Bright Little Buttercup Lyrics
A four-line rhyme to say while holding a buttercup under a child's chin: if the flower shines yellow on the skin, the child is said to like butter.
Bright Little Buttercup
Bright little buttercup, now you will show
Whether my darling likes butter or no.
Buttercup, buttercup, will you begin?
Shine me an answer under her chin.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/bright-little-buttercup/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Mary Mapes Dodge
- Tune
- Coaxing and playful, with a pause for the answer under the chin
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Shine me an answer under her chin | Hold a finger like a flower under your own chin and tilt your head up. |
What Does Bright Little Buttercup Mean?
The rhyme goes with a very old game. Someone holds a buttercup just under another person's chin, and if a yellow glow shows on the skin, that person is said to like butter. The glossy yellow petals do throw a yellow reflection on the skin, which is why the game works for nearly everyone. That makes the answer more of a happy ritual than a test.
The words ask the flower directly: bright little buttercup, now you will show. The poem speaks to "my darling", the child under whose chin the flower is held, and its rhymes are neat: show with no, and begin with chin.
One safety note for the real game. Buttercups are poisonous if eaten fresh, and handling them a lot can irritate the skin, so hold one briefly, keep it away from the mouth and wash hands afterwards.
History and Origin
The rhyme is in Rhymes and Jingles by Mary Mapes Dodge, published in New York by Scribner, Armstrong, and Company, with a copyright entry of 1874. The buttercup-and-chin game it uses is a traditional children's custom.
Learning Activities
- Play the real game: if buttercups are growing nearby, hold one under the chin of each child in turn, say the rhyme, and look for the yellow glow.
- Yellow things: hold other shiny yellow things, such as a spoon or a ribbon, under the chin and see whether the glow shows.
- Butter taste test: talk about foods that go with butter, such as bread or toast, and ask what the child likes it on.
- Draw the flower: draw a buttercup with a glossy yellow cup and five petals.