"Cinderella," the folk tale as recorded by The Brothers Grimm

No fairy godmother, no pumpkin, no mice - for those, see the French version as recorded by Charles Perrault.

From nationalgeographic.com:

Cinderella

The wife of a rich man fell sick, and as she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, be good and pious, and then  the good God will always protect thee, and I will look down on thee from heaven and be near thee." Thereupon she closed her eyes and departed. Every day the maiden went out to her mother's grave and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white sheet over the grave, and when the spring sun had drawn it off again, the man had taken another wife.

The woman had brought two daughters into the house with her, who were beautiful and fair of face, but vile and black of heart. Now began a bad time for the poor step-child. "Is the stupid goose to sit in the parlor with us?" said they. "He who wants to eat bread must earn it; out with the kitchen-wench." They took her pretty clothes away from her, put an old gray bedgown on her, and gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess, how decked out she is!" they cried, and laughed, and led her into the kitchen. There she had to do hard work from morning till night, get up before daybreak, carry water, light fires, cook and wash. Besides this, the sisters did her every imaginable injury—they mocked her and emptied her peas and lentils into the ashes, so that she was forced to sit and pick them out again. In the evening when she had worked till she was weary she had no bed to go to, but had to sleep by the fireside in the ashes. And as on that account she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella.

It happened that the father was once going to the fair, and he asked his two step-daughters what he should bring back for them. "Beautiful dresses," said one. "Pearls and jewels," said the second. "And thou, Cinderella," said he, "what wilt thou have?" "Father, break off for me the first branch which knocks against your hat on your way home." So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls and jewels for his two step-daughters, and on his way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the branch and took it with him. When he reached home he gave his step-daughters the things which they had wished for, and to Cinderella he gave the branch from the hazel-bush. Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave and planted the branch on it, and wept so much that the tears fell down on it and watered it. It grew, however, and became a handsome tree. Thrice a day Cinderella went and sat beneath it, and wept and prayed, and a little white bird always came on the tree, and if Cinderella expressed a wish, the bird threw down to her what she had wished for.

It happened, however, that the King appointed a festival which was to last three days, and to which all the beautiful young girls in the country were invited, in order that his son might choose himself a bride. When the two step-sisters heard that they, too, were to appear among the number, they were delighted, called Cinderella and said, "Comb our hair for us, brush our shoes and fasten our buckles, for we are going to the festival at the King's palace." Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she, too, would have liked to go with them to the dance, and begged her step-mother to allow her to do so. "Thou go, Cinderella!" said she. "Thou art dusty and dirty, and wouldst go to the festival? Thou has no clothes and shoes, and yet wouldst dance!" As, however, Cinderella went on asking, the step-mother at last said, "I have emptied a dish of lentils into the ashes for thee; if thou hast picked them out again in two hours, thou shalt go with us." The maiden went through the back-door into the garden, and called, "You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to pick "The good into the pot, The bad into the crop."

Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at last all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the pigeons nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the rest began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good grains into the dish. Hardly had one hour passed before they had finished, and all flew out again. Then the girl took the dish to her step-mother, and was glad, and believed that now she would be allowed to go with them to the festival. But the step-mother said, "No, Cinderella, thou hast no clothes and thou canst not dance; thou wouldst only be laughed at." And as Cinderella wept at this, the step-mother said, "If thou canst pick two dishes of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour, thou shalt go with us." And she thought to herself, "That she most certainly cannot do." When the step-mother had emptied the two dishes of lentils amongst the ashes, the maiden went through the back-door into the garden and cried, "You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds under heaven, come and help me to pick "The good into the pot, The bad into the crop."

Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at length all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the doves nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the others began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good seeds into the dishes, and before half an hour was over they had already finished, and all flew out again. Then the maiden carried the dishes to the step-mother and was delighted, and believed that she might now go with them to the festival. But the step-mother said, "All this will not help; thou goest not with us, for thou hast no clothes and canst not dance; we should be ashamed of thee!" On this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud daughters.

