Do Nursery Rhymes Do Damage?

Seriously, nursery rhymes are insane. I know that they have origins, but still.

Rock a bye baby, on the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all!

Why the violence? Does the baby die? Awful!

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown,
Tapping at the window and crying through the lock,
Are all the children in their beds, it's past eight o'clock?

First off, this is creepy. Secondly ... Wee Willie Winkie? Really? Yes, my mind is in the gutter.

Three blind mice, three blind mice,
See how they run, see how they run,
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice?

Okay, now we're cutting off the tails of mice? I don't know if I can live with myself if that's what I preach to Abby.

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor doggie a bone,
When she got there
The cupboard was bare
So the poor little doggie had none

This is just depressing.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children she didn't know what to do!
So she gave them some broth without any bread,
And she whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed!

Well, isn't this just a stand-up woman?

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to share these with Abby ... may have to stick with Sesame Street ...