Mother Goose

a name long celebrated in the lore of the nursery through the rhymes and jingles known familiarly as Mother Goose's Melodies. The name, "Mother Goose," was first known in English through a translation from the French of Perrault's stories entitled Tales of Mother Goose. The French collection of stories was published first in 1697. The name had been in use in France long before, however, and appears in French tales as synonymous with Queen Goosefoot, an appellation of Bertha, Mother of Charles the Great, who was called "Bertha with the goose-foot," because one of her feet was larger than the other. The collection of jingles so popular with American children comes probably from a variety of scources. Mother Goose's Melodies was published first by Thomas Fleet, a Boston printer, in 1719. About 1860 an attempt was made to account for the use of the name, "Mother Goose," in the title. As Fleet's wife had borne the maiden name of Goose, the story became current that Fleet's book had been named for his mother-in-law, the widow of Isaac Goose, who had annoyed Fleet by singing these ditties continually to his children. Fleet thought to be avenged upon her by using her name for his book of jingles. This tale is probably without foundation. At present many rhymes suitable for very young children are classed as "Mother Goose" melodies, although not found in the original collection.