Old MacDonald is the narrator and host in Mother Goose: Rhymes to the Rescue.
Background[]
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had some livestock
E-I-E-I-O
With a moo-moo here
And a neigh-neigh there
Here an oink, there a quack
Everywhere a bow-wow
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Old MacDonald is one reliable farmer. He is a hard worker, always tending his crops and animals. When he's not working, he can be seen riding through town on his horse, Marshall. The distasteful Ill Wills may not like what he does, but he doesn't like what they do either. And one thing's for sure, he can't give up on his friends in order to save Rhymeville. This country boy you can depend on.
Old Mac is a slender auburn haired man in blue overalls with a red handkerchief in his back pocket, a sky blue shirt, yellow rubber boots, and a straw hat with a red band. He carries a rake, not just for working in his garden, but also to fend off enemies.
Appearance[]
In the movie, Old MacDonald is seen taking a nap in a rocking chair on his farmhouse porch, then he wakes up introducing himself to the viewers as well as talking about Rhymeville; after that he tells the story. As he narrates, he is seen riding Marshall, his horse, through town after doing his chores.
He greets his fellow Rhymesters including Mary-Mary Quite Contrary, who thinks he's in love with her (but he just really likes her as a friend), then pays a visit to Mother Goose for a conversation without even noticing that they are being watched by Commander Will who plans to end all the rhymes. After the conversation, Old MacDonald says goodbye to Mother Goose and rides back to his farm for more work, promising to come back like always.
Old Mac even sings his rhyme as part of "The Nursery Rhyme Medley". As soon as the Ill Wills take control of Rhymeville, Old Mac watches a news interview by Ride A. Cockhorse about what is going on. Not believing what is going on, the farmer decides to save Mother Goose as Hickory Dickory Dock and the Itsy Bitsy Spider arrive.
Old Mac lets the mouse and the spider join him by giving them a ride on his hat, then after he mounts Marshall, he sees his entire farm running itself, which means he can't work anymore. He rides up to Mrs. Pumpkin-Eater, who got separated from Peter and wishes to help; Mr. MacDonald lets her join his team and ride with him on Marshall.
Along the way, they team up with Humpty Dumpty, Little Jack Horner, Mary, and her little lamb. When the gang comes to a river put by the Ill Wills, the Three Men offer their tub to get across. Then Old MacDonald and his posse team up with The Lion, the Unicorn, the Cat with the fiddle, the Cow that jumps over the moon, the Little Dog, the Dish, and the Spoon as they make it past every obstacle the Ill Wills set up for them.
Soon they decide to rest for the night while the farmer plays a banjo and wishes his dog, Bingo were with him, realizing that they need to believe in themselves in order to save their home. The next day, Old Mac and his gang wish Mary luck as she and her lamb head to school.
Once they hear about more of their friends being captured, Old Mac and his team follow Mary's lamb to find the paper fortress. They enter the fortress disguised as a giant centipede while the farmer somehow snatches the keys to the cells their friends are being help prisoner in; once inside, the rhymesters take off their disguise and free their friends.
The farmer tells Mary-Mary Quite Contrary that he's not really expecting any thanks. But before the Rhymesters can escape, the Ill Wills trap them refusing to let them continue their rhymes since the Wills hate rhymes and children. While Mother Goose goes after Commander Will, the Rhymesters take on the other Wills.
Old MacDonald attacks the papers by shredding them with his rake. As soon as all the Ill Wills are gone, Mother Goose decrees that she and her Rhymesters shall continue to do their rhymes. Old Mac gets kissed by Mary-Mary Quite Contrary who actually loved him the whole time. Old MacDonald is even seen at the celebration party in Old King Cole's castle; after the party, Old Mac and his friends return home to continue acting out their rhymes. At the end of the story, the farmer tells the viewers what he and friends just learned to save their rhymes and home.
Then he grabs his rake, saying he has to get back to work. He tells the viewers that they're welcome back to Rhymeville anytime as long they remember the law that Mother Goose wrote to defeat the Ill Wills, and Old MacDonald says goodbye as he returns to work.
Video Games[]
Old MacDonald appears in the video game as one of the playable characters who doesn't get captured. His abilities are to fight with his rake, call Bingo, ride Marshall, and send a bull to charge.
Trivia[]
- Old MacDonald is considered more of a song than a nursery rhyme, which is why he doesn't appear many editions of the nursey rhyme book.
- In the movie, Old MacDonald doesn't have a bull, but he has one in the video game.
- Mary-Mary Quite Contrary thinks that Old MacDonald has a crush on her, but he doesn't believe that and prefers to just be friends with her. She really has a crush on him, though she's too proud to admit it.