Ring-a-Ring o' Roses

Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of poses,
Atishoo, Atishoo,
We all fall down.
 

This rhyme was first published in 1881

It is thought to refer to the symptoms of the Bubonic plague which struck England at various times throughout the Middle Ages, but most notoriously in 1348 and 1665. One of the first symptoms of the disease was a ring of red spots, while a posy of herbs was carried to help prevent the disease. Sneezing was the first sign that you had caught the pneumonic form of plague. Death was the most usual prognosis for those who caught the disease.