Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary and Mother Goose plan the garden around Oscar's trash can.

Oscar quite contrary.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary is an English nursery rhyme with no clear origins and meaning that was first published in the mid 18th century. Some believe the rhyme is a religious allegory of Catholicism, while others believe it is a reference to Mary, Queen of Scots or Mary I of England.

The most common form of the rhyme is:

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.”

References

• Mary Mary Quite Contrary makes a garden around Oscar's trash can in Sesame Street Episode 4198.

• Baby Piggy takes on the role of Mary in the Muppet Babies episode "Goosetown Babies."

• The Babies take on the rhyme once again in the Big Book of Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales.

• Rock-a-bye Babies features the Sesame Street Babies acting out the rhyme.

• Oscar the Grouch plays "Oscar, Oscar, quite contrary" in the On My Way with Sesame Street volume "Just Pretend." In the rhyme his garden grows with sardine cans, old tin pans and spider webs all in a row.

• Mary appears in Sesame Street Episode 3326 performed by Camille Bonora.

• The story was adapted for the Mother Goose Stories episode "Mary Mary."