Here is another in our series of ‘lessons in legalese’ from nursery rhymes…
Hush-A-Bye-Baby,
Upon the tree top
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall
Down will come cradle,
Baby and all.
..
Order of the Court
It shall be deemed mandatory for the infant in question to desist and refrain from vocal demonstrations while reposing in the uppermost regions of said tree.
The climatic conditions are such as to effect winds of such nature and to such extent that they will create an oscillating movement in the sleeping accommodation of said infant.
Such meteorological conditions shall induce the fracturing of the branch supporting said facility thereby ultimately causing the rapid descent of same.
There shall be a downward plunge of the sleeping apparatus, bringing with it the reposed infant perilously contained within, along with all objects, paraphernalia, and debris directly related to the above-mentioned items.
.
Credit: from the wonderful book The Legal Guide to Mother Goose, translated by Don Sandburg, published by Price/Stern/Sloan, Los Angeles, 1979.
