Mr. Isbister and Betsy His Sister Lyrics
A brother and sister decide to give a treat, write letters to their friends and invite them to their house in Great Camomile Street.
Mr. Isbister and Betsy His Sister
Mr. Isbister, and Betsy his sister,
Resolve upon giving a treat;
So letters they write,
Their friends to invite
To their house in Great Camomile Street.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/mr-isbister-and-betsy-his-sister/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken like a cheerful announcement
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Resolve upon giving a treat | Rub your hands together and smile. |
| So letters they write | Write in the air with one finger. |
| Their friends to invite | Wave your arm to call friends over. |
What Does Mr. Isbister and Betsy His Sister Mean?
Mr. Isbister and his sister Betsy resolve, or make up their minds, to give a treat for their friends. They write letters of invitation and name the house where the party will be, in Great Camomile Street.
The five lines are a small story about getting ready for a party. The short third and fourth lines, which rhyme write with invite, speed up the rhythm just as the letters are being sent. The rhyme ends with the address, so the story stops at the front door.
History and Origin
The verse is printed in Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes, an illustrated collection of nursery rhymes. The book names no author for it. Great Camomile Street, where the party is held, is a real street in the City of London.
Learning Activities
- Write invitations: make a party invitation with a date, a time and an address.
- Plan a treat: list the food and games for a pretend party.
- Address game: practise saying your own street and house number.
- Rhyme pairs: find the lines that rhyme and clap on the end words.