I’ve long held the unsubstantiated theory that the nursery rhyme is the bowdlerized version of a darker true story…
Jack and Jill had to go up the hill because a rich and powerful land baron had bought up all the high ground and then constructed a dam on the only stream flowing into the valley. The kids were the leaders of a student protest movement and were starting a “Free the Fetch” direct-action campaign of radical non-compliance in order to overthrow the monopolistic trust company that was hoarding what should be a common-good shared resource.
Pinkerton Agents were escorting the couple off the private property when Jack “accidentally” fell and suffered severe head trauma. Jill claimed to have been detained and sexually assaulted before being roughly thrown off the premises but the local magistrate (the land baron’s son-in-law) summarily determined her story to be without merit.
A local balladeer wrote a stirring protest song that championed the couple’s actions but under mysterious circumstances he shortly decided to sell the rights to the song to a publishing company owned by the land baron. A hastily released version with gentler melody and revised lyrics is the basis for what we know today. The actual details are lost to the mists of time, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
It’s usually illustrated with a picture of a well on the top of a lone standing hill, which also make no sense.
I always figured that it was the first hill in a set of foothills, with mountains on the far side and a spring emerging some distance up the slope. That would make sense.
Cynthia is wrong again because she makes an assumption which is false. Because water runs down hill (as does any crap that the water washes down), you want to put the well on top of the hill so it will be clean and sanitary.
artsyguy65 over 3 years ago
I’ve long held the unsubstantiated theory that the nursery rhyme is the bowdlerized version of a darker true story…
Jack and Jill had to go up the hill because a rich and powerful land baron had bought up all the high ground and then constructed a dam on the only stream flowing into the valley. The kids were the leaders of a student protest movement and were starting a “Free the Fetch” direct-action campaign of radical non-compliance in order to overthrow the monopolistic trust company that was hoarding what should be a common-good shared resource.
Pinkerton Agents were escorting the couple off the private property when Jack “accidentally” fell and suffered severe head trauma. Jill claimed to have been detained and sexually assaulted before being roughly thrown off the premises but the local magistrate (the land baron’s son-in-law) summarily determined her story to be without merit.
A local balladeer wrote a stirring protest song that championed the couple’s actions but under mysterious circumstances he shortly decided to sell the rights to the song to a publishing company owned by the land baron. A hastily released version with gentler melody and revised lyrics is the basis for what we know today. The actual details are lost to the mists of time, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
dwane.scoty1 over 3 years ago
Cynthia thanks you for the above posts & has ordered Mz, Lanham to enter them into future instruction outline. ⭐️⭐️
cdward over 3 years ago
There this comic goes again, making me learn new stuff. I admit, I did not know what a fog harp is.
LOLBeth over 3 years ago
It’s usually illustrated with a picture of a well on the top of a lone standing hill, which also make no sense.
I always figured that it was the first hill in a set of foothills, with mountains on the far side and a spring emerging some distance up the slope. That would make sense.
Michael G. over 3 years ago
Revisionism. It’s the thing for those who are unhappy with what actually happened.
Cactus-Pete over 3 years ago
Cynthia is wrong again because she makes an assumption which is false. Because water runs down hill (as does any crap that the water washes down), you want to put the well on top of the hill so it will be clean and sanitary.
Stephen Gilberg over 3 years ago
With the first panel, I thought, “What’s so odd about fetching a pail of water?”
paullp Premium Member over 3 years ago
Heard this one long ago:
Jack and Jill went up the hill,
Jill was a bootlegger’s daughter.
Jill came down with a two-dollar bill,
She sold something she hadn’t oughta.
And here’s another explanation of the more familiar version: http://www.rhymes.org.uk/jack_and_jill.htm