The name "Jack Sprat" was used of people of small stature in the 16th century. An alternative explanation comes from the popular
Robin Hood legend, applying it to the disliked
King John and his greedy queen
Isabella. The saying entered the canon of English nursery rhymes when it was printed in ''
Mother Goose's Melody'' around 1765, but it may have been adopted for use with children much earlier. ==Notes==