6 Rhymes That Should Be Banned (Or Corrected At Least)
“Jack and Jill went up the hill. Jack fell down and Jill came tumbling after?!” Why not, Jill helped him to get up and they were friends forever? While dealing with children, we should never miss even a small chance to inject positive thoughts to their tender minds.
“Baa baa black sheep have you any wool… the last line goes like – but none for the little girl who cries down the lane?!
Oh! God, there is nothing as depressing as this. How about, and one for the crying girl to bring back the smile again?
Ring a ring a roses... we all fall down… and then.. at last.. we all jump up.
When we are jumping up at the end, why we need to fall down in the beginning? I mean, we can sit down. Right?
Piggie on a railway line.. down came an engine and broke piggie’s bones. Ah said piggie – that’s not fair..
Hear closely –
Oh said the engine driver I don’t care.
I am almost crying, reading this. Somebody please make it – Oh said the engine driver and took the Piggie to the doctor and they were friends forever.
Lady bird, fly away home, your house is on fire, your children all gone, except one, that little Ann, she crept under the warming pan.
I don’t know who authorized this horror story into kids sweet rhymes book.
Here’s another horror story –
Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey. There came big spider, and sat beside her and frightened Ms Muffet away. 🙁
On another note,
Pussy cat, pussy cat wherever you been? I’ve been to London to look at the queen.
This is taught in Indian school. Despite being free and flourishing country that India is today, despite having a enormously rich history and tradition, all that we are teaching our kids is that we were once under British government. Remember, India is thousands of year old. Not just a couple of hundred.
Why not rhymes about Swami Vivekananda,Mahatma Gandhi etc?
So, this is the list of horrible rhymes that should not be in kids books. If you have any such, let me know in the comments.
8 comments on “6 Rhymes That Should Be Banned (Or Corrected At Least)”
Santhanam
I would like to add another one to the list. “Rain rain go away come again another day, little Johnny wants to play….”. Here while farmers are crying and dying for not getting enough rain for the year and children are worried for not being able to play in the rain why do our children in India learn and sing this rhyme?
vivek
Thanks for reminding our heritage. But the rhymes are marketed so well and we Indians are very poor in marketing. That is the main issue with all of us.
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
So true!
Amy
You might learn history – everyone’s- and appreciate it for what it is. We can not change history by banning it. If you want Indian history taught in India, work on getting that to happen. Most of those rhyme were written at specific periods in history.
What is depressing is your intolerance for learning what their true origin is and your hackneyed bemoaning of being under the thumb of the English government. At this time you are your own nation state. Do what you want. “Banning” something just because you disagree with it, is rather totalitarian, is it not?
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
The gist of my article is as below, which you clearly have failed to understand.
When someone falls down, let us teach our kids to tpick them up. Rather than enjoying two people falling down.
When someone is not having any wool, let us teach our kids to share the thing with everyone, without leaving anyone.
Sitting down and jumping up is better than falling down and jumping up.
When a piggie breaks his leg, let us not show our kids a careless doctor. Let us show a doctor who takes care of the piggie. This way, our kids can learn about kindness and stay away from arrogance, inaction and insensitivity.
Our kids are sent to school to learn about new things and enjoy, not to listen to horror stories of seeing a spider beside a girl and a Lady bird loosing all of her children in a fire accident.
Regarding Pussy cat – This piece was written from an Indian perspective.
I meant to get it banned in India. History cannot be changed. But there is separate subject called “history” where kids can learn about how India came out of suppression with a combination of peace and bravery. Let our rhymes be free from remembrances of British rule.
Atmaram Yadur.
Dear Doctor Hebbar,
I totaly agree with you.Children should not be taught rhimes like this.
Regards.
Atmaram Yadur.
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
Thanks. 🙂
Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)
🙂 Will use ‘children’ next time sir.