Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle Lyrics
A three-line toe game: five names are called, one for each toe, ending with little Oker-bell.
Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle
Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle,
Harry Whible, Tommy Thible,
And little Oker-bell.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/harry-whistle-tommy-thistle/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Chanted, touching one toe on each name
- Best for ages
- 1 to 3 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle | Touch the first two toes, one on each name. |
| Harry Whible, Tommy Thible | Touch the next two toes. |
| And little Oker-bell | Wiggle the last toe. |
What Does Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle Mean?
Five names, five toes: Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle, Harry Whible, Tommy Thible and little Oker-bell. The names echo each other in pairs, which makes them easy to say while touching a foot.
The last name is the puzzle. The book quotes Mr. Stephens, who explains that oker comes from an old word for a field, so Oker-bell is the field-bell flower. He adds that the last line, as it now stands, appears to mean nothing, so it may have been worn down from an older version.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell prints the rhyme in Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales (1849) as a game with the five toes, each toe being touched in succession as the names are cried.
He gives a note from Mr. Stephens that links English and Scandinavian rhymes: the old English, Icelandic, Danish and Swedish words for a field all sound like oker.
Learning Activities
- Toe time: sit a baby on your lap and touch each toe as the names go by.
- Names for toes: make up a second set of five rhyming names for the other foot.
- Pick a flower: look for bell-shaped flowers outdoors and talk about why one might be called a field-bell.
- Barefoot count: take off shoes and count toes aloud, from one to five on each foot.