Pancakes and Fritters Lyrics
Five bells of Derby seem to talk to each other on football morning, asking when the ball will come and when it will be thrown.
Pancakes and Fritters
Pancakes and fritters,
Say All Saints and St. Peters;
When will the ball come,
Say the bells of St. Alkmun;
At two they will throw,
Says Saint Werabo;
O! very well,
Says little Michel.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/pancakes-and-fritters/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken as a conversation, a different voice for each bell
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Pancakes and fritters | Flip a pretend pancake in a pan. |
| When will the ball come | Cup your hand to your ear and look around. |
| At two they will throw | Hold up two fingers and mime a throw. |
What Does Pancakes and Fritters Mean?
Church bells are a good thing to turn into words, because their ringing seems to say something if you listen. In this rhyme the bells of Derby churches talk in turn. The bells of All Saints and St. Peter's call out the food, pancakes and fritters. The bell of St. Alkmun's asks when the ball will come, St. Werabo answers that they will throw it at two, and little Michel replies, O! very well.
Derby's football was played at Shrovetide, on Shrove Tuesday, which is Pancake Day, and that is why the bells call out pancakes.
Fritters are pieces of batter, often with fruit inside, fried until golden. The question and answer pattern lets children say the lines as a play, with a different voice for each bell.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell prints it in The Nursery Rhymes of England as number CLXIX and introduces it as the song on the bells of Derby on football morning, a custom that he says had been given up by the time of his book.
The rhyme leaves a picture of Derby on that morning, with the bells of several churches seeming to join in the excitement of the game.
Learning Activities
- Bell voices: give each child a bell to speak for, and say the rhyme as a conversation.
- Ring the bells: use real bells or spoons on a pan to give each church its own sound.
- Frying game: pretend to make pancakes or fritters, and talk about how batter turns golden in a hot pan.
- Count the churches: list the five bells that speak and put them in the order they appear.