The Cock's on the Housetop Lyrics
Morning on the farm: the rooster crows from the roof, the bull is busy in the barn, the maids are making hay and the ducks swim away down the river.
The Cock's on the Housetop
The cock's on the housetop blowing his horn;
The bull's in the barn a-threshing of corn;
The maids in the meadows are making of hay,
The ducks in the river are swimming away.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-cocks-on-the-housetop/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 2 to 7 years
What Does The Cock's on the Housetop Mean?
The rooster on the roof "blowing his horn" is crowing to wake everyone. Threshing corn means beating the grain to separate it from the stalks, a job no bull really did, which is part of the fun. The maids in the meadow are making hay, cutting and drying grass to feed the animals in winter.
History and Origin
This version comes from National Rhymes of the Nursery. Busy farmyard scenes were a favorite subject for nursery rhymes, and this one has the same rhythm as Little Boy Blue, with its horn, its cows and its corn.
Learning Activities
- Farm sounds: make the sound of each animal as you say its line.
- Farm jobs: talk about haymaking and harvest and how they have changed.
- Draw the farm: draw the rooster on the roof and the ducks on the river.