Old Mother Hubbard Lyrics
The cupboard is bare in the famous first verse, but in Sarah Catherine Martin's 1805 book the story keeps going for 13 more verses about a very clever dog.
Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give her poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
The other 13 verses from the 1805 book
She went to the baker's
To buy him some bread;
When she came back
The dog was dead.
She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin;
When she got back
The dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
When she came back
He was smoking a pipe.
She went to the alehouse
To get him some beer;
When she came back
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.
She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig;
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor's
To buy him a coat;
When she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
He was reading the news.
She went to the sempster's
To buy him some linen;
When she came back
The dog was a-spinning.
She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose;
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant,"
The dog said, "Bow-wow."
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/old-mother-hubbard/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Animal Rhymes
- Written by
- Sarah Catherine Martin
- First published
- 1805
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Old Mother Hubbard | Bend over and pretend to walk with a cane. |
| Went to the cupboard | Walk a few steps and pretend to open a cupboard door. |
| To give her poor dog a bone | Hold out a pretend bone. |
| But when she got there, the cupboard was bare | Look inside and hold up empty hands. |
| And so the poor dog had none | Make a sad face and droop like a hungry puppy. |
What Does Old Mother Hubbard Mean?
The famous first verse is a small, sad moment: there is nothing in the cupboard for the dog. The rest of the book turns it into a comedy. Every time Mother Hubbard goes out to buy something, she comes home to find the dog doing something ridiculous, like dancing a jig, playing the flute or reading the news.
Children love guessing what the dog will do next, which makes the long version a great early reading and prediction game.
History and Origin
The full rhyme was published in 1805 as The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, written by Sarah Catherine Martin and printed in London by John Harris. It was an instant bestseller and was quickly copied and continued by other publishers.
The opening verse may be older than Martin's book, and she is said to have written the rest to entertain a family friend. Some 1800s verses mention adult errands like visiting the alehouse, which were ordinary shopping trips at the time.
Learning Activities
- What will the dog do? Read the long version and pause before each last line so children guess the dog's next trick.
- Make your own verse: invent a new shop and a new trick, for example "She went to the toy shop to buy him a ball; when she came back, he was painting the wall."
- Cupboard game: hide pictures in a box "cupboard" and take turns finding out what is inside.
- Draw the dog: pick a favorite verse and draw the dog doing his trick.