I Have a Little Sister Lyrics
She wades through deep water and climbs high mountains, but she has only one eye. Who is she? This is a riddle in rhyme, and it has kept children guessing for generations.
I Have a Little Sister
I have a little sister; they call her Peep, Peep.
She wades the water deep, deep, deep;
She climbs the mountains, high, high, high,
Poor little thing! she has but one eye.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/i-have-a-little-sister/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does I Have a Little Sister Mean?
The answer is a star. The star "wades the water" because its reflection shines in lakes and ponds, it "climbs the mountains" as it rises over the hills, and its one eye is its single point of light. Peep, Peep is the way a star seems to peek out at night.
History and Origin
Riddle rhymes like this one were popular in old English collections, where the answer was often printed upside down or in small type underneath. This version is from The Little Mother Goose (1912), which gives the answer in brackets. Another old favorite is In Marble Walls as White as Milk, whose answer is an egg.
Learning Activities
- Guessing game: say the rhyme without the answer and give clues until someone guesses.
- Star watch: on a clear night, look for a star reflected in water.
- Make a riddle: help your child write a riddle rhyme about the moon or the sun.