As I Was Walking Down the Lake Lyrics
A walk by the lake, a little rattlesnake, far too much jelly-cake and a sore tummy. Then one, two, three, and someone is out.
As I Was Walking Down the Lake
As I was walking down the lake,
I met a little rattlesnake.
I gave him so much jelly-cake,
It made his little belly ache.
One, two, three, out goes she!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/as-i-was-walking-down-the-lake/
- Type
- Counting Rhymes, Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Chanted counting-out rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| I met a little rattlesnake | Wiggle your arm like a snake. |
| So much jelly-cake | Pretend to hand over plate after plate. |
| It made his little belly ache | Rub your tummy and pull a face. |
| One, two, three, out goes she! | Point to three players; the third is out. |
What Does As I Was Walking Down the Lake Mean?
The rhyme is a silly story with a lesson hiding in it: even a snake gets a belly ache if it eats too much cake. Jelly-cake is a layer cake spread with jam or jelly. The last line turns the story into a counting-out rhyme for choosing who is It.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints it in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (1904) among the counting-out rhymes. Rattlesnakes live only in the Americas, so the rhyme may well have crossed the Atlantic before it reached Scottish playgrounds.
Learning Activities
- Count out: use the last line to choose who is It.
- Rhyme hunt: find the four words that rhyme: lake, rattlesnake, cake, ache.
- Snake facts: look at a picture of a rattlesnake and its rattle.