Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye,
And a long tail, which she left fly;
And every time she went over a gap,
She left a bit of her tail in a trap.

Who or what is Mother Twitchett?

(In reply to Answer (spoiler) by Vernon Lewis)

Yes!
I had in mind:

"Make hay when the sun shines"
and in the same entry:
"A stitch in time save nine"

without actually defining the old lady.

Reflection: I note that in Aussie schools it is rare to see such things as this in children's reading materials.    Similarly, the "Old Mother Goose" nursery rhymes are little known by most children.  'Tis a sorry state of affairs, the history bound up in them! 

Posted by brianjn on 2006-07-08 22:21:15