INEBI 6. UNIT 1 The Body Machine: Rhymes h.0.6
JACK AND JILL
Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down,
And broke his crown;
And Jill came tumbling after.
Then up Jack got, and home did trot,
as fast as he could caper.
They put him to bed,
and plastered his head,
with vinegar and brown paper.
Eusko Jaurlaritza. Hezkuntza Saila. Lehen Hezkuntzako Ingelesa Edukien Bidez Proiektua 03-04 ikasturtea 71
INEBI 6. UNIT 1 The Body Machine: Rhymes h.0.6
Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up got Jack, and home did trot As fast as he could caper
He went to bed and bound his head
With vinegar and brown paper.
French (history) connection
The roots of this nursery rhyme is in France and the Jack and Jill referred to are Louis XVI who was
beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette (who came tumbling after). The words
and lyrics were made more palatable for the nursery by giving it a happy ending and has further been
altered by the passage of time - the actual beheadings occurred in 1793. The first publication date for the
lyrics of this nursery rhyme is 1795 which tie-in with the history and origins
1) Louis XVI was considered weak, ignorant, and distracted in comparison to his predecessors in the
French Royalty. In 1770 he married Marie Antoinette who heavily influenced his decisions thereafter.
JACK AND JILL
2) Louis XVI's and Marie Antoinette became the King and Queen of France in 1774.
WENT UP THE HILL
3) In the Mid 1770's, France was amidst a financial crisis, and heavy taxation caused a nationwide
withdrawal from royal patriotism. In order to quell the flames of rebellion arising amongst the people, Louis
XVI remitted some of the most oppressive taxes and began financial and judicial reforms (like water from a
pail).
TO FETCH A PAIL OF WATER;
4) The French Bourgeoisie would not allow for large enough reforms to be implemented. In July of 1789,
the Parisian populace razed the Bastille, and imprisoned the king and royal family in the palace of the
Tuileries.
JACK FELL DOWN
5) In 1792, when the National Convention declared France a republic, the king was tried for treason,
convicted, and sentenced to death. Louis XVI was guillotined in Paris on January 21, 1793.
AND BROKE HIS CROWN,
6) After being separated from her son, Marie Antoinette was sent before the revolutionary tribunal, and
sentenced to death for treason. She was guillotined in Paris on October 16, 1793. (a tumbling head)
AND JILL CAME TUMBLING AFTER.
Other Facts:
1) It is highly likely that the “Jack and Jill” story, as is clear with Mother Goose, has a French origin. In
1697 a French writer named Charles Perrault released a collection of eight famous folk tales called
“Contes de ma mére l'Oye” or “Tales of Mother Goose”. These tales, such as “Sleeping Beauty,”
“Cinderella,” and “Red Riding Hood,” were translated into English in 1729.
2) With the invention of the press in the 15th Century, rhymes such as this moved away from religious
origins and towards political and historical references. However "Jack and Jill" was originally published
amongst a collection of traditional verses and jingles titled Mother Goose's Melody, by John Newbery in
the Mid 1760's, which would precede the history of King Louis XVI.
Eusko Jaurlaritza. Hezkuntza Saila. Lehen Hezkuntzako Ingelesa Edukien Bidez Proiektua 03-04 ikasturtea 72