Pop Goes The Weasel

Product Description

In Pop Goes the Weasel" Albert Jack explores the strange & fascinating histories behind the nursery rhymes we thought we knew showing that their real meanings are far from innocent. Who were Mary Quite Contrary & Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? & if Ring a Ring a Roses isnt about catching the plague then what is it really about? This ingenious book delves into the hidden meanings of the nursery rhymes & songs we all know so well & discovers all kinds of strange tales ranging from Viking raids to firewalking & from political rebellion to slaves being smuggled to freedom. From the grim true story behind Oranges & Lemons to the deadly secrets of Mary Quite Contrarys garden & from how Lucy Locket lost more than her pocket to why Humpty Dumpty wasnt egg-shaped at all Pop Goes the Weasel is a compendium of surprising stories you wont be able to resist passing on to everyone you know. " An irresistible treasure-trove". (" Daily Mirror"). " Most of us can still recite the words to nursery rhymes we learned as children but how many know the real meanings behind our most familiar verses? Albert Jack reveals hidden histories of cannons courtesans & vengeful queens". (" Guardian"). " The history behind nursery rhymes is not only highly specific but often splendidly grim". (" The Times"). Albert Jack has become something of a publishing phenomenon clocking up hundreds of thousands of sales with his series of bestselling adventures tracing the fantastic stories behind everyday phrases (" Red Herrings & White Elephants") the worlds great mysteries (" Loch Ness Monsters & Raining Frogs") & nursery rhymes (" Pop Goes the Weasel")."