Pussy Cat Pussy Cat

"Pussy Cat Pussy Cat Where Have You Been" was first published in London in "Songs for the Nursery" in 1805, though its origins are generally believed to trace back to 16th-century Tudor England and the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603). One popular story suggests that a cat belonging to a lady-in-waiting roamed Windsor Castle, and during one instance, the cat's tail brushed against Queen Elizabeth I's foot as it ran beneath the throne, startling her—"Good Queen Bess" is said to have possessed a sense of humor and allowed the cat to remain in the throne room, provided it kept the area free of mice. Another theory links the rhyme to an incident where Queen Elizabeth I was reportedly frightened by a mouse in her dress. While Queen Elizabeth I is the most common association, some sources propose that the Queen referenced could be Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821), wife of King George IV. The melody widely recognized today for the rhyme was first documented in 1870 by composer and collector James William Elliott in his work "National Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs." The rhyme's enduring charm lies in the playful exchange between questioner and cat, with the cat having visited the Queen but being more interested in frightening a mouse than in royal grandeur.