Happy Is the Miller Lyrics
Players march in pairs around the ring while one player waits in the middle. On the word "Grab!" everyone dashes for a new partner, and whoever is left without one goes into the middle.
Happy Is the Miller
Happy is the miller, who lives by himself,
All the bread and cheese he piles upon the shelf,
One hand in the hopper, and the other in the bag,
The wheel turns around, and he cries out, Grab!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/happy-is-the-miller/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung marching game
- Best for ages
- 5 to 10 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Happy is the miller | March around the ring in pairs, the odd player in the middle. |
| One hand in the hopper | Keep marching and swing one arm forward. |
| And he cries out, Grab! | Let go of your partner and grab a new one fast. |
What Does Happy Is the Miller Mean?
A miller grinds grain into flour. He pours the grain into the hopper, a funnel-shaped box over the millstones, and catches the flour in a bag. This miller has so much bread and cheese that he piles it on the shelf. The last line is the signal for the game: when the wheel turns and the miller shouts "Grab!", everyone swaps partners.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell collected the song from western New York for Games and Songs of American Children (1883), with a second version from Cincinnati. He notes that millers were often teased in old songs, because they were paid by keeping a share of the grain they ground.
Learning Activities
- Play the game: you need an odd number of players. Pairs march around the ring, the extra player stands in the middle, and everyone swaps on "Grab!"
- Mill visit: find a picture or video of an old water mill and point out the hopper and millstones.
- Flour test: rub a few grains of wheat between two stones and see what happens.