There was an Old Woman Tossed up in a Basket

So many nursery rhymes begin with the line “there was an old woman.” This is one of my favourites. My mother used to sing it to us when pushing us on the swings at the play ground. The presence of a broom in the rhyme conjures images of the old woman is a cheerful witch. She seems to be taking good care that the sky is nice and tidy!

We have turned our version into a kind of lullaby. Sometimes I sing it as the children in class 3 or 4 are working in their exercise books. It seems to work magically to calm everyone down.