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What might be the strangest thing seen riding on the back of a goose? It might be Humpty Dumpty! On the cover of the 1890 Little Mother Goose card game by Parker Brothers is shown Humpty Dumpty with a whip and rope riding on the back of a goose. The approximate 4X6 inch box makes for an interesting and fun display for any collection.
Inside the box are 15 pairs of cards, one single Mother Goose card, and instructions. The game is played similar to Old Maid. All cards are dealt one by one to players. Once dealt, each player matches any cards in their hands and sets them aside. The dealer then picks a card from the player’s hand on his right. If it is a match, he sets it aside, and it is the next player’s turn.
Player’s take turn picking cards from the hands of players on their right and setting aside any matches they are able. A player is out if cards from their hand are all matched. The LOSER of the game is the player left holding the single Mother Goose card after all cards are matched.
Each of the pair of cards in this game feature a nursery rhyme. Like the 1887 Mcloughlin Mother Goose’s Party Game, it is like a nursery rhyme book inside a box. The rhymes featured in the antique Parker Brothers’ game are:
- Little Jack Horner – Sat in a Corner
- Three Wise Men of Gotham – Went to sea in a bowl
- Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater – Had a wife and couldn’t keep her
- There was a Piper had a cow – And he had naught to give her
- Tom Tom the Piper’s son – Stole a pig and away he ran
- Sing a song of six pence pocket full of rye – Four and twenty black birds baked in a pie
- Polly put the kettle on – And well all take tea
- See Saw – Marjorie Daw
- Jack and Jill – went up the hill
- Ding Dong Dell – Pussy’s in the well
- Bah Bah! Black sheep – Have you any wool
- Mary Mary quite Contrarie – How does your garden grow?
- Curly Locks Curly Locks – wilt thou be mine
- Old King Cole – was a merry old soul
- Jack Sprat could eat not fat – His wife could eat no lean
Play a game, any game today!
