Hopping Frog, Hop Here and Be Seen Lyrics
Eight lines that speak kindly to a frog and a toad. The speaker promises not to throw anything at the frog, then tells the toad that it is lumpish but harmless. The deal at the end is that neither will hurt the other. The poem is by Christina Rossetti, from her 1872 book Sing-Song.
Hopping Frog, Hop Here and Be Seen
Hopping frog, hop here and be seen,
I'll not pelt you with stick or stone:
Your cap is laced and your coat is green;
Good bye, we'll let each other alone.
Plodding toad, plod here and be looked at,
You the finger of scorn is crooked at:
But though you're lumpish, you're harmless too;
You won't hurt me, and I won't hurt you.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hopping-frog-hop-here-and-be-seen/
- Type
- Poems for Children, Animal Rhymes
- Written by
- Christina Rossetti
- Tune
- Calm and friendly, with a smile for the frog's green coat
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Hopping frog, hop here | Squat down and hop forward twice, hands on the floor. |
| Plodding toad, plod here | Walk slowly and heavily, lifting each foot high. |
What Does Hopping Frog, Hop Here and Be Seen Mean?
The poem speaks to two animals in turn. The first verse is to a frog: hop here, and I will not "pelt you with stick or stone" (pelt means to throw things at). The frog's "cap is laced" and its "coat is green", a description of its trim, bright skin as if it were dressed in clothes. The line ends with a promise: "Good bye, we'll let each other alone."
The second verse is to a toad. To plod is to walk slowly and heavily. The toad is "lumpish", meaning lumpy and heavy-looking. Some people point at toads with scorn, and the poem says they should not, because the toad is "harmless too". The poem ends with a promise that works both ways: "You won't hurt me, and I won't hurt you."
The message is simple: an animal does not have to be pretty to be left in peace. A child who has been afraid of a toad can hear a quiet, reasonable agreement between two creatures that share a garden.
History and Origin
The poem is from Christina Rossetti's Sing-Song, first published in 1872. Rossetti (1830 to 1894) filled this book with small animals and plants, and this is one of the poems where she lets the speaker talk to an animal directly.
The poem is eight lines long. Its last two lines carry the rhyming pair too and you, which say aloud the promise they carry.
Learning Activities
- Frog and toad moves: hop like the frog on the first verse and plod like the toad on the second.
- Garden visit: look under a flowerpot or in a damp corner of a garden, gently, for a small creature and talk about leaving it alone.
- Draw two animals: draw the frog with its green coat and the toad with its lumpy skin, side by side.
- Kind words: think of something kind to say to a creature people don't usually like, as the poem does for the toad.