This was not one of my favorite rhymes when I was little, because I felt sad for Old Mother Hubbard and her dog. It was hard for me to imagine having no food in your cupboard, not even a bone for your poor dog. Note: In Sharrie’s comment below, she points out that there are additional verses that are actually funny. (also see Wikipedia article).
Ruby McKim’s drawing for this one is pretty cute, although I don’t understand why she assumes the dog is old as well. Where does it say that?
Mother Goose Quiltie Pattern #15
Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone.
But when she got there, the cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
Poor Old Mother Hubbard! About all she has is her dog, and now the cupboard is bare and she can’t even find a bone for him. If he wasn’t so old he could go out and find one for himself, but he just sits as you see him in this Quiltie and begs Old Mother Hubbard. All the kind hearted boys and girls will be sorry and will always be good to the dogs when they think of this little Quiltie.
I always liked this rhyme. It’s the additional verses that are funny. The old lady would leave to get something for the dog and he would always being doing something comical when she returned.
She went to the hatter’s
To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding her cat.
She went to the barber’s
To buy him a wig
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.
So in my young mind, she was trying to do nice things for the dog and the dog was very smart! I thought it was funny.
Those are funny! I should have checked Wikipedia, because there are lots of other funny verses. It’s completely changed my opinion about the rhyme.