Goosey, goosey gander
Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither shall I wander?
Upstairs, and downstairs,
And in my lady’s chamber.
There I met an old man
Who wouldn’t say his prayers!
I took him by the left leg
And threw him down the stairs.
Origin
Liane Collins from the UK has told me of this possible origin.
“Goosey goosey gander relates to closet Catholics in the 16th century, hence ‘left foot’. The upstairs and downstairs refers to the hunt for priest holes and priests (old man) and their refusal to conform to the new protestant or common prayer book (say his prayers). Once found they were arrested, (usually along with the family) and sentenced to death.”