The Cat Sat Asleep by the Side of the Fire Lyrics
A quiet evening by the fire: the cat is dozing, the lady of the house is snoring, and then Jack picks up his fiddle and plays a jig.
The Cat Sat Asleep by the Side of the Fire
The cat sat asleep by the side of the fire,
The mistress snored loud as a pig:
Jack took up his fiddle, by Jenny's desire,
And struck up a bit of a jig.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-cat-sat-asleep-by-the-side-of-the-fire/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Sung or chanted
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does The Cat Sat Asleep by the Side of the Fire Mean?
The mistress is the lady of the house, and she is snoring "loud as a pig". Jenny asks Jack to play, so he takes up his fiddle (a violin) and strikes up a jig, a quick, bouncy dance tune. The rhyme sets up a sleepy scene and then wakes everyone up.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed the rhyme in The Nursery Rhymes of England. Fiddlers playing jigs at home were a common evening entertainment in country houses, and the fireside, with the cat curled up by it, was the warmest spot in the house.
Learning Activities
- Quiet, then loud: whisper the first two lines and say the last two loudly.
- Jig time: play a fiddle tune and dance a jig together.
- Snore contest: who can do the funniest snore?