Goosey, Goosey Gander

Goosey goosey gander,
Whither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who wouldn't say his prayers,
So I took him by his left leg
And threw him down the stairs

This traditional rhyme was first published in 1784

It is thought to date from the time of the English Reformation when Henry VIII separated the English church from Rome. Many people were still secret Catholics and often had 'bolt holes' or 'priest holes' built into their rooms where visiting Catholic priests could hide if the building were searched.