As Round as an Apple, as Deep as a Cup Lyrics
Something is round like an apple and deep like a cup, yet all the king's horses could never fill it. What is it?
As Round as an Apple, as Deep as a Cup
As round as an apple, as deep as a cup,
And all the king's horses can't fill it up.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/as-round-as-an-apple-as-deep-as-a-cup/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does As Round as an Apple, as Deep as a Cup Mean?
The answer is a well. Seen from above, the top of a well is a round circle, and it goes deep into the ground like a cup. Water keeps flowing into it from below, so it can never be filled to the top with buckets, not even by all the king's horses. The king's horses are a nod to Humpty Dumpty.
History and Origin
The riddle is printed as "A Well" in The Real Mother Goose (1916). Other versions say "can't pull it up" instead of "can't fill it up", which works just as well, since nobody could pull a well out of the ground.
Learning Activities
- Guess first: say the riddle and give one clue at a time.
- Well pictures: look at pictures of old village wells with a rope and bucket.
- Humpty link: find the other rhyme with all the king's horses in it.