That's What We'd Do Lyrics
Two friends pretend to be owls on the bough of a tree when the moon comes out. They plan to wink at each other, swap a rose for a lovely nose, and sing to one another.
That's What We'd Do
If you were an owl,
And I were an owl,
And this were a tree,
And the moon came out,
I know what we'd do.
We would stand, we two,
On a bough of the tree;
You'd wink at me,
And I'd wink at you;
That's what we'd do,
Beyond a doubt.
I'd give you a rose
For your lovely nose,
And you'd look at me
Without turning about.
I know what we'd do
(That is, I and you);
Why, you'd sing to me,
And I'd sing to you;
That's what we'd do.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/thats-what-wed-do/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Mary Mapes Dodge
- Tune
- Soft and playful, like two whispers, with a slow wink on the repeated last lines
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| You'd wink at me, | Give a slow, exaggerated wink to the person next to you. |
| Why, you'd sing to me, | Sing or hum one soft note, then point to your partner to answer. |
What Does That's What We'd Do Mean?
The whole poem is one long if. If you were an owl, and I were an owl, and this were a tree, and the moon came out, the speaker knows just what the two of you would do. It is the opening of a pretend game that two children, or a child and a parent, can say back and forth.
The plan is kind and silly. They would stand together on a bough, an old word for a big branch, wink at each other and sing to each other. In the middle comes a small, playful gift: a rose for a lovely nose. The answer to what would we do? always arrives in the same words, that's what we'd do, which makes the poem sound like a promise. The pairs do and two and you chime, and so do rose and nose, and doubt, out and about.
History and Origin
This poem is in Mary Mapes Dodge's Rhymes and Jingles, which has a copyright line of 1874 and a title page dated 1875. The book is dedicated "To the children".
Learning Activities
- Be the owls: sit side by side on the sofa as if on a branch and do exactly what the poem says: wink, hand over a pretend rose, sing.
- If you were: start your own game with the same opening: if you were a cat and I were a cat, what would we do?
- Wink practice: winking is hard for small children, so let them blink both eyes slowly instead.
- Moon song: make up a short tune for the last lines and sing it at bedtime when the moon is up.