Hickery, Dickery, Six and Seven Lyrics
The numbers jump about and the words make no sense at all, which is exactly what makes this counting-out rhyme so much fun to chant.
Hickery, Dickery, Six and Seven
Hickery, dickery, 6 and 7,
Alabone, Crackabone, 10 and 11,
Spin, spun, muskidun,
Twiddle 'em, twaddle 'em, 21.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hickery-dickery-six-and-seven/
- Type
- Counting Rhymes
- Tune
- Chanted counting-out rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Hickery, dickery, 6 and 7 | Point at a different player on each beat. |
| Alabone, Crackabone, 10 and 11 | Keep pointing around the circle. |
| Spin, spun, muskidun | Keep counting, one player per word. |
| Twiddle 'em, twaddle 'em, 21 | Whoever is pointed at on 21 is out. |
What Does Hickery, Dickery, Six and Seven Mean?
The rhyme counts in a very strange order: six and seven, then ten and eleven, then all the way to twenty-one. The words in between, like alabone, crackabone and muskidun, are nonsense chosen for their bounce. The player pointed at on the last word is out, and counting starts again.
History and Origin
The Real Mother Goose (1916) prints it simply as "A Counting-Out Rhyme". Its opening is a cousin of Hickory Dickory Dock, and counting-out rhymes with nonsense words have been used to choose players for centuries.
Learning Activities
- Choose who's it: use it before a game of tag or hide-and-seek.
- Real counting: count properly from 6 to 21 together afterwards.
- Nonsense words: invent your own silly counting words.