Pussy Cat Ate the Dumplings Lyrics
Someone left the dumplings out, and the cat has eaten every one. Mamma is shocked, but it is too late now.
Pussy Cat Ate the Dumplings
Pussy-cat ate the dumplings, the dumplings,
Pussy-cat ate the dumplings.
Mamma stood by, and cried, "Oh, fie!
Why did you eat the dumplings?"
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/pussy-cat-ate-the-dumplings/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Sung or chanted
- Best for ages
- 1 to 5 years
What Does Pussy Cat Ate the Dumplings Mean?
A cat has helped itself to the family's dumplings, small balls of dough cooked in soup, stew or boiling water. Mamma, standing nearby, cries "Oh, fie!", an old way of saying "Shame on you!" The repeated first line makes it easy for little children to join in.
History and Origin
The rhyme appears in The Real Mother Goose (1916) as "Pussy-cat and the Dumplings". Cats stealing food from the kitchen are a favorite subject in old rhymes, and the scolding at the end is always more funny than angry.
Learning Activities
- Shocked faces: make your best "Oh, fie!" face on the third line.
- Play dough dumplings: roll little balls of play dough and count them before the cat eats them.
- Kitchen rules: talk about why pets should not eat people food.