "Here comes a chopper to chop off your head" they brought their arms down and caught you. It was just names of churches. All the London churches were in it--all the principal ones, that is.'(…)

(…)'Did you ever happen to hear an old rhyme that begins "Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's"?'

Again O'Brien nodded. With a sort of grave courtesy he completed the stanza:

'Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's,

You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St Martin's,

When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey,

When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.'

'You knew the last line!' said Winston.

'Yes, I knew the last line. And now, I am afraid, it is time for you to go.(…)“

Lewis Caroll hingegen hat dieses „chop off your head“ für alle Zeiten unsterblich gemacht.

(image via Antonio Colombo Contemporanea - Gabriele Arruzzo. Diese Bilder muss man wirklich gesehen haben. Sehr gut gemacht.)

„'Talking of axes,' said the Duchess, 'chop off her head!'

Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to be listening, so she went on again: 'Twenty-four hours, I THINK; or is it twelve? I -- '

vgl.; ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

P.s. Entschuldigt die unmögliche Formatierung dieses Textes, aber seit seinem Umzug, entwickelt Antville ein ungeahntes Eigenleben.