Collection Information: Pretty Ponies was collected on May 17th , 2014 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. It belongs to the folkloric genre called lullabies.
Informant Data: Elinor Beitler is an American from outside of Chicago, IL. She is 19 years old and is studying engineering and environmental studies at Dartmouth College. She is a sophomore. She is Jewish, but with broad family origins, including Irish, German, and Russian.
Text:
“Hush-a-bye-
Don’t you cry
Go to sleep you little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Dapples and bays
Pintos and grays
All the pretty little ponies
Context: Elinor has a twin sister, and to get them to go to bed, their mother would sing them many different lullabies. This lullaby is a version of a relatively common lullaby that her mother used, it was not made up by her family. It is in general knowledge.
Meaning and Interpretation: This classic folkloric piece covers all the bases of a mellow and calming lullaby. It specifically mentions the action of going to sleep and entreats the child to do just that, while promising an amazing reward for doing so. The lyrics depicting ponies, which are associated with feminine and pleasant thoughts, are soothing in and of themselves. It does not have significance within the family.
Collector’s Information: Ben Wood, Dartmouth ’16, Russian 13, Professor Mikhail Gronas, Spring 2014
