# Epigraph explained — The Rasp

> Chapter companion for The Rasp by Philip MacDonald.

## What happens

The epigraph presents the traditional nursery rhyme 'Who Killed Cock Robin?', establishing a thematic parallel to the murder mystery that unfolds in the novel.

## Themes in this chapter

### Justice and Injustice

The rhyme's inquiry into who killed Cock Robin sets up the central question of justice and accountability in the story.

## Character check-ins

### Cock Robin Hoode

Referenced as the victim in the nursery rhyme, foreshadowing the murder of John Hoode.

## Key lines

> All the Birds of the Air Fell a-sighin’ and a-sobbin’ When they heard of the death Of poor Cock Robin.

All the birds mourned deeply upon learning of Cock Robin's death.

_Establishes a tone of collective grief and foreshadows the community's reaction to the murder._

> “Who killed Cock Robin?” “I,” said the Sparrow, “With my Bow and Arrow, I killed Cock Robin!”

The sparrow confesses to killing Cock Robin with a bow and arrow.

_Introduces the theme of confession and guilt, central to the detective story._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rasp_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rasp_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rasp_se/chapters