The Enduring Mystery of “Three Blind Mice”
Why is this even a nursery rhyme?
How some nursery rhymes make it into our culture is beyond me. The one I’ll address today is Three Blind Mice. On a future date, I might delve into Three Men in a Tub. Of course, I’m a little afraid to google that one. It sounds like something that might show up in some police vice squad records. So, one to Three Blind Mice.
Did the farmer’s wife act in self-defense?
Let’s take a look at the official record:
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?
Really not much to go on, is there? But the account does say that they ran after the farmer’s wife. Why? Were their lives threatened? Were they being abused? Will the DA prosecute either party?
And what about the farmer’s wife? Was it really necessary to cut off their tails. Or was that a punitive action meant to humiliate the mice? It would seem if she was able to cut off the tail of all three of the mice, she had the situation well in…
