“This little piggy went to the market.

This little piggy stayed home.

This little piggy had roast beef.

This little piggy had none.

And this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home.”

Patti first heard this story from her friends when she first started babysitting the neighbors’ children when she was in seventh grade. This was eighteen years ago. Since many of her friends had younger siblings, they learned the nursery rhyme from their parents. She learned it in order to play with the babies that she watched. Then when I was born, she used it on me. I still remember my sisters playing with my toes and saying this rhyme. The teller would say each line while touching one toe. It is a rhyme that counts the number of toes on one of a baby’s foot. She repeated this rhyme recently when I was visiting her one weekend. She has a new baby boy who is ten months old and she loves playing with his feet. Patti thinks that a mother made this up in a western culture, telling by the kind of food they ate. She believes that this rhyme keeps kids entertained and so if parents need to cut their babies’ toenails, this would easily distract them. It is a very simple rhyme that can be easily repeated and shared with many generations of mothers.

This rhyme is probably very old and dates back to when people went to food markets where there were many vendors that sold different food items. It was made up by a woman because they were the main caretakers of children. They were the ones that went to the market to buy food and were also the ones that made roast beef. I agree with Patti in that the rhyme was made up to keep children entertained. By touching babies’ toes, it tickles them and makes them laugh. Mothers always want to see their children laugh and this technique helps them achieve that. I think that a babies’ laughter is the cutest thing in the world. Especially since their feet are so tiny and soft, adults cannot resist touching and playing with them. This story is mostly told in the same manner now because it was canonized a few hundred years ago in a compilation of nursery rhymes for mothers. Mothers are always trying to help each other out because they have a mutual understanding of the frustration that comes from taking care of kids. Nursery rhyme books were most likely published in order to help mothers soothe their children’s tempers. There could have been many versions of “this little piggy” because one could essentially add any place or food item at the end of each line. Patti says that the last little piggy cried, but I have also heard others say that the last little piggy went wee wee wee. The slight word change is natural in retellings of folklore.

A flock of birds before my eyes,

When will be my next surprise?

This little verse has been passed down from generation to generation. Every time a flock of birds flew by in the sky the first child to see it would announce it to the rest of the group or the other members present. Anyone else in the group then randomly shouted out a time. The person who saw the birds originally would then wait for the time to come and see if anything special happens and if their surprise occurs.

My mother originally played this game in South Africa as a child and then taught me and my sister the game at an early age. She cannot recall from whom she learned the poem but rather it was a well-known game by her, her family, and all of her friends.  Although for her there was no deeper meaning, she taught it to us as it caused excitement and anticipation. Although she knew that the future occurrences were not based off one person reciting this little poem, it was still an enjoyable as well as fun activity to participate in.

Although a few people might be aware of this poem in the United States, I have never heard anyone but South Africans recite it. Mostly, I have heard this quote used by my immediate family members throughout my childhood. However I never considered the meaning behind the saying. It was something I never questioned but rather just a comment that I began using myself. However upon hearing this quote used a few weeks ago by my mother I reconsidered the meaning behind the quote and realized the incongruity in the wording.

Birds are often an omen foreshadowing something bad that will be occurring. Therefore it is interesting that the surprise that the person is referencing is a good surprise. It is ironic that a flock of birds causes excitement and hope for a pleasant occurrence in the future.

Yet a flock of birds signifies that a handful of individual birds have come together in order to fashion one assemblage. Instead of flying alone they have joined forces to create one large force.

Metaphorically speaking, eyes are often the mirror to the soul and so it is possible that the quote serves a purpose of showing the inner desire for acceptance and a group, and the positives that will occur when working collectively with other individuals.