I am finishing a graduate thesis on folklore old and new with an emphasis on hidden symbolism through the years. A book that has helped more than all the others in this study is: Robert Darnton's, "The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes of French Cultural History." It may not have the specific Nursery Rhymes but it is a wonderful source on the creation of folksayings and tales. It is still in publication. It deals with the more "common" aspects of life that lead to such stories and songs being created. Another approach that I have taken is reading Jung and see what he says about symbols such as "falling down," etc. It's fasinating. It is great to see an interest in these things! I am happy to discuss my findings and am currently looking for employment in the museum field. Cheers, Stephanie ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).