There is no doubt that many Mother Goose nursery rhymes were created for entertainment, perhaps with no greater purpose than to lull children to sleep.  However, scholars of folk culture also believe that there are certain rhymes which were meant to be interpreted as satirical social or political commentary.

One such example is found in the rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle.”   There are those who believe this jingle was inspired by the court of England’s ElizabethI.  Known to some as “The Cat” for the way she toyed withthe minds of her political courtiers and the hearts of her many suitors, Elizabethwas also known to be fond of dancing, particularly to fiddle music.  Similarly, the third line of the poem, “The little dog laughed to see such a sport” is said to be a reference to Robert Dudley, a suitor to whom Elizabethreferred by saying “He is like my little lap-dog…” And finally, interpreters have also suggested that the final line of the rhyme, “The dish ran away with the spoon,” is meant to depict the secret union of Lady Katherine Grey and Earl Edward of Hertford.  These two nobles were bestowed the nicknames the “dish” and “spoon” due to Edward’s role as a barer of golden flatware into the royal dining room and Lady Katherine’s role as the “taster of royal meals.”

Yet another interpretation centers on Egyptian mythology.  In this version, a goddess Hathor, often depicted as having a cow’s head, seen “jumping over the moon” as a constellation.  Here, the “little dog” is actually the constellation Canis Minor, and that together these help tell the story of Egyptians fleeing their lands due to the flooding of the Nile river banks.[…]

Read more: Gleaning the Meaning