As I Gaed Up the Apple Tree Lyrics
A climb up an apple tree goes wrong, a pudding and a pie are sent off to John Mackay, and the man in the moon ends up mending his shoes.
As I Gaed Up the Apple Tree
As I gaed up the apple tree
A' the apples fell on me;
Bake a puddin', bake a pie,
Send it up to John Mackay;
John Mackay is no in,
Send it up to the man i' the mune;
The man i' the mune's mendin' his shoon,
Three bawbees and a farden in.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/as-i-gaed-up-the-apple-tree/
- Type
- Counting Rhymes
- Tune
- Chanted counting-out rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| As I gaed up the apple tree | Climb with your hands, one over the other. |
| A' the apples fell on me | Tap your head lightly with your fingertips. |
| Send it up to the man i' the mune | Point up at the sky. |
What Does As I Gaed Up the Apple Tree Mean?
The rhyme is in Scots. Gaed means went, a' means all, no in means not at home, mune is moon and shoon are shoes. A bawbee was an old Scottish coin worth a halfpenny, and a farden is a farthing, a quarter of a penny. So the man in the moon is busy mending his shoes, for the price of three halfpennies and a farthing.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints it in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (1904) as a counting-out rhyme from Scotland. He also gives an English form beginning "As I went up the apple tree".
Learning Activities
- Count out: point to one player per beat; the last word picks who is It.
- Scots words: match gaed, mune and shoon to went, moon and shoes.
- Apple day: pick or buy apples and bake a pie, as the rhyme suggests.