THE NURSERY RHYMES HAVE COME OF AGE


1. MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
and died

2. BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP

Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for my master, and one for my dame,
And one for the senator who keeps me in the game.

3. HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Went to the mayor's house and found the cement.

4. JACK AND JILL

Jack and Jill went up the hill
to meet the New York broker
Jack ran down,
he stole the crown
the taxman cometh after

5. LITTLE MISS MUFFET

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
eating her porridge and pie.
Along came a spider
and sat down beside her
forcing Miss Muffet to shriek
Eeek! YOU SCARED ME SHITLESS YOU PRICK!

I know, I know... this is not quite the way you remember them. But see, I saved my children's books from my childhood and gave them to my nephews and nieces... they were bored with them. In a way that our parents and grandparents might be scandalized, kids may have gone a lot smarter and tougher these days and let's not kid ourselves into thinking it's the milk they drink. I'm betting my bottom dollar that like you and me, they're just having too much TV. Alright, maybe it's not TV per se, invention is not all bad after all. Maybe it's some of the things we put on TV... or most of the things we do that get caught in the camera.

I hope all kids grow up to be smart... but not just yet... and not this way. Let them have the playground for just a bit longer. Leave them a story to be told, maybe even a fantasy to behold. Let cynicism die with our generation and leave the children a dream for the night.

At the very least, let them wake up in the morning thinking that the air they breath, and the sun shining down on them, are wonderful, wonderful things.