As no one was now at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel-tree, and cried, "Shiver and quiver, my little tree, Silver and gold throw down over me."

Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She put on the dress with all speed, and went to the festival. Her step-sisters and the step-mother, however, did not know her, and thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought of Cinderella, and believed that she was sitting at home in the dirt, picking lentils out of the ashes. The prince went to meet her, took her by the hand and danced with her. He would dance with no other maiden, and never left loose of her hand, and if any one else came to invite her, he said, "This is my partner."

She danced till it was evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the King's son said, "I will go with thee and bear thee company," for he wished to see to whom the beautiful maiden belonged. She escaped from him, however, and sprang into the pigeon-house. The King's son waited until her father came, and then he told him that the stranger maiden had leapt into the pigeon-house. The old man thought, "Can it be Cinderella?" and they had to bring him an axe and a pickaxe that he might hew the pigeon-house to pieces, but no one was inside it. And when they got home Cinderella lay in her dirty clothes among the ashes, and a dim little oil-lamp was burning on the mantle-piece, for Cinderella had jumped quickly down from the back of the pigeon-house and had run to the little hazel-tree, and there she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again, and then she had placed herself in the kitchen amongst the ashes in her gray gown.

Next day when the festival began afresh, and her parents and the step-sisters had gone once more, Cinderella went to the hazel-tree and said "Shiver and quiver, my little tree, Silver and gold throw down over me."

Then the bird threw down a much more beautiful dress than on the preceding day. And when Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, every one was astonished at her beauty. The King's son had waited until she came, and instantly took her by the hand and danced with no one but her. When others came and invited her, he said, "She is my partner."

When evening came she wished to leave, and the King's son followed her and wanted to see into which house she went. But she sprang away from him, and into the garden behind the house. Therein stood a beautiful tall tree on which hung the most magnificent pears. She clambered so nimbly between the branches like a squirrel, that the King's son did not know where she was gone. He waited until her father came, and said to him, "The stranger maiden has escaped from me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear-tree." The father thought, "Can it be Cinderella?" and had an axe brought and cut the tree down, but no one was on it. And when they got into the kitchen, Cinderella lay there amongst the ashes, as usual, for she had jumped down on the other side of the tree, had taken the beautiful dress to the bird on the little hazel-tree, and put on her gray gown.

On the third day, when the parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went once more to her mother's grave and said to the little tree "Shiver and quiver, my little tree, Silver and gold throw down over me."

And now the bird threw down to her a dress which was more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had, and the slippers were golden. And when she went to the festival in the dress, no one knew how to speak for astonishment. The King's son danced with her only, and if any one invited her to dance, he said, "She is my partner."

When evening came, Cinderella wished to leave, and the King's son was anxious to go with her, but she escaped from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The King's son, had, however, used a stratagem, and had caused the whole staircase to be smeared with pitch, and there, when she ran down, had the maiden's left slipper remained sticking. The King's son picked it up, and it was small and dainty, and all golden. Next morning, he went with it to the father, and said to him, "No one shall be my wife but she whose foot this golden slipper fits." Then were the two sisters glad, for they had pretty feet. The eldest went with the shoe into her room and wanted to try it on, and her mother stood by. But she could not get her big toe into it, and the shoe was too small for her. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut the toe off; when thou art Queen thou wilt have no more need to go on foot." The maiden cut the toe off, forced the foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the King's son. Then he took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. They were obliged, however, to pass the grave, and there, on the hazel-tree, sat the two pigeons and cried,

"Turn and peep, turn and peep,

There's blood within the shoe,

The shoe it is too small for her,

The true bride waits for you."

Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was streaming from it. He turned his horse round and took the false bride home again, and said she was not the true one, and that the other sister was to put the shoe on. Then this one went into her chamber and got her toes safely into the shoe, but her heel was too large. So her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut a bit off thy heel; when thou art Queen thou wilt have no more need to go on foot." The maiden cut a bit off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the King's son. He took her on his horse as his bride, and rode away with her, but when they passed by the hazel-tree, the two pigeons sat on it and cried,

"Turn and peep, turn and peep,

There's blood within the shoe,

The shoe it is too small for her,

The true bride waits for you."

