Little Robin Redbreast
Encyclopedia
‘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.
and:
(c. 1744), which has the lyric:
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.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
, chiefly notable as evidence of the way traditional rhymes are changed and edited. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
number of 20612.
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.
and:
- Little Robin Redbreast
- Sat upon a rail;
- Niddle noble went his head,
- Widdle waggle went his tail.
Origins
The earliest versions of this rhyme reveal a more basic humour. The earliest recorded is from Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song BookTommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book is the earliest extant printed collection of English language nursery rhymes, published in London in 1744. It was a sequel to the lost Tommy Thumb's Song Book and contains the oldest version of many well-known and popular rhymes, as well as several that have been...
(c. 1744), which has the lyric:
- Little Robin Red breast,
- Sitting on a pole,
- Nidde, Noddle, Went his head.
- And poop went his Hole.
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.