NATIONAL MOTHER GOOSE DAY
Celebrated each year on May 1, it is National Mother Goose Day. This day honors Mother Goose, the imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. As a character, she actually appears in one of the nursery rhymes.
Mother Goose is often illustrated as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl but is sometimes depicted as a goose that is wearing a bonnet.
Charles Perrault is believed to be the initiator of the fairy tale genre when he published his fairy tale collection in 1695. His publication marks the first authenticated starting point for the Mother Goose stories. An English version of Perrault’s collection appeared in 1729: Robert Samber’s Histories or Tales of Past Times, Told by Mother Goose. These fairy tales introduced Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Cinderella and others.
Mother Goose’s Melody – A book of poems for children was published in 1781
Old Mother Goose,
When she wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.
Jack’s mother came in,
And caught the goose soon,
And mounting its back
Flew up to the moon.