
- Image via Wikipedia
In the constant endeavour to learn how/why/what people connect, I wonder how and why do some stories and ideas go viral… like this old favourite?
Ok, maybe its a stretch to say it went viral but people clearly like(d) it. I’m a lover of all things ‘random’ but this certainly out of left field.
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
But when she came back
He was smoking a pipe.She went to the grocer’s
To buy him some fruit;
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.She went to the baker’s
To buy him some bread;
But when she came back
The poor dog was dead.She went to the undertaker’s
To buy him a coffin;
But when she came back
The poor dog was laughing.She went to the hatter’s
To buy him a hat;
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.The dame made a curtsey,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, “Your servant.”
The dog said, “Bow wow!”
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December 19th, 2008 on 3:45 pm
Well it was written, as many nursery rhymes were actually political statements, to have a go at King Henry VIII without losing ones head. Old Mother Hubbard (Cardinal Wolsey) went to the Cupboard (the Catholic Church) to get her poor dog (King Henry VIII) a bone – his divorce from Katherine of Aragon – so he could marry Ann Boelyn. The cupboard was bare – he failed etc etc
So viral statements have been around for a while… A bit like Social Networking the BBS networks were what we now call Social Networking
Not much changes really…..
December 20th, 2008 on 12:22 am
Never actually read he whole thing before, but see that it is rather telling. Thanks for the history lesson JimBob, enlightening. Which leads one to surmise that it was actually not that random after all.
December 20th, 2008 on 9:18 am
Thanks JimBob51, I had no idea, but it makes a lots more sense that way… and probably explains a few nursery rhymes…
Yea Michael, same here… ha.