Jack Sprat Had a Cat Lyrics
Jack Sprat, of the famous fat-and-lean rhyme, also had a cat with just one ear. And this cat went shopping for butter at the worst possible time.
Jack Sprat Had a Cat
Jack Sprat
Had a cat,
It had but one ear,
It went to buy butter,
When butter was dear.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/jack-sprats-cat/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
What Does Jack Sprat Had a Cat Mean?
The cat has only one ear, which makes it a little odd, and it goes to buy butter when butter was dear. Dear is an old word for expensive. So the joke is that the cat picked the most costly time to go shopping.
History and Origin
This version comes from Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes. Jack Sprat is best known from Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat, and several shorter rhymes give him extra animals, such as a cat and a pig.
Learning Activities
- Shop game: set up a pretend shop and let a toy cat buy butter.
- Cheap or dear: talk about prices and why things cost more at some times.
- Draw the cat: draw Jack Sprat's one-eared cat on its shopping trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dear mean here?
Expensive.
Is this the same Jack Sprat who could eat no fat?
Yes, it is the same character from the better-known rhyme.