The figure of
Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of
fairy tales and
nursery rhymes often published as
Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one nursery rhyme. A
Christmas pantomime called
Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom. The so-called "Mother Goose" rhymes and stories have formed the basis for many classic British pantomimes. Mother Goose is generally depicted in literature and book illustration as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, a costume identical to the
peasant costume worn in Wales in the early 20th century, but is sometimes depicted as a
goose (usually wearing a
bonnet).