Jack and Jill Trivia Quiz

Here are the words to the version I used, which is the most common.

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper;
Went to bed to mend his head
With vinegar and brown paper.

A third verse is sometimes added in which Jill, rather unkindly, laughs at Jack's misfortune. She gets whipped by her mother for this, indicating that the pair were brother and sister.

Pail is another word for a bucket. At the time of the rhyme, it would probably have been made from wood.

The rhyme is believed to date from the mid eighteenth century, as it is found in printed documents from then. Some theories say it could be earlier.

The water they were fetching would probably have been from a well. Although wells are often situated in valleys and lower down, underground water can be found higher up. It just depends on where the source is relative to the ground.

The crown in the rhyme doesn't mean the type worn by kings and queens. In this case, it means part of the head, the area at the top and towards the back of the skull. Jack probably didn't really break this part, as that would be a serious injury. Jill is also described as 'tumbling down' but seems to have escaped lightly.

Since Jack was able to get up and 'trot' home, it seems he didn't hurt himself too badly. If he'd knocked himself out (lost consciousness) in the fall, he would have needed rescuing.

The rhyme is believed to date from the mid eighteenth century, as it is found in printed documents from then. Some theories say it could be earlier.

'As fast as he could caper' also tells us Jack was well enough to move. Caper, in this sense, refers to skipping along, although it's likely the word was chosen so it would rhyme in this case.

The rhyme doesn't seem to be about anyone in particular, although some researchers have tried to find links to real people.

Going to bed for a rest after his fall is the best thing that Jack could do. A good sleep in his own bed will help him feel better.

We know from earlier in the rhyme that Jack had injured his head. The treatment described seems to indicate that he had bruised it or made it bleed, rather than breaking any bones.

Very early versions use the spelling Gill instead of Jill, which may refer to another boy rather than a girl, a theory supported by illustrations showing two boys.

Although it sounds odd to us, vinegar was used as a home remedy for bruises and open wounds. Vinegar is a dilute acid, acetic acid, which would kill germs and keep the wound clean. It would also sting really badly, but it would have been effective.

The brown paper is equivalent to today's sticking plaster, or band-aid, depending on where you're from. The paper would help to keep the wound clean and keep the vinegar in place to aid in healing.

It probably did look funny, though, so no wonder Jill laughed. The verse about her reaction refers to Jack's 'paper plaster'. She suffered for it, though, as her mother blamed her for the 'disaster' which befell Jack.