Simon Brodie Had a Cow Lyrics
Simon Brodie loses his cow and cannot find her, and after he has done all a man can do, the cow comes home on her own.
Simon Brodie Had a Cow
Simon Brodie had a cow;
He lost his cow and could not find her;
When he had done what man could do,
The cow came home and her tail behind her.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/simon-brodie-had-a-cow/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken in a story-telling voice, slowing for the last line
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| He lost his cow and could not find her | Search around with your hand over your eyes. |
| The cow came home | Walk slowly back with big, plodding steps. |
| her tail behind her | Swish your hand behind you like a tail. |
What Does Simon Brodie Had a Cow Mean?
Simon Brodie has lost his cow and, though he searches as hard as a man can, he cannot find her. The ending is a gentle surprise: once he has finished searching, the cow simply comes home, with her tail behind her.
The last line adds a funny detail: the cow arrives just as expected, with her tail where a tail belongs.
History and Origin
Walter Jerrold prints the rhyme in The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes (1903).
Learning Activities
- Lost and found: hide a toy cow in the room and take turns finding it.
- Tail game: pin a paper tail on a drawing of a cow, then talk about where else tails belong.
- Farm sounds: moo, then listen for how the sound changes when the cow is far away or near.
- Retell it: tell the story in your own words, with a different place for the cow to be found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Simon Brodie lose?
His cow.
How did the cow come home?
By herself, with her tail behind her.
Where is the cow's tail when she comes home?
Behind her.