The Complete Version of Ye three Blind Mice

Having enjoyed reading about this book over at Vintage Jane, I was surprise and delighted to walk into The Winchester Bookshop and find a copy of the exact same book! How’s that for a strange coincidence? It was published fifty-odd years ago so there can't be that many copies around. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't read about it a few days earlier or would I have found it anyway? I have no idea but the decision to buy was made almost before I saw it!

This is one of those familiar nursery rhymes most of us take for granted. But, have you ever thought about the words?

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 thing in your life,

As three blind mice?

The cruelty of the farmer’s wife is bad enough but have you considered how the mice lost their sight? The illustrations in The Complete Version of Ye three Blind Mice by John W. Ivimey are illuminating (excuse the pun!)

Three small mice

pined for some fun

They made up their minds to set out to roam; 

Said they, "'Tis dull to remain at home," 

And all the luggage they took was a comb, 

These three small mice.

Three bold mice,

Came to an inn.

“Good evening, Host, can you give us a bed”,

But the host he grinned and he shook his head.

So they all slept out in a field instead,

These three bold mice.

Three cold mice,
Woke up next morn.
They each had a cold and a swollen face,
Through sleeping all night in an open space;
So they rose quite early and left the place,
These three cold mice.

Three hungry mice,

Searched for some food.

But all they found was a walnut shell,

That lay by the side of a dried up well;

Who has eaten the nut they could not tell,

Three hungry mice.

Three starved mice,

Came to a farm.

The farmer was eating some bread and cheese;

So they all went down on their hands and knees,

And squeaked, “pray, give us a morsel please,”

These three starved mice.

Three glad mice,

Ate all they could.

They felt so happy they danced with glee;

But the farmer’s wife came in to see,

What might this merry-making be

Of three glad mice.

Three poor mice,

Soon changed their tone.

The farmer’s wife said, “What are you at,

And why were you capering round like that? 

Just wait a minute: I’ll fetch the cat”

Oh dear!  Poor mice.

Three sad mice,

What could they do?

The bramble hedge was most unkind:

It scratched their eyes and made them blind,

And soon each mouse went out of his mind,

These three sad mice.

Three blind mice,

See how they run.

They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with the carving knife.

Did you ever see such a sight in your life

As three blind mice?

Three sick mice,

Gave way to tears

They could not see and they had no end;

They sought a chemist and found a friend

He gave them some “Never too late to mend”

These three sick mice.

Three wise mice,

Rubbed, rubbed away

And soon their tails began to grow,

And their eyes recovered their sight, you know;

They looked in the glass and it told them so.

These three wise mice.

Three proud mice,

Soon settled down.

The name of their house I cannot tell,

But they've learnt a trade and are doing well.

If you call upon them, ring the bell

Three times twice.

This gruesome tale is supposedly based on the life of Queen Mary 1, the daughter of King Henry VIII and the wife of Philip II of Spain. Mary was known for her persecution of Protestants and her attempt to reinstate Catholicism in England. When three Protestant bishops were convicted of plotting against Mary, she had them burnt at the stake. However, it was mistakenly believed that she had them blinded and dismembered, as is inferred in the rhyme. 

The Complete Version of Ye three Blind Mice is now sold, thank you for your interest. 

I was looking around to see if I could find any ‘mouse related’ items to use in my pictures. I only came up with an old T-Towel and a little ceramic mouse eating strawberries. I thought it worked quite well until I noticed the fox on the left of the picture appears to be stalking the mouse. Maybe it’s not the perfect picture after all. Just think what might have become of the three blind mice had they encountered a fox!

I used to sing the three blind mice to my son without giving the words a thought.  Is it something you sing to your children or grandchildren?