He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking. Then he turned his horse and took the false bride home again. "This also is not the right one," said he, "have you no other daughter?" "No," said the man. "There is still a little stunted kitchen-wench which my late wife left behind her, but she cannot possibly be the bride." The King's son said he was to send her up to him; but the mother answered, "Oh, no, she is much too dirty; she cannot show herself!" He absolutely insisted on it, and Cinderella had to be called. She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the King's son, who gave her the golden shoe. Then she seated herself on a stool, drew her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, which fitted like a glove. And when she rose up and the King's son looked at her face, he recognized the beautiful maiden who had danced with him and cried, "That is the true bride!"

The step-mother and the two sisters were terrified and became pale with rage; he, however, took Cinderella on his horse and rode away with her. As they passed by the hazel-tree, the two white doves cried,

"Turn and peep, turn and peep,

No blood is in the shoe,

The shoe is not too small for her,

The true bride rides with you,"

And when they had cried that, the two came flying down and placed themselves on Cinderella's shoulders, one on the right, the other on the left, and remained sitting there.

When the wedding with the King's son had to be celebrated, the two false sisters came and wanted to get into favor with Cinderella and share her good fortune. When the betrothed couple went to church, the elder was at the right side and the younger at the left, and the pigeons pecked out one eye of each of them. Afterwards as they came back the elder was at the left, and the younger at the right, and then the pigeons pecked out the other eye from each. And thus, for their wickedness and falsehood, they were punished with blindness as long as they lived.

"Ebb and Flow, Up and Down" ~or~ "The Dumbing Down of 'Europe'"

Busch Gardens Tampa (nee Busch Gardens Africa, nee Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent) hasn’t had the easiest time blossoming into her adulthood. In her infancy, she was no more than a series of botanical gardens adjacent to a brewery, but she aspired to be more. In her first decade alone, a full-service restaurant, an exotic safari and a suspended monorail were added on the opposite side of the brewery from the gardens. As she entered adolescence, a railway was added for additional viewing of the many exotic animals and lush plants. Throughout her teens, her additions cemented her destiny: a flume in ’73, the Moroccan village in ’75, and in ’77 the Python rollercoaster… as well as the moniker “The Dark Continent.” At nearly two decades old, the new task at hand was to unify a property that, through fits and starts, had gone from a Brewery and its “dressing” to being a full-scale player in the game of Amusement – an industry that seemingly everyone had a hand in at the time, from Warner Brothers to Marriott. She’s had her growing pains, her challenges and her competition – and she’s flourished.

An early view of the Tampa brewery and gardens.

Like a tale from Greek or Roman mythology, Busch Gardens Williamsburg was seemingly born into adulthood. Cool, confident and brimming with possibilities, she was carefully planned from the beginning: She was to be located on a lush, gorgeous piece of land replete with hills, valleys and springs; her mission, to have beautiful “villages” reminiscent of old-world Europe, with rides, attractions and shows integrated throughout. Where her Tampa sister’s niche was being “a park-with-animals,” (including 2 animal-show venues: the “Bird Circus Theater” where “Pets Ahoy” now stands, and the “Tanzania Theater,” now known as “Stanleyville Theater”), the Williamsburg park’s specialty was to be truly theatrical in nature. Throughout her initial six areas (Banbury Cross, Heatherdowns, Hastings, Aquitaine, New France and Rhinefeld), she was to have five designated performance spaces (The Globe Theatre, The Magic Lantern Theatre, the Three Musketeers Theatre, The Canadian Palladium and the Rhinefeld gazebo), as well as numerous roaming costumed actors and performers. The next few years saw the additions of Oktoberfest, San Marco and DaVinci’s Garden, bringing with them two more show venues: Das Festhaus, an authentically recreated Munich-style beer hall, and Teatro Di San Marco, an outdoor stage surrounded by tables for al fresco dining. Time marched on, and her teens brought even more areas: Threadneedle Faire and Festa Italia. Her confidence grew and she, too, flourished.

