An early favourite was “Il était un petit navire”.
In verse one we are introduced to this little boat which has never been on a sea voyage. So far so good. Verse two sees the little boat making a long trip on the mediterranean. All positive. Around verse three things start to get less good. After five or six weeks the food starts to run out. Verse four is ominous, the crew draw straws to decide who should be eaten. Then in verse five we learn that the young cabin boy (since you ask mousse is the French for cabin boy) has drawn the short straw. But it is in verse six that we come to the essence of la belle France, there is a long dispute as to which sauce the cabin boy should be served with and I note that in the version I have linked to there is also a discussion as
to how he should be cooked (fried, perhaps?) which is lacking from our CD. Concerned readers will be relieved to hear that the virgin Mary comes to the rescue in verses seven/eight by piling the ship up with fish which leap on board.
on 17 July 2005 at 23:34
Good grief.
It’s like the wreck of the Medusa. And this is a nursery rhyme?
The French really toughen their kids up early.
Maybe that’s the answer. Hm. I’ll try and put Silence of the Lambs to rhyme, so I can teach it to my kids when I have them….. 
on 18 July 2005 at 10:46
there is a french nursery rhyme, about plucking a birds head isnt there
on 18 July 2005 at 11:34
Resistance is futile… pun away or be assimilated into the 20sixcollective
on 18 July 2005 at 12:32
Just consider the topic of ‘eating young seamen’ and fill in the blanks yourself ……
on 18 July 2005 at 19:13
Gold star Amy, alouette (sp?) features bird plucking. It’s a strange country.
Pog, Jack, go stand on the naughty step.
on 21 July 2005 at 00:28
NO!!! I won’t, I won’t I won’t! And you can’t make me 😛
[stamps foot: considers lying down with a (clean) nappy over head and having a good, old-fashioned, cathartic bawl]