Come, Neighbors, the Moon Is Up (Frog-Pond) Lyrics
The frogs come out at moonrise to croak together, until the waddling duck appears. Then everyone hops for home before the duck can catch them.
Come, Neighbors, the Moon Is Up (Frog-Pond)
Come, neighbors, the moon is up,
It's pleasant out here on the bank.
Come, stick your heads out of the tank,
And let us, before we sup,
Go kough, kough, kough.
And let us, before we sup,
Go kough, kough, kough.
Hush, yonder is the waddling duck,
He's coming, I don't mean to stay.
We'd better by half hop our way,
If we don't he will gobble us up,
With a kough, kough, kough.
If we don't he will gobble us up,
With a kough, kough, kough.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/frog-pond/
- Type
- Action Songs, Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Chanted hopping game
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Come, neighbors, the moon is up | Children crouch and hop like frogs. |
| Go kough, kough, kough | Everyone croaks together. |
| Hush, yonder is the waddling duck | One child waddles in as the duck. |
| If we don't he will gobble us up | The frogs hop home while the duck chases. |
What Does Come, Neighbors, the Moon Is Up (Frog-Pond) Mean?
The children are frogs in a pond, calling each other out on a moonlit evening to croak "kough, kough, kough" together. When the duck waddles up, the frogs decide to hop away fast, because a duck might gobble them up. The tank is the pond.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell recorded the game in Georgia for Games and Songs of American Children (1883). He noted that after the duck arrives, the game becomes "extremely animated", with every frog hopping for its own den.
Learning Activities
- Play it: mark a safe home spot for each frog, croak together, then hop home when the duck comes.
- Frog sounds: listen to recordings of frogs croaking at night.
- Pond life: visit a pond and look for frogs, ducks and tadpoles.