In the summer of 1925, Janacek began an unusual work which, like the woodwind composition Mladi, demonstrates the elderly composer's empathy with the young, and in this instance especially, with children: his setting of Rikadla (Nursery Rhymes) for chamber choir and instrumental group. Janacek was inspired to the composition of these pieces by some nonsense verses featured on the children's page of the Lidove noviny a Czech newspaper, accompanied by drawings by Josef Lada. (Similarly, The Cunning Little Vixen had its origins in a comic strip).
Behind the apparent simplicity and nonsense of these nursery rhymes something vaguely sinister lurks, a world of innocence and nightmares, superstition and rural lifestyle, the personification of farmyard animals and morbid delight in the woeful fate of others. One is left with the feeling of having made more than a mere nostalgic excursion into the composer's childhood.
In 1925 Janacek set only eight of these rhymes for three mezzo-soprano voices, clarinet and piano; but in 1927 he added ten more, rescoring the work for a chamber choir of nine singers and an ensemble of nine players. The rhymes are based on Czech, Moravian and Transcarpathian folk texts. Witty and brilliantly scored, the set is framed by an introduction and a postlude. Janacek's extraordinary sense of rhythm and unique sense of humour are evident everywhere: each of these little pieces is a delight.

X THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WEAVING SPELLS ...

There was an old woman weaving spells,
turning barley into groats,
raw millet into shelled,
those were her magic tricks.

XI EE BA GUM, T'COWS DO CUM ...

Ee ba gum, t'cows do cum,
carrying milk reight under t'watter,
carrying 'alf a jug o'milk.
Weer be ahr young 'eifer?
Reight beside God's church.
Church falls dahn, barn's on fire,

jump in t'watter, lass,
tha'It find some gold beads there.
Why sh'd ah jump in
an get me skirts all wet?
Where'd ah dry them?
In t'shepherd's 'ut, in t'corner,
ovver 'is green stick.

XII LITTLE WEE WIFE OF MINE ...

Little wee wife of mine.
I'll put her in the pot,
cover her over with the lid
so she'll boil nicely in the soup.

XIII GRANNY'S GONE OFF TO THE LILAC BUSH ...

Granny's gone off to the lilac bush,
I'll go in behind her,
Wherever she goes, I'll go too,
then there'll be the two of us!

XIV THE WHITE GOAT PICKS UP THE PEARS ...

The white goat picks up the pears,
the piebald shakes them down,
the white one will carry them
to Kolìn town tomorrow.

XV GRUMPY GERMAN SMASHED THE POTS ...

Grumpy German smashed the pots,
chucked the bits across the green,
off the green into the pond,
Crafty German, telling lies.

XVI NANNY GOAT'S LYING IN THE HAY

Nanny goat's lying in the hay,
having a laugh at me,
I'll go and catch her by her beard
and take her off to Brod.
In Brod they've got no goats,
sup their milk with a cobbler's awl,
slice their bread with axes,
chop their wood with bellows!

XVII TED, FRED, DRUMMER BOY ...

Ted, Fred, drummer boy,
drove his goats out past the pond;
the goats bolted
and jumped into the water.

XVIII LITTLE FRANK, LITTLE FRANK ...

Little Frank, little Frank,
porridge and milk is fine,
even better porridge and cream -
but there'll be none left for you.

XIX BRUIN SAT UPON A LOG

Bruin sat upon a log,
cutting out his trousers;
log tips up,
Bruin growls:
Whoops-a-daisy, mucky thing,
what a mucky little thing!