The Enduring Mystery of "Three Blind Mice"

How did it ever become a nursery ryhme?

Three blind micePhoto byCartoon by Lambert-King

How some nursery rhymes make it into our culture is beyond me. The one I’ll address today is Three Blind Mice. On a future date, I might delve into Three Men in a Tub. Of course, I’m a little afraid to google that one. It sounds like something that might show up in some police vice squad records. So, one to Three Blind Mice.

Did the farmer’s wife act in self-defense?

Let’s take a look at the official record:

Three blind mice. Three blind mice.

See how they run. See how they run.

They all ran after the farmer’s wife,

Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.

Did you ever see such a sight in your life

As three blind mice?

Really not much to go on, is there? But the account does say that they ran after the farmer’s wife. Why? Were their lives threatened? Were they being abused? Will the DA prosecute either party?

And what about the farmer’s wife? Was it really necessary to cut off their tails. Or was that a punitive action meant to humiliate the mice? It would seem if she was able to cut off the tail of all three of the mice, she had the situation well in hand.

The original of the story may not be pretty

There is some speculation that the “farmer’s wife” was actually Queen Mary I of England and the three blind mice were three Protestant bishops, Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer who were blinded by Protestantism. Of course, physically, they weren’t blinded, they were burned at the stake.

And I have no idea how their tails being cut off was a thing.

A tale of Redemption

There is a fleshed-out version of the story called The Complete Version of Ye Three Blind Mice. It was published in 1904 a follows the tail of the mice, from their misspent youth to their demise and ultimate redemption. An inspiring tale.