Pretty John Watts Lyrics
The house is overrun. Please, John Watts, chase out the rats! But the little brown mice in the pantry can stay. This rhyme takes sides, and the mice win.
Pretty John Watts
Pretty John Watts,
We are troubled with rats.
Will you drive them out of the house?
We have mice, too, in plenty,
That feast in the pantry,
But let them stay
And nibble away,
What harm in a little brown mouse?
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/pretty-john-watts/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes, Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does Pretty John Watts Mean?
The family asks John Watts to drive the rats out of the house. They have plenty of mice too, feasting in the pantry, the cupboard or small room where food is kept. But the rhyme decides the mice can stay and nibble, because what harm can a little brown mouse do?
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in The Real Mother Goose (1916). In old houses, rats were feared because they spoiled food and spread disease, while mice were seen as small, shy and almost likeable. Many nursery rhymes and picture books take the mouse's side, a habit that still shows in children's stories today.
Learning Activities
- Rat or mouse? look at pictures and spot the differences: size, tail and ears.
- Pantry check: look in your cupboard and talk about why food is kept in tins and jars.
- Who is John Watts? let your child decide: a cat, a rat-catcher or a brave neighbor, and draw him.