I Went to the Wood and Got It (Riddle) Lyrics
Something you got in the woods, sat down to look for, and brought home only because you could not find it. It sounds impossible until you hear the answer.
I Went to the Wood and Got It (Riddle)
I went to the wood and got it;
I sat me down to look for it
And brought it home because I couldn't find it.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/i-went-to-the-wood-and-got-it/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 6 to 11 years
What Does I Went to the Wood and Got It (Riddle) Mean?
The answer is a thorn, stuck in your foot or hand. You "got it" walking in the wood, sat down to look for it so you could pull it out, and brought it home because you could not find it to take it out. The riddle works because "got" usually means something you wanted.
History and Origin
The Real Mother Goose (1916) prints the rhyme with its answer as the title: "A Thorn". Riddles that twist the meaning of everyday words like "got" and "find" are some of the oldest puzzles in English.
Learning Activities
- Guess first: read it slowly and let your child think hard before telling the answer.
- Splinter safety: talk about telling an adult if you get a thorn or splinter.
- Word twist: find other words with two meanings, like catch and pick.