Left and Center, photos of the real Oktoberfest in Munich. Right, Das Festhaus.

As with people who grow up facing adversity and challenges, Tampa learned her strengths, embraced her uniqueness and carefully observed the successes of her sibling. Without wavering, every addition has reinforced her African theme and she continues to exceed expected attendance and revenue. Her shows, however, may not all be African-themed, but they don’t need to be. They are shows of quality, and they target different age groups without ever being inappropriate. Today she offers one children’s show (A is for Africa), two family shows (Iceploration & Critter Castaways) and two shows directed pointedly at adults (the fiery Let’s Dance & the soulful Men of Note). Something for everyone.

And then there’s Williamsburg…

Like a person raised without challenges, without having to ever “find” her way, Williamsburg eventually gave in to insecurity, questioning her direction and second-guessing her mission. “I must make things simpler. At the risk of losing all that makes me unique, I must become more accessible," she thought. "To win the guests of King’s Dominion, I must become more like them and appeal to the lowest common denominator.” An ill-conceived combination of conformity and pandering became her solution: away went the names of Hamlets on her park maps and literature, only to be replaced with the names of the countries they represented, and park landmarks followed suit. Her trains were no longer spoken of by name: station conductors now referred to Der Hochbeinege simply as the “red train,” the Balmoral Castle as “blue” and the Alpen Express, “green.” Castle O’Sullivan, a ride-enclosure-turned-show venue, is now home to ill-placed character dining. The Three Musketeers Theatre, upgraded and renamed The Royal Palace, now sits dark (outside of special events). The Canadian Palladium is now a ride pad. The stage in Land of the Dragons (a 'subdivision' of Germany) also sits dark.  The rich Bavarian hues of Oktoberfest have given way to the candy colors of any Cedar Fair park. 

And then, most recently came this:

WILLIAMSBURG, VA (March 8, 2012) – Busch Gardens delves deep into Bavarian folk lore in a new musical stage production debuting at Das Festhaus on March 24. Entwined: Tales of Good & Grimm transforms the park's 2,000-seat restaurant into a forest wonderland where fairy tales come to life...

Entwined replaces the park's long-running This is Oktoberfest show, which ended its 35-year run at the end of Busch Gardens regular 2011 season. [Vice President of Entertainment Scott] Gasparich said Entwined is Busch Gardens' response to guests asking for fresh programming.

Gone.

The show that encapsulated the very spirit of Busch Gardens Williamsburg is now gone.


Gone as well is the authentic Oktoberfest stage that never failed to elicit goose bumps on my arms when it lifted the live oom-pah band high above the crowd, that same stage that consistently drew audible gasps from those seeing it raise for the first time.  For three and a half decades, the entertainment department understood that both the show and the stage were sacred, they were symbolic. As Shamu is synonymous with SeaWorld, This is Oktoberfest was synonymous with Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Mind you, the show "as it was traditionally performed” actually ended one year earlier. For the 2011 season, all references to the history of Munich’s Oktoberfest, as well as the popularity of polka music in America, were removed only to be replaced with cheesy dialogue, mugging and sexual innuendo. It was the public’s displeasure with this version that led to cries for change: the people wanted it changed back, but Gasparich took advantage of this outcry and used it as justification for removing a show that he obviously grew bored with shortly after his arrival.


This also marks the removal of one more show aimed at adults.


Now, just to avoid any confusion, I don't mean "adult-oriented" (like Howl-O-Scream 2011's "Fiends of the Festhaus" which some unsuspecting parents stumbled upon and found a bit too adult), what I do mean is "aimed at adults, but still friendly for any age."

"Adult-focused" (This is Oktoberfest, left, and Starlight Orchestra, center)
versus "Adult-oriented" (Fiends in the Festhaus, right)

Some perspective: in 2005, team Williamsburg offered two straight-up children's shows (The Fairy Lore Players and A Trio of Three in Land of the Dragons), three shows for the whole family (Secrets of Castle O'Sullivan, Pet Shananigans, and the cirque-style Imaginique), and five different shows that were aimed directly at the grown-ups: Irish Thunder, American Jukebox, This is Oktoberfest, Holiday in Roma and The Starlight Orchestra.

