The first verse of Little Bo-Peep is still a well-known nursery rhyme, although the Opies print a text with five. The first known texts date only from the early years of the 19th century, but a version of the song ‘Yankee Doodle’, printed in 1777, has a close analogy commencing ‘Our Jemima's lost her mare’, and the term ‘Bo-Peep’ (usually referring to a nursery game) is considerably older. As for the nursery rhyme, however, nothing more can be said about its origins or early development, until further evidence is discovered.
Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.
- Opie and Opie, 1997: 107-8
