It was first mentioned by John Clarke in English proverbs collection from 1639,

“Jack will eat not fat, and Jull doth love no leane,
Yet betwixt them both they lick the dishes cleane”.

Later on, around 1765, it was collected in a nursery songs book, the “Mother Goose’s Melody “

Historically, there are many theories about the character of Jack Sprat, but there are no many evidences to support those suppositions. So Jack Sprat could refer to King Charles I, this story being about a conflict between the King and the Parliament of the time. It is said the King intended a war against Spain and the Parliament didn’t support its costs. In this condition, he dissolved the Parliament, and his wife Queen Henrietta Maria, illegally laid on a “war tax” from citizens.

The Jack Sprat could also be related with the Robin Hood Legend, and the story of King John and his brother Richard I, both characters portrayed in the famous legend.

Another theory relates the Jack Sprat’s character with Prince John and the story of his marriage with Joan, which ended up canceled. Attempting at England’s crown, John was involved in a plan, together with Duke Leopold, of taking King Richard captive and asking in change a 150,000 marks ransom. He had to raise the price, and then to pay the rescue, so he was left hard up. The marriage with his ambitious wife was cancelled, and after the King’s death John was crowned.

“Jack Sprat” Lyrics

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
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

The meaning of the proverb is that it is not enough to wish upon something, you have to take action if you want it to happen.

A similar proverb was first recorded in the “Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine” published by William Camden (1551–1623) “If wishes were thrushes beggers would eat”. The first version of the proverb, closed to the modern version, was published in the Scottish Proverbs, Collected and Arranged by James Kelly, in 1721.

The rhyme as it is known today was published in James Orchard Halliwell’s English Nursery Rhymes collection around 1840s. It had a different last line, meant to encourage the children working more and questioning less:” If if’s and and’s were pots and pans, there’d surely be dishes to do”

“If wishes were horses” Lyrics

If wishes were horses
Beggars would ride:
If turnips were watches
I would wear one by my side.
And if if’s and an’s were pots and pans,
The tinker would never work!

The words of this meaningful say, can teach our children the simple fact that each of our actions, no matter how unimportant we think they are, will have a consequence. Sometimes, something such insignificant like a nail could cause such a big trouble like the loss of a kingdom.

There are different variations of the proverb going around; the first mention of it was related to the King Richard III’s death during the Battle of Bosworth. The story was illustrated in William Shakespeare’s history play Richard III, dating back to around 1591.

The proverb is having its origins in the famous sentence said by the King “A Horse! A Horse! My Kingdom for a Horse!” referring to the moment when his horse was borne down on the battlefield.

Later on, in the 20th century the American novelist Richard Baldwin includes a short version of “For Want of a Nail” proverb in his work “Fifty Famous People”, also referring at King Richard’s Battle of Bosworth from August 1485. There is a very similar French version of this proverb that appeared roughly in the same period.

“For Want of a Nail” Lyrics

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.