The "Land of the Dragons" stage: the ideal home for a fantasy/fairy-tale show.
Photos courtesy of RyanActor.com

Now let's take a quick look at the park's online show schedule for 2012. We have five live sit-down shows. Total. Only one show for the adults (Celtic Fyre) , three shows for the whole family (the fever-dream fairy-tale Entwined, the slapstick Mix it Up, and the perennial Pet Shenanigans), and one for just kids (Sunny Days Celebration).

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is offering five live sit-down shows for the 2012;
'The Secret Life of Predators' is viewed on-foot in the sun, 'Pirates 4-D' is a film 

I have no children, nor do I see myself ever having children; I do enjoy spending time with my nieces, but I also enjoy the freedom to travel as part of an adult couple. As such, we have the luxury of being able to buy the higher-ticket souvenirs (German steins, Irish sweaters, Tyrolean hats, Venetian masks, etc.) without fear of them being marred by little hands. Of the two of us, my other half is the coaster-enthusiast-park-aficionado, whereas I simply love the park for the immersive experience - the architecture, the landscaping, the food and the shows. I 'm a Leo, but I'm able to recognize that the world isn't all about me... However, I find it hard to believe that I'm the only person with a disposable income that's starting to feel unwanted by the park.  For us, its a six-hour trek: we usually drive down, check in at the hotel, head to the park, grab a show-schedule/map and plan our next few days around the shows and meals, leaving the rides as filler. Although the relatively recent addition of Illuminights (a peak-season assortment of evening entertainment) is admirable, one well-produced nightly sit-down show in the Royal Palace Theatre (a-la Imaginique or Kinetix) would be much more pleasurable than a handful of hit-or-miss street performances throughout the park, especially at the end of a long day. Quality and consideration trump quantity.

Some colorful former residents of the now-dark Royal Palace Theatre:
The cirque-style Imaginique (left 2) and the high-energy Kinetix (right 2)

This too, in theory, shall pass. Everything is cyclical. The ebb and the flow, the rise and the fall. As much as the Tampa park has slowly wound me around her little finger through increased variety and an unwavering pride in her history, I'm equally saddened by Williamsburg's descent into mediocrity, denying her roots and pushing away her most loyal suitors.


Here's hoping Williamsburg soon remembers her calling; it's high time she started acting her age.

"Good times and bum times, I've seen 'em all and, my dear...

...I'm still here."


My deepest, most sincere apologies. The blog, like a princess from some Neuschwanstein-like castle, lies asleep.


Sadly, it's nothing poetic like a spindle or an apple.  Just life in general.


Hang in there. The journey will be magical.


Peace, love & gingerbread,


~me

Hamburg Arrests Spur Legal Claim

From The New Jersey Herald:
 

Hamburg Arrests Spur Legal Claim by Jeff Sistrunk
jsistrunk@njherald.com

HAMBURG -- The former owners of the Gingerbread Castle, who were arrested earlier this month following an incident at the Hamburg Borough Municipal Court, are pursuing a claim against the Hamburg Police Department alleging the arresting officers used excessive force and caused them serious injuries.

Sparta-based attorney Jeffrey Patti said he mailed the tort claim to Hamburg Borough on Tuesday, seeking more than $1 million on the behalf of Francis J. Hinger Jr., 49, and Lorraine Hinger, 40, who were arrested by Hamburg police inside the municipal courthouse Aug. 2. Both were charged with defiant trespassing and obstruction of government function, and Francis Hinger was additionally charged with resisting arrest. The pair was released from custody pending a future court date. 

The Hingers owned Hamburg's iconic Gingerbread Castle, a sprawling fairytale-themed amusement park, until 2007, when it was sold for $680,000 at a sheriff's auction to local developers Gene Mulvihill and Pat Barton.  

