Trigger warning: Sensitive content on the subject of infant death.
An unsuspecting parent made a spooky discovery while reading a nursery rhyme from their child’s library book, sparking a heated debate about the appropriateness of traditional children’s literature in today’s world.
“I was reading a poem to my daughter from her library book and came across this one,” the woman told the Facebook group “Family,” sharing a snapshot of the offending poem. “I’ve never heard it before, but it raised a lot of questions for her.”
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The poem in question entitled “I had a little brother” unfolds with uncanny simplicity:
I had a little brother,
His name was Tiny Tim,
I put him in a bathtub,
To teach him to swim.
He drank all the water,
He ate all the soap,
He died last night
With a blister in my throat.
The doctor came in,
The nurse came in,
The lady came in
With the alligator wallet.
“Dead,” said the doctor,
“Dead,” said the nurse,
“Dead,” said the lady
With the alligator wallet.
The doctor went out,
The nurse went out,
The lady went out
With the alligator wallet.
Reactions on social media were swift and varied: while some were appalled by the blunt nature of the rhyme, others dismissed it as a reference to darker historical realities.
“This is grim for a children’s book,” one person remarked, reflecting the collective shock.
“Many nursery rhymes are actually quite dark,” chimed in another, setting the tone for a flood of revelations about seemingly harmless nursery rhymes.
“I can’t Mary Mary Quite the opposite since I found out it’s about Queen Mary torturing and killing Protestants!” revealed one, pointing out the sinister undertones of well-known verses.
“Almost all of them are!” confirmed someone else.Humpty Dumpty is about someone’s head being cut off! Ring a ring of roses is about the Black Death!”
“Even the original fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, such as Snow White And sleeping Beauty are horrific,” added another, broadening the scope to include the wider field of children’s storytelling.
The discussions also sparked speculation about the poem’s origins, with many suggesting that it might be an outdated version of a nursery rhyme that has since been revised to suit modern sensibilities.
“Must be from the 80s,” pondered one, adding: “It has since been changed to ‘I had a little turtle.'”
Others agreed, noting the stark contrast between the original and its updated counterpart, where the turtle is simply put to bed without meeting a gruesome end.
Is today’s society soft?
Despite the collective shock and dismay, some voices emerged that expressed a different view.
“I guess in earlier years children died all the time and nursery rhymes were a way to help siblings cope. Or tell them not to drown their siblings?” speculated one commenter.
And then there were those who dismissed it completely and blamed today’s so-called “pampered” society. “You can’t protect children from death. Today’s society is so effeminate!” complained one.
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“Most fairy tales involve death, murder, mutilation, child neglect, abandonment and cruelty. This one is, to be honest, pretty harmless,” wrote another.
“Unfortunately, today’s children are exposed to much worse things!” joked a third.
Whether you find them horrifying or dismiss them as relics of a bygone era, one thing is certain: the world of nursery rhymes is a lot darker than you might have imagined.
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