h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was looking through a 1924 edition of Mother Goose Nursey Rhymes lately, and wonder what makes parents want to read these terrifyingly explicit rhymes to small children. Such daring!

Jack's goose and her gander
Grew very fond;
They'd both eat together,
Or swim in one pond.

or, how about this one:

Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither shall I wander,
Upstairs, and downstairs,
And in my lady's chamber.

I bet you didn't sleep well after being sung this one at bedtime:

Cry, baby, cry
Put your finger in your eye,
And tell your mother it wasn't I.

Goosey goosey gander,
Where shall I wander,
Upstairs, downstairs
and in my ladys chamber.

There I met an old man,
who wouldn't say his prayers,
so I took my by his left leg
and threw him down the stairs.

I've also just read that Goosey goosey gander is about religeous persecution of catholics in England back when it was agianst the law to be catholic and especially a catholic priest (the man who wouldn't say his prayers).
I presume the first verse is about the searches for catholic priests and priest holes in large homes.

It's not strictly a nursery rhyme but the song "The Twelve days of Christmas" also dates from the reformation when it wasn't wise to teach your children catholicism too openly. Each number was relevent to an aspect of catholic belief and helped children remember what they couldn't advetise too loudly. I can't remember them all but 12 was the Apostles, 7 was the seven deadly sins and the seven virtues, 4 was the gospels, 5 was the sorrowful and the glorious mystries etc.. The same is said about the song which starts "I'll sing you one'o, green grow the rushes'o"

One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so
Two, two the lily white boys clothed all in green O

for the rest look to http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/g016.html

Hmmm, well that looked like I was stating the blindingly obvious but the version I learnt at school was a little less up front than that. Thanks for the link though.