The Farmer in the Dell
Encyclopedia
"The Farmer in the Dell
" is a singing game
, nursery rhyme
and children's song
. It probably originated in Germany
, and was brought to North America
by immigrants. From there it spread to many other nations and is popular in a number of languages. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
number of 6306.
:
in 1883 much in its modern form and using a melody similar to "A Hunting We Will Go". From here it seems to have been adopted in through the United States, Canada
(noted from 1893), the Netherlands
(1894) and Great Britain
; it is first found in Scotland
in 1898 and England
from 1909. In the early twentieth century it was evident as wide as France
("Le fermier dans son pré"), Sweden
("En bonde i vår by"), Australia
, and South Africa
.
In the United Kingdom
it is known as "The Farmer's In His Den'", and progresses through the farmer, wife, child, nurse, dog, ending with a bone, which is then vigorously patted. The 'Hi-Ho, the derry-o' is variously replaced with "Ee-i, tiddly-i" in London
, 'Ee-i, andio' (for instance in Northern England
), and 'Ee-i, ee-i' (for instance in the West Country
).
The Romania
n version is "Țăranul e pe câmp" (The farmer is on the field) but the hey-o is replaced with "Ura, drăguţa mea" (Hooray, my sweet heart) and the last verses are – the child has a nurse, the nurse has a cat, the cat catches a mouse, the mouse eats a cheese, the cheese was in a cask, the cask is in the garbage, the farmer to choose.
There is also a Thai
version to the same tune but with a slightly different story. The three verses roughly translate to "Why does the frog have a stomach ache? Why does the frog have a stomach ache? Because he has been eating wet rice. Why is the rice wet? Why is the rice wet? Because it has been raining. Why has it been raining? Why has it been raining?, Because the frog has been croaking."
In New England, the verses are- the farmer in the dell, the farmer takes a wife, the wife takes a child, the child takes a nurse, the nurse takes a dog, the dog takes a cat, the cat takes a mouse, the mouse takes a cheese, and the cheese stands alone.
Dell (landform)
In physical geography, a dell is a small wooded valley. Like "dale", the word "dell" is derived from the Old English word dæl.-See also:* Cirque* Combe * Coulee* Dells of the Wisconsin River...
" is a singing game
Singing game
A singing game is an activity based around a particular verse or rhyme, usually associated with a set of actions and movements. They have been studied by folklorists, ethnologists and psychologists and are seen as important part of childhood culture...
, 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:...
and children's song
Children's song
Children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that young children invent and share among themselves, or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home, or education...
. It probably originated in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and was brought to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by immigrants. From there it spread to many other nations and is popular in a number of languages. 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 6306.
Lyrics
Lyrics vary even within the same country. The following is a common version in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
:
- The farmer in the dell
- The farmer in the dell
- Hi-ho, the derry-o
- The farmer in the dell
- The farmer takes a wife
- The farmer takes a wife
- Hi-ho, the derry-o
- The farmer takes a wife
- The wife takes a child (2x)
- Hi-ho, the derry-o
- The wife takes a child
- The child takes a nurse (2x) . . .
- The nurse takes a cow (2x) . . .
- The cow takes a dog (2x) . . .
- The dog takes a cat (2x) . . .
- The cat takes a rat (2x) . . .
- The rat takes the cheese (2x) . . .
- The cheese stands alone
- The cheese stands alone
- Hi-ho, the derry-o
- The cheese stands alone
Origins and dissemination
The rhyme is first recorded in Germany in 1826, as "Es fuhr ein Bau'r ins Holz," and was more clearly a courtship game with a farmer choosing a wife, then in turn the selecting of a child, maid, and serving man, who leaves the maid after kissing. This was probably taken to North America by German immigrants, where it next surfaced in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1883 much in its modern form and using a melody similar to "A Hunting We Will Go". From here it seems to have been adopted in through the United States, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(noted from 1893), the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(1894) and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
; it is first found in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1898 and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from 1909. In the early twentieth century it was evident as wide as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
("Le fermier dans son pré"), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
("En bonde i vår by"), Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Variations
Like most children's songs, there are geographic variations.In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
it is known as "The Farmer's In His Den'", and progresses through the farmer, wife, child, nurse, dog, ending with a bone, which is then vigorously patted. The 'Hi-Ho, the derry-o' is variously replaced with "Ee-i, tiddly-i" in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 'Ee-i, andio' (for instance in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
), and 'Ee-i, ee-i' (for instance in the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
).
The Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n version is "Țăranul e pe câmp" (The farmer is on the field) but the hey-o is replaced with "Ura, drăguţa mea" (Hooray, my sweet heart) and the last verses are – the child has a nurse, the nurse has a cat, the cat catches a mouse, the mouse eats a cheese, the cheese was in a cask, the cask is in the garbage, the farmer to choose.
There is also a Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
version to the same tune but with a slightly different story. The three verses roughly translate to "Why does the frog have a stomach ache? Why does the frog have a stomach ache? Because he has been eating wet rice. Why is the rice wet? Why is the rice wet? Because it has been raining. Why has it been raining? Why has it been raining?, Because the frog has been croaking."
In New England, the verses are- the farmer in the dell, the farmer takes a wife, the wife takes a child, the child takes a nurse, the nurse takes a dog, the dog takes a cat, the cat takes a mouse, the mouse takes a cheese, and the cheese stands alone.
Game
The players form a circle holding hands around one who is designated as the farmer, singing the first verse while moving around. When the verse is over they stop and the farmer makes her or his choice of a wife (sometimes without looking). The wife joins her or him in the center for her verse and so through the verses until either the cheese or dog is selected or only one person is left to become the last character. They usually become the farmer for the next round.See also
- A-Hunting We Will GoA-Hunting We Will GoA-Hunting We Will Go is a British song written by Thomas Arne. It was written by Arne for 1777 production of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera at Covent Garden. It was originally performed by Margaret Kennedy who was playing the role of MacHeath in the production...
- a very similar song in lyrics, content and music - Omar LittleOmar LittleOmar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game"....
- a character from HBO's The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, known for whistling A-Hunting We Will Go or The Farmer in the Dell as he approached victims he was stalking, adding to his mystique.