Artemisfit Jack And Jill follows siblings Jill and Jack after they are sent by their mother to stay with their aunt and uncle in the countryside, uncertain as to why. Soon enough they begin meeting local country boys; with their help Jill uncovers an upsetting truth behind Jack’s silence.
The tune ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’, popularised this rhyme. It also became part of other traditional English nursery songs. The rhyme dates back to the 18th century but its exact source remains unknown; Roud Folk Song Index classifies it as number 10266 with multiple verses available for consideration; one such verse can be found included in John Newbery’s Mother Goose Melody Reprint published in 1765 but its archaic language and repeated use of “water/after” suggest its age may have predated this publication date.
Since 1938, the National Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated has focused on “cultural commitment”. Each chapter’s primary emphasis is culture first (with education, health, civic participation and social/recreational issues as secondary considerations) without fearing to tackle controversial subjects like Black genocide and slavery; indeed the organization has donated millions to pro-Black groups such as Africare, United Negro College Fund and King Center for Nonviolent Social Change as proponents.