"Mother Goose"
was created especially for
Jessica Ann Smith
at the age of 6


With love from
Mommy and Daddy
September 2, 2001

The rain fell against the house on 1234 Anywhere Street. "We can't play outside; it's just too wet," sighed Jessica. "It's too wet and gray for Amy to come over." A rhyme came to mind. This gave Jessica an idea for a new game.

Rain, rain go away,
come again some other day.
For Jessica and Amy it's just too wet to play today.

"This is fun!" Jessica said. She quickly tried another rhyme.

Hey, diddle, diddle!
Jessica played the fiddle;
Amy jumped over the moon.
Jessica laughed to see such a sport, and Amy ran away with the spoon.

"That was pretty good," Jessica said. "Here's another one..."

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.
Bake Jessica a cake
and a gingerbread man.
Put it in the oven, so fluffy and light,
Then serve it to Jessica and Amy tonight.

Jessica laughed out loud when she thought of this one...

Jessica saw an old woman
who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children,
she didn't know what to do.
She gave Jessica some broth
and some cinnamon bread,
and kissed her and hugged her,
and put her to bed.

Jessica wondered what she could do with "Jack be nimble."

Jessica be nimble, Jessica be quick,
Jessica jumped over the candlestick.
Jessica jumped so high
she touched the sky...
and didn't get back
'til the Fourth of July.

Jessica remembered she had heard this
one in school one day...

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
and doesn't know where to find them.
"Leave them alone," Jessica said
on the phone,
"And I'll travel close behind them."

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 Jack got and off did trot,
careful not to stray.
But there sat Jill so sad and still,
so then Jessica said, "Let's play!"

What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice.
That's what little girls are made of.

Jessica giggled when she thought of this one.

What are little boys made of?
Snakes and snails and
puppy dog tails.
That's what little boys are made of.

Jessica really giggled when she thought of this one.

Thirty days have September, April,
June and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
excepting February alone;
Jessica sees twenty-eight days there,
and Jessica sees twenty-nine
each leap year.
"This is getting too easy," said Jessica.
"I'll try a harder one."

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
eating her curds and whey.
Before a big spider could sit down
beside her, Jessica stood bold
with a big stick to hold,
and frightened the spider away.

It only took a moment for Jessica to come up with a new rhyme.

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's
men couldn't put Humpty together again.
Then along came Jessica with
her tape and her glue
and put back the pieces as good as new.

Hickory, dickory dock,
the mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
the mouse ran down,
and followed Jessica into town.
Hickory, dickory dock.

Jessica had trouble with the next rhyme. "Try adding your name to this one," Jessica said.

Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers, where's the peck of pickled
peppers Peter Piper picked?
Oh, well...Jessica doesn't like to eat
pickled peppers anyway.

Jessica thought of this clever rhyme for "Three men in a tub."

Rub-a-dub dub,
three men in a tub.
Who do you think they could be?
The barber, the baker, the candlestick
maker, all floating in the sea.
Amy couldn't believe all the fish they retrieved,
until Jessica pulled out three.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
how Jessica wonders where you are.
Up above Jessica's world so high,
like a diamond in the sky.
Your bright and shining little spark
makes Jessica happy as a lark.
Glowing brightly near and far,
Twinkle, twinkle little star.