Little Jack Jelf Lyrics
Jack could not spell the word "pie", so he was put up on a shelf as a punishment. His aunt, Mrs. Grace, saw his sad face and could only say "Oh, fie!"
Little Jack Jelf
Little Jack Jelf
Was put on the shelf
Because he could not spell "pie";
When his aunt, Mrs. Grace,
Saw his sorrowful face,
She could not help saying, "Oh, fie!"
And since Master Jelf
Was put on the shelf
Because he could not spell "pie,"
Let him stand there so grim,
And no more about him,
For I wish him a very good-bye!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/little-jack-jelf/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
What Does Little Jack Jelf Mean?
Being "put on the shelf" is an old joke about a child being set aside, the way you put away something you are not using. Fie is an old word people said when they were shocked or disappointed, a bit like "tut tut" or "shame on you". The second verse is the storyteller giving up on Jack and saying goodbye.
Today we know that spelling takes practice, and nobody learns it faster by being left on a shelf. The rhyme is best enjoyed as a silly picture of a very old-fashioned classroom.
History and Origin
This version comes from The Real Mother Goose (1916). The rhyme belongs to a group of old school rhymes about lessons and spelling, from a time when children were often punished in front of the class for mistakes.
Learning Activities
- Spell pie: help Jack out. Spell P-I-E together, then try cake and tart.
- Shelf game: put a toy on a shelf and take it down each time someone spells a word.
- Rhyme hunt: find the words that rhyme with Jelf and with pie.