A Water There Is, I Must Pass Lyrics
A riddle about a water you must cross every morning. It is wider than any river, yet crossing it is perfectly safe. What is it?
A Water There Is, I Must Pass
A water there is, I must pass,
A broader water never was;
And yet of all waters I ever did see,
To pass over with less jeopardy.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/a-water-there-is/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 5 to 10 years
What Does A Water There Is, I Must Pass Mean?
The answer is the dew. In the early morning, tiny drops of water cover the grass across whole fields, so the dew is the broadest water there is. Yet you can walk through it with no jeopardy, which means danger, except perhaps wet shoes.
History and Origin
The riddle comes from The Little Mother Goose (1912), which prints the answer, The Dew, under the rhyme. Weather and nature riddles were a way of teaching children to notice the world around them.
Learning Activities
- Dew walk: walk on the grass early in the morning and look at your shoes afterward.
- Dew drops: look closely at a spider web or a leaf covered in dew.
- Word work: learn the word jeopardy and use it in a sentence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer?
The dew.
What does jeopardy mean?
Danger.