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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.)