Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes (2)

Little Red Riding Hood
A hungry wolf is watching Little Red Riding Hood, who is going to her grandmother’s house with a basket of food. The wolf decides to disguise himself as the grandmother and hide in her bed. But Little Red Riding Hood is suspicious and says:

What big ears you have!

And the wolf replies:

All the better to hear you with.

Then she says:

What big eyes you have!

And the wolf answers:

All the better to see you with!

When she says:

What big teeth you have!

The wolf jumps out of bed shouting:

All the better to eat you with!

Don’t worry, though! As in most fairy tales, the hero or heroine is always saved in the end!

     

Nursery Rhymes

No childhood would be complete without these rhymes, many of which are extremely old and have their roots in historical events. Some rhymes, with their nonsensical words, are simply a way of keeping children amused (entretenidos) while teaching them the days of the week or how to count. Other rhymes have specific music or may be chanted, often with actions to accompany the words. The rhymes can help you with your English pronunciation and intonation, especially as many of the words are repeated.

Oranges and Lemons

 This rhyme refers to the chimes (repiques) of the bells of some of the old churches in London. Children living in London originally sang it.

“Oranges and lemons” say the bells of St. Clement’s
“You owe me five farthings”(cuartos de penique) 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
“When will that be?” say the bells of Stepney
“I do not know” say the great bells of Bow
“Here comes a candle to light you to bed

 Here comes a chopper (hacha pequeña) to chop off your head!”

Counting Rhymes

One, two, three, four, five

Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

Then I let it go again.

Why did you let it go?

Because it bit my finger so.

Which finger did it bite?

This little finger on the right.

This rhyme has no historical background; it simply helps children learn to count and differentiate right from left.

One, two, buckle my shoe

Three, four, knock at the door

Five, six, pick up sticks

Seven, eight, lay them straight

Nine, ten, a big fat hen

Eleven, twelve, dig and delve (escarbar)

Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting

Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen

Seventeen, eighteen, maids in waiting

Nineteen, twenty, my plate’s empty

Months of the year and days of the week

Thirty days hath (tiene) September,

April, June and November;

All the rest have thirty-one

Except for February, which has twenty-eight days clear!

(And twenty-nine each leap year)(año bisiesto)