The tort claim said the officers who arrested the Hingers, Sgt. Erik Aronson and Sgt. David McNulty, caused "extreme pain, humiliation and emotional trauma" to the couple, including Lorraine Hinger re-injuring an existing back injury. Both Hingers sustained "severe and permanent injuries" because of the officers' conduct, according to the claim. 

"The arresting officers' actions were completely out of line and excessive," Patti said.

Attempts to reach Aronson and Hamburg Police Chief Jan Wright Tuesday were unsuccessful.
According to police, the Hingers were at the borough's municipal court for a hearing before Judge John E. Mulhern on the night of Aug. 2 and became "upset" by the disposition of a case. From there, the accounts of the incident vary wildly between the police report and the tort claim. 

Police said the Hingers tried to "antagonize" the two opposing litigants in the case outside the courtroom, while the claim said the couple was mocked and harassed by the other litigants and that Francis Hinger attempted to defend his wife. The police account went on to say that officers intervened to prevent escalation of the incident and that Francis Hinger refused to leave the building. As Francis Hinger was being arrested, police said, Lorraine Hinger began to "verbally and physically interfere" with her husband's arrest and also refused to leave the building.  

Meanwhile, the tort claim said Aronson approached Francis Hinger and shouted at him to leave the courthouse as Hinger tried to protect his wife from the other litigants. Aronson then handcuffed and arrested Hinger, according to the claim. While Aronson was doing so, the claim said, he told McNulty to arrest Lorraine Hinger "without any probable cause of any misconduct." 

According to the claim, McNulty ignored Lorraine Hinger's advisories that she had hardware in her neck to stabilize spinal injuries and used "excessive force" in handcuffing her and removing her from the building. Although Lorraine Hinger was in "obvious and excruciating pain," the claim said, she was kept in handcuffs behind her back "for several hours." 

Aronson, McNulty and Wright are named as injuring parties in the tort claim, along with "department supervisors and/or shift commanders" and "others to be named as ongoing discovery warrants." 

Individual claims in the document include unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, excessive use of force, malicious prosecution, filing a false police report and assault and battery.    

  

Another storybook park is lost to history...

"Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?"
"I've been to London to visit the queen."
"Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?"
"I frightened a little mouse under her chair."

Storybook Gardens of Wisconsin Dells, WI will not be reopening after what many thought was its annual winter hiatus. This morning, I read this article on the Wisconsin State Journal's website.

It's sad.

The Imaginary World, a site with a wonderful collection of storybook park ephemera (as well as other fun stuff), has an assortment of photos from the park's glory days. Unlike the realistic figures in The Gingerbread Castle and throughout Fairy Tale Forest, the characters of Storybook Gardens were stylized, cartoonish and whimsical, reminiscent of George Pal's "Puppetoons."

If you have a moment today, read a fairy tale.  If you don't have that moment, rattle off a quick nursery rhyme. If you know a child, read a fairy tale to them when you see them - every time you see them.  Teach them nursery rhymes, too.

But, in the words of Stephen Sondheim, "Careful the tale you tell, that is the spell - children will listen..."

A postcard from the castle's 1987 renaissance...

...and a few variations of the rhyme behind the postcard. According to wikipedia, there are a few variations of the popular nursery song.  Among them:

Rub-a-dub-dub,

Three men in a tub,

And how do you think they got there?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
'Twas enough to make a man stare.

 I must admit, I have never heard this rendition before, but I like it!  Here's another:

Hey! rub-a-dub, ho! rub-a-dub, three maids in a tub,

And who do you think were there?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker,
And all of them gone to the fair.

Again, it's new to me, but fun. And it's bawdy: three respectable townsfolk "watching a dubious sideshow at a local fair." It's a ryhme about an early burlesque show, as it were. 

Lastly, the version I grew up with:

Rub a dub dub,

Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick maker.
Turn them out, knaves all three.

And, as promised, the postcard:

 Happy Monday!

Fun Friday! A postcard from the 1950s...

On the reverse: "Two young visitors stop to visit with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in one of the towers of the Gingerbread Castle."

I'm taking the weekend off... wishing you a weekend of wonder -- enjoy!