Father Goose?
Earlier today, Caleigh had complained to Wendy that her Mother Goose book was confusing and didn't make any sense. She thought that perhaps we should call the publishers and ask them to explain it. That's Caleigh, no messing around, she is quite proactive and always seems to have a plan to get where she wants to go.
Her first complaint about the book was that the title is "Mother Goose", but it shows "a boy on the cover". Wendy and I heard this, and assumed it would be a picture of Little Jack Horner, Little Boy Blue, etc.
She reported to us that not only wasn't there an email address in the book to contact the publisher, there wasn't even a phone number to call them at!
Later on tonight, she came out with the book in hand to show me the problem.
It was a Wonder Book, copyright 1946. Inside the front cover was a bookplate stating that it was my brother's property (circa 1960) and that it was a gift to him from my grandmother while she was in the hospital. As we unpack boxes of stuff, we come across a lot of old books that survived him, me, and years of my Mom's home day care business. When we read them, I always make a point to show Caleigh the title page with the date to try and help her understand that some of these stories took place in America, but when they were written, they didn't have cell phones, email, computers or even TV.
She pointed to the cover and said "See, it says Mother Goose, and the goose has a girl's hat, but it is a boy". Here is a scan of the book's cover:
We were a little baffled about what she was upset about. I asked "What do you mean that it's a boy?" She pointed to the little curled feather on Mother Goose's tail and said "See? It's a boy."
In ducks, the curled tail feather indicates a male. It isn't true, but it's not too far of a stretch for a 5 year old to assume that the same rule applies to geese as well.
We learned two things:
1. Caleigh is really sharp, and notices little details that escape others unnoticed.
2. Cross-dressing waterfowl are just not OK with her.
Sometimes she just amazes me.
Her first complaint about the book was that the title is "Mother Goose", but it shows "a boy on the cover". Wendy and I heard this, and assumed it would be a picture of Little Jack Horner, Little Boy Blue, etc.
She reported to us that not only wasn't there an email address in the book to contact the publisher, there wasn't even a phone number to call them at!
Later on tonight, she came out with the book in hand to show me the problem.
It was a Wonder Book, copyright 1946. Inside the front cover was a bookplate stating that it was my brother's property (circa 1960) and that it was a gift to him from my grandmother while she was in the hospital. As we unpack boxes of stuff, we come across a lot of old books that survived him, me, and years of my Mom's home day care business. When we read them, I always make a point to show Caleigh the title page with the date to try and help her understand that some of these stories took place in America, but when they were written, they didn't have cell phones, email, computers or even TV.
She pointed to the cover and said "See, it says Mother Goose, and the goose has a girl's hat, but it is a boy". Here is a scan of the book's cover:
We were a little baffled about what she was upset about. I asked "What do you mean that it's a boy?" She pointed to the little curled feather on Mother Goose's tail and said "See? It's a boy."
In ducks, the curled tail feather indicates a male. It isn't true, but it's not too far of a stretch for a 5 year old to assume that the same rule applies to geese as well.
We learned two things:
1. Caleigh is really sharp, and notices little details that escape others unnoticed.
2. Cross-dressing waterfowl are just not OK with her.
Sometimes she just amazes me.
posted by MVTCoPete | 10:55 PM
2 Comments:
Great eye for detail! :)
Hi. I know this item about Mother Goose was years ago but i just read it when i was looking for stuff on the subject.
I was interested about the gender issue. It was indeed good spotting.
There is one other point that is wrong in this picture.
The actual Mother Goose according to the rhyme was a woman, generally seen with or on a goose.
"The Old Mother Goose,
When she wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander."
Whether or not we believe she actually flew on the bird, according to folklore she was regularly seen with a gander. It is later pictures which depict her metaphorically AS the goose. I have even seen one picture with her riding in a contraption similar to a hang-glider, with a wooden goose-head on the front, and followed by geese. (Shades of the movie "Fly Away Home" where the geese were lead by a girl in a microlite)
As Gosling myself (known as MotherGosling)i am aware of how often people confuse even ducks and geese. :)
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