Parents 'spooked' after making chilling realisation about Little Bo-Peep

If you don't want your childhood ruined, I'd advise looking away now as parents have been left well and truly 'spooked' after making a pretty chilling realisation about 'Little Bo-Peep'

The nursery rhyme in question, which allegedly originated in16th century England and was passed down verbally for many generations before being written down in 1805, actually has quite a gory story behind it.

Understandably, parents would have probably never expected such a grim tale to follow the children's rhyme which starts off innocently enough with: " Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep, / And can't tell where to find them."

'Little Bo-Peep' dates way back to the 16th century. (NNehring / Getty Images)

However, as the rhyme continues, it allegedly points to way darker themes than Bo-Peep frolicking in a field after losing sight of the fluffy animals.

The lyrics go on, telling a story of Bo-Peep leaving the sheep alone in the hopes that they'll come home 'bringing their tails behind them'.

Bo-Peep then falls 'fast sleep' and was 'determined' to find them but the next segment of the rhyme is far from a cheery ending.

The rhyme rounds off: "She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, / For they’d left their tails behind them. / It happened one day, as Bo-Peep did stray / Into a meadow hard by, / There she espied their tails, side by side, All hung on a tree to dry."

Us after reading the 'spooky' lyrics of the nursery rhyme. (Disney)

The mental image of a load of sheeps' bloody amputated tails all hung up on a tree is a million miles away from what we thought...

Clearly disturbed by the gruesome scene before her, the rhyme ends with Bo-Peep heaving a 'heavy sigh' and wiping her eye before trying to find the sheep once again - only to 'tack' the tails back onto their behinds.

Grim.

One TikToker, who goes by the handle @brandon_hell online, has since shared the twisted full lyrics behind the popular children's nursery rhyme prompting many parents to share their reactions to the revelation with one writing: "Ohhh my that’s baaaaaaaad."

"OK but all nursery rhymes were based on tales to warn the children to stay in line or something like that," theorised a second while another hit out: "These old nursery rhymes are so spooky!"

And a final TikTok user sarcastically penned: "Thanks for ruining our childhoods!!"

Well, you can't say we didn't warn you!