Cella Ree and Tommy To Lyrics
Two funny friends, Cella Ree and Tommy To, sit side by side on a table. Tom is red and Cella is pale, and neither can budge the other. The poem never says what they are, but their names give it away when said quickly.
Cella Ree and Tommy To
Two funny friends that you all know
Are Cella Ree and Tommy To.
About as queer as friends can be,
Are Tommy To and Cella Ree.
For hours they sit there grim and stable
Side by side upon the table.
Tom is red and Cella pale,
His blushes are of no avail;
She sits, in spite of his endeavor,
As firm and undisturbed as ever,
A funny pair, you must agree,
This Tommy To and Cella Ree.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/cella-ree-and-tommy-to/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Leroy F. Jackson
- Tune
- Chatty, with a twinkle, and a little pause before each name
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Side by side upon the table | Hold your two fists side by side in front of you and keep them very still. |
What Does Cella Ree and Tommy To Mean?
The poem is a hidden-names riddle. Say the names quickly and they sound like tomato (Tommy To) and celery (Cella Ree). The clues fit: Tom is red and Cella is pale, and they sit side by side on a table. The book does not print the answer, so the poem is a good one for letting a child spot the joke first.
A few words are worth saying aloud. Stable here means steady and unmoving. Of no avail means of no use, so Tom's blushes do nothing, and Cella stays just as firm in spite of his endeavor, which is his effort. The poem ends by saying it is a funny pair, which is true of a tomato and a stick of celery on a plate.
History and Origin
This verse is from Leroy F. Jackson's The Peter Patter Book of Nursery Rhymes, a 1918 collection of rhymes for children. The fun is in the names: each one is a food in disguise.
Learning Activities
- Say it fast: read the two names slowly, then quickly, and let the child shout the foods.
- Colour match: put a tomato and a celery stick on a plate and talk about red and pale green.
- Make a pair: think of two foods whose names could be turned into a person's name, and give each a clue.
- Still as stone: read the poem while the child stays as still as the two friends on the table.