Jack Sprat 

Original Rhyme 

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean;
And so, betwixt them both, you see .
They licked the platter clean.

 Please note: Legends are historical stories within the category of folklore in which the "facts" are not verified. Some might be true, other facts might not. 


According to some legends, Jack Sprat might have been King Charles I who ruled England from 1625 to 1649. King Charles represented by Jack Sprat declared war on Spain but parliament refused to give him the money to wage the war..thus leaving him "lean." His wife, Henrietta Maria found some way of getting the money he needed (getting some fat.) So:  Jack Sprat could get no fat,  His wife couldn't tolerate lean.
So they came up with a plan to get the money from the country (platter).

Another legend says that the rhyme relates to King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) and his brother John (who married a greedy woman named Joan). The rhyme has extra verses.  When John was crowned King after the death of Richard, he annulled his marriage to Joan.

The expanded version of the rhyme:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
And so betwixt the two of them
They licked the platter clean

Jack ate all the lean,
Joan ate all the fat.
The bone they picked it clean,
Then gave it to the cat

Jack Sprat was wheeling,
His wife by the ditch.
The barrow turned over,
And in she did pitch.

Says Jack, "She'll be drowned!"
But Joan did reply,
"I don't think I shall,
For the ditch is quite dry.".