Christopher Crump Lyrics
Christopher Crump sits in a lump on the top of a stump, like a toad. He stretches and sighs, blinks his eyes, and bats at the beetles and flies. A six-line poem that is mostly one picture.
Christopher Crump
Christopher Crump,
All in a lump,
Sits like a toad on the top of a stump.
He stretches and sighs,
And blinks with his eyes,
Bats at the beetles and fights off the flies.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/christopher-crump/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Leroy F. Jackson
- Tune
- Slow and lazy, with a stretch on the word stretches
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Sits like a toad on the top of a stump | Squat down and tuck your hands under your chin like a toad. |
| He stretches and sighs | Reach both arms up high, then let out a big sigh. |
| Bats at the beetles and fights off the flies | Flap one hand gently in front of your face. |
What Does Christopher Crump Mean?
The poem is one picture and a comparison. Christopher Crump sits "all in a lump", meaning curled up in a heap, "like a toad on the top of a stump". A toad sits very still with its eyes wide, and the poet gives the same look to Christopher. He does move, but only a little: he stretches and sighs, blinks, and bats at the beetles and the flies that come near.
Say it aloud and the sound does the work. Crump, lump and stump all rhyme, so the first three lines go thud, thud, thud, like someone settling heavily onto a seat. The last three lines are lighter and quicker, and end with eyes and flies.
It is a good poem to read slowly to a child who finds it hard to sit still, and it invites them to try being as still as a toad for a few seconds.
History and Origin
The name Christopher Crump is made up so that its sound matches the poem: Crump rhymes with the lump and the stump. The name and the picture are the whole joke.
The poem is by the American writer Leroy F. Jackson and dates from 1918.
Learning Activities
- Toad stillness: see who can sit as still as a toad for ten seconds.
- Find a stump: look at a tree stump outdoors and decide who might sit on it.
- Draw him: draw Christopher on his stump with a few beetles and flies around.
- Rhyme with crump: list words that end in -ump, such as bump, jump and plump.