I Doubt, I Doubt Lyrics
The fire has gone out and his wife is away, so a man decides to ride out and fetch her. The trouble is, his steed is a hog and his saddle goes on a dog.
I Doubt, I Doubt
I doubt, I doubt,
My fire is out,
My little dame an't at home;
Come, bridle my hog,
And saddle my dog,
And fetch my little dame home.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/i-doubt-i-doubt/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 2 to 7 years
What Does I Doubt, I Doubt Mean?
I doubt here means I fear or I suspect. His dame, or wife, is not at home ("an't at home" is old speech for isn't home), and without her the fire has gone out. So he orders his animals ready, but he bridles the hog and saddles the dog instead of a horse, a topsy-turvy picture children find very funny.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in Gammer Gurton's Garland, one of the earliest English collections of nursery rhymes, first published in the 1780s. Rhymes where everything is the wrong way round were popular because they invite children to spot the mistakes.
Learning Activities
- Spot the mistakes: ask what is wrong with riding a hog and putting a saddle on a dog.
- Draw the ride: the little man perched on his hog, with the dog trotting beside.
- Fix the fire: talk about who keeps your home running and what happens when they are away.