There Was a Crooked Man (song)

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There was a Crooked Man is an English nursery rhyme.

There was a crooked man,

and he walked a crooked mile.

He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat,

which caught a crooked mouse,

and they all lived together in a crooked little house.

[edit] Origin

It has been suggested^[1] that the rhyme refers to Charles I's rule over England, Scotland and Ireland. Specifically, it has been suggested that the "crooked man" whose story is told in the rhyme is actually Alexander Leslie, while the stile is the border between England and Scotland, the house being a symbol of agreement between the opposing forces and groups.

[edit] Trivia

• A reference to the "Crooked House" is made in Agatha Christie's 1949 novel of the same name.
• The rhyme is also adapted in a manga by Kaori Yuki.

[edit] References

1. Possible origin of rhyme