A Prince from Pepperville Lyrics
A prince comes down from Pepperville in satin and lace, with a bonnet on his head and whiskers on his face. At Battleburg he gives the king and the cabinet a half a peanut shell.
A Prince from Pepperville
A prince came down from Pepperville
In satin and in lace,
He wore a bonnet on his head
And whiskers on his face.
And when he came to Battleburg
This is what befell:
He gave the king and cabinet
A half a peanut shell.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/a-prince-from-pepperville/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Leroy F. Jackson
- Tune
- Stately and formal, then a small joke on the last line
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
What Does A Prince from Pepperville Mean?
The first verse describes the prince as a mix-up of grand and silly: satin and lace are fancy cloth, a bonnet is a hat that ties under the chin, and he has whiskers as well. The second verse is where the joke lands. Befell means happened, so "this is what befell" promises something dramatic. Then the prince presents the king and the cabinet, the group of a king's chief helpers, with half a peanut shell.
The big promise and tiny gift are the whole point. Pepperville and Battleburg are invented names that sound like towns. The rhymes help the joke along, because lace rhymes with face and befell with shell.
History and Origin
The poem is from the same 1918 book of rhymes by Leroy F. Jackson.
Learning Activities
- Royal gifts: ask the child what a prince should give a king, then what the silliest gift would be.
- Dress the prince: draw him in satin, lace, a bonnet and whiskers.
- Tiny present: wrap a very small pretend gift in a big box and present it with a bow, as the prince does.
- Make a name: invent a town name that sounds like Pepperville, such as Saltsbury.