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I am sure you are all familiar with the nursery rhyme below, but do you know the meaning behind it?

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

In fact the rhyme has acquired three competing historical explanations:
- A religious allegory of Catholicism (in support for its reinstatement or for its persecution)
“Silver bells”: The sanctus bells
“Cockleshells”: The badge of those performing the pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in Galicia, Spain.
- It concerns Mary Queen of Scots
“How does your garden grow”: Mary’s reign over her realm
“Silver bells”: The Catholic cathedral bells
“Cockle shells”: Suggesting Mary’s husband was unfaithful
“Pretty maids all in a row”: Mary’s ladies-in-waiting
- It concerns Mary I of England
“Silver bells”: Could refer to the instruments of torture used in the many executions under Mary I
“How does your garden grow”: Referring to Mary I’s womb which produced no heirs
“Pretty maids all in a row”: Concerns either her many miscarriages, her execution of Lady Jane Grey, or the many burnings of Protestants under her.

No one can be too sure which interpretation is correct, who knows...it could even be about r4ds cards!