Eendy, Beendy Lyrics
Two lines of children face each other, a girl dances out from one side to the words, and one from the other side dances back to meet her.
Eendy, Beendy
Eendy, Beendy, baniba, roe,
Caught a chicken by the toe;
To the east, to the west,
To the old crow's nest,
Hopping in the garden, swimming in the sea,
If you want a pretty girl, please take me.
More verses from the original
Eendy, Beendy, baniba, roe,
Caught a chicken by the toe;
To the east, to the west,
To the old crow's nest,
Hopping in the garden, swimming in the sea,
If you want a pretty girl, please take me.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/eendy-beendy/
- Type
- Counting Rhymes
- Tune
- Sung dancing game
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| To the east, to the west | Turn your head right, then left. |
| Hopping in the garden, swimming in the sea | Hop twice, then make swimming arms. |
What Does Eendy, Beendy Mean?
The first lines are playful nonsense, built on a counting-out pattern like eeny meeny: Eendy, Beendy, baniba, roe, who caught a chicken by the toe. Then the song turns into a little journey, with a look to the east, a look to the west, a stop at the old crow's nest, and some hopping and swimming. The last line is the singer's invitation to dance: "if you want a pretty girl, please take me."
It is mainly a game of movement. The two dancers copy each other, look east and west together by turning their heads, and then the next pair takes a turn.
History and Origin
Alice Bertha Gomme prints it in volume two of The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1898). Her source was the Reverend Dr. Walter Gregor, who collected rhymes and games in the north of Scotland, though he had forgotten exactly where he first heard this one.
Gomme describes the game: one girl dances forward from a line of children who sing the words, another from the opposite line answers, and the pair dance together, looking east and west by turning their heads. Without a tune on record, families today usually make up their own.
Learning Activities
- Two lines: stand in two lines facing each other and try the dance.
- Compass game: learn which way is east and west and turn to face each as you sing.
- New animals: change the chicken for another animal and invent a new body part.