Goosey, Goosey, Gander
Goosey, goosey, gander,
Where shall I wander?
Upstairs, downstairs,
And in my lady’s chamber.
There I met an old man,
Who wouldn’t say his prayers;
Take him by the left leg,
And throw him down the stairs.
Origin and Meaning
The origin of Goosey, Goosey Gander is surprisingly dark. The most common explanation links the rhyme to the English Civil War in the mid-seventeenth century. During Oliver Cromwell’s rule, Catholicism was forbidden in England, and anyone caught practicing the faith risked imprisonment or execution.
Cromwell’s Soldiers
Cromwell’s soldiers were said to march in a rigid “goose-step” — echoed in the opening line, Goosey, goosey gander. They searched houses for hidden Catholic priests, especially in wealthy or noble households where secret worship continued. In the event of a raid, priests were hidden in specially constructed “priest holes,” sometimes located near private chapels, behind wall panels, or in more secluded rooms in the house. The line “in my lady’s chamber” may refer to one such hiding place.
In this interpretation, the “old man who wouldn’t say his prayers” is not simply stubborn — he is refusing to say the Anglican prayer in English rather than the Latin Catholic prayer. That refusal marked him as a Catholic priest.
Why the Left Leg?
The curious instruction to “take him by the left leg” may also have a meaning. In parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, Catholics were historically called “left-footers.” One suggested origin is that Catholic laborers were said to dig using their left foot, while Protestant laborers used the right. Whether or not that’s true, the distinction stuck as a nickname — and the rhyme may reflect that divide.
1. A simple retelling
A goose wanders through a house, searching upstairs and downstairs, and finds an old man who refuses to say his prayers. The goose reacts by throwing him down the stairs.
2. The characters
- Main character: The goose (or speaker).
- Others: An old man hiding in a room.
3. Setting
A large house with multiple rooms and floors, including a private chamber.
4. Theme
Search, authority, and consequences.
5. Moral
No clear moral, though it hints at punishment for disobedience or refusing expected behavior.
