“Little Jack Horner” is a nursery rhyme that dates back to the 18th century. The rhyme goes like this:
Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner
Eating his Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, “What a good boy am I!”
The rhyme tells the story of a boy named Jack Horner who was given a Christmas pie to eat. As he ate the pie, he stuck his thumb into it and pulled out a plum. Jack was so pleased with himself for finding the plum that he declared, “What a good boy am I!”
The origins of the rhyme are unclear, and there are different interpretations of its meaning. Some people believe that the rhyme is a political satire that refers to a man named Thomas Horner, who lived in the 16th century and was a steward for the Bishop of Glastonbury. According to this interpretation, Horner was sent to London with a Christmas pie that contained the deeds to twelve manors. Horner allegedly removed the deeds from the pie and presented them to King Henry VIII, thereby earning himself one of the manors. The line “What a good boy am I!” in the rhyme is referred to Horner’s self-congratulatory attitude.
Regardless of its origins, “Little Jack Horner” remains a popular nursery rhyme that is often sung and recited by children.