Little Robin Redbreast

‘Little Robin Redbreast’ is an English language nursery rhyme, chiefly notable as evidence of the way traditional rhymes are changed and edited. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20612.^[1]

Lyrics

This rhyme is one of the most varied English nursery rhymes, probably because of its crude early version. Common modern versions include:

Little Robin Redbreast

Came to visit me;

This is what he whistled,

Thank you for my tea.^[2]

and:

Little Robin Redbreast

Sat upon a tree,

Up went the Pussy-Cat,

And down went he;

Down came Pussy-Cat,

Away Robin ran,

Says little Robin Redbreast—

Catch me if you can.

Little Robin Redbreast jumped upon a wall,

Pussy-Cat jumped after him, and almost got a fall.

Little Robin chirped and sung, and what did pussy say?

Pussy-Cat said Mew, mew mew,—and Robin jumped away.^[3]

Origins

The earliest versions of this rhyme reveal a more basic humour. The earliest recorded is from Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book (c. 1744), which has the lyric:

Little Robin Red breast,

Sitting on a pole,

Nidde, Noddle, Went his head.

And poop^[4] went his Hole.^[2]

By the late eighteenth century the last line was being rendered 'And wag went his tail,' and other variations were used in nineteenth-century children's books, in one of the clearest cases of bowdlerisation in nursery rhymes.^[2]

Fingerplay

The rhyme has been used as a fingerplay. A version from 1920 included instructions with the lyrics:

Little Robin Redbreast

Sat upon a rail,

(Right hand extended in shape of a bird is poised on extended forefinger of left hand.)

Niddle noddle went his head,

And waggle went his tail.

(Little finger of right hand waggles from side to side.)^[5]

Notes