儿歌—Little Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner Eating his Christmas pie, He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum And said "What a good boy am I!"

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歌曲来源及背景:  

16th Century History origin of the Little Jack Horner story?
      小杰克霍纳被认为是主理国务的格拉斯顿伯里主教Richard Whiting (1461 - 1539)，皇室总管作为重要职位主要是负责管理皇室、征收税款和增加国库。

教会、皇室与金钱
     格拉斯顿伯里（Glastonbury ）坐落着英格兰最大的且最富有的教会，这个本笃会修道院 （ Benedictine Monastery ）自己拥有大片的田地和萨摩塞特郡（Somerset）的庄园。 1536至1540间,亨利八世和托马斯克伦威尔解散教会后就归为英格兰教会，教会财富及田产是成为主要起因。

贿赂
     据传国王曾尝试贿赂主教，将英国各地12处庄园地契送给Richard Whiting，这些契书都藏在派饼中(valuables were often hidden in this bizarre fashion to thwart thieves).。Whiting (Little Jack Horner) 认为贿赂的错误行径称偷窃了萨摩塞特郡的庄园 (it being the real 'plum' of the twelve manors).

叛国（Traitor ）与死刑（Execution）

    The remaining eleven manors were given to the crown but to no avail. The old Bishop was convicted of treason for remaining loyal to Rome. The jury included his treacherous steward Horner who found Bishop Whiting guilty and sent the old man to a terrible death of being hung, drawn and quartered on Glastonbury Tor. The Abbey was destroyed. Following the destruction of the abbey the steward, Horner moved into the Manor of Mells. Whether Horner actually stole the deeds to the Manor or was rewarded with them for helping to convict the Bishop of Glastonbury is not known but the Manor of Mells became the property of the Horner family who lived there until the 20th century.

The first publication date for the lyrics to the Little Jack Horner rhyme is 1725.

在《The History of Jack Horner》的小册子中包括 Witty Pranks在青年至成熟期的剧作 ，是民间歌谣的一种变体。 然而这是以《The Fryer and the Boy》早期故事为基础建立的, 这里也仅仅用了Jack Horner的名字而已。

最早的公众版本为Namby Pamby, Henry Carey 民谣出版于1725, 斜体部分为原始版本:

Now he sings of Jackey Horner

Sitting in the Chimney-Corner

Eating of a Christmas pye,

Putting in his thumb, Oh fie!

Putting in, Oh fie! his Thumb

Pulling out, Oh strange! a Plum.[3]

  一战前后用此儿歌宣传日本的野心。

    Little Jack Horner"描绘当时日本帝国:小日本霍纳把剑插入派, 而不是他的拇指, 另只手抓着俄国战舰。

    漫画下方配诗: Little Jap Horner Sat in a corner Holding a Russian pie. He made a big dip, Pulled out a huge ship, And said, "For the others I'll try."

词语溯源：

    corner [ ˈkɔ:nə(r) ] n. 角落，角; 拐角; 困境; [商]囤积

            源自盎格鲁法语cornere (古法语corniere), 源自古法语corne "horn, corner," 源自拉丁语*corna, 源自拉丁语 cornua, 复数形式cornu "projecting point, end, horn,"印欧词根*ker- (1) "horn; head, uppermost part of the body"

    thumb [ θʌm ] 拇指; （手套的）拇指部份

             古英语þuma, 源自古日耳曼语*thumon-，字面意思 "the stout or thick (finger)," 源自印欧词根*tum- "swell," 。 13世纪拼写时加-b 。

   plum  [ plʌm ] 李子，李树; 李属植物; 葡萄干; 紫红色

              古英语plume "plum, plum tree," 源自拉丁语*pruna, 源自拉丁语prunum "plum," 源自希腊语prounon,
   traitor  [ ˈtreɪtə(r) ] 卖国贼; 叛徒; 背叛者; 背信弃义的人

               源自古法语traitor, traitre "traitor, villain, deceiver" (11c., Modern French traître), 源自拉丁语traditor "betrayer," 字面意思 "one who delivers," ag tradere 的词干"deliver, surrender"