Robert Barns, Fellow Fine Lyrics
A rider asks the blacksmith to shoe his horse so he can show off, and Robert Barns gets straight to work with a nail and a tap. It is a perfect rhyme for tapping on a child's foot.
Robert Barns, Fellow Fine
Robert Barns, fellow fine,
Can you shoe this horse of mine,
So that I may cut a shine?
Yes, good sir, and that I can,
As well as any other man;
There a nail, and here a prod,
And now, good sir, your horse is shod.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/robert-barns-fellow-fine/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Action Songs
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 1 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Robert Barns, fellow fine | Hold your child's foot like a horse's hoof. |
| Can you shoe this horse of mine | Stroke the sole of the foot. |
| There a nail, and here a prod | Tap the heel twice with a finger. |
| And now, good sir, your horse is shod | Pat the whole foot and set it down. |
What Does Robert Barns, Fellow Fine Mean?
Robert Barns is a blacksmith, or more exactly a farrier, someone who fits iron shoes to horses' hooves. The rider wants to "cut a shine", old slang for showing off. A nail, a tap of the hammer, and the horse is shod, meaning wearing its new shoes.
History and Origin
This version is from The Only True Mother Goose Melodies, printed in Boston in 1833. The Real Mother Goose later printed the same rhyme under the title "The Blacksmith". Every village once had a blacksmith, and children loved watching sparks fly as horseshoes were shaped and fitted.
Learning Activities
- Foot game: say it while putting on your child's shoes, tapping the heel on the last line.
- Horseshoe facts: horseshoes protect hooves, and fitting them does not hurt the horse, much like cutting our nails.
- Compare: say it alongside Cobbler, Cobbler, Mend My Shoe, its human cousin.