The Farmer in the Dell Lyrics
The farmer picks a wife, the wife picks a child, and on down the line until the cheese stands alone. This is one of the best-known circle games in the world.
The Farmer in the Dell
The farmer in the dell,
The farmer in the dell,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The farmer in the dell.
The farmer takes the wife,
The farmer takes the wife,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The farmer takes the wife.
The wife takes the child,
The wife takes the child,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The wife takes the child.
The child takes the nurse,
The child takes the nurse,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The child takes the nurse.
The nurse takes the dog,
The nurse takes the dog,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The nurse takes the dog.
The dog takes the cat,
The dog takes the cat,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The dog takes the cat.
The cat takes the rat,
The cat takes the rat,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The cat takes the rat.
The rat takes the cheese,
The rat takes the cheese,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The rat takes the cheese.
The cheese stands alone,
The cheese stands alone,
Heigh ho! for Rowley O!
The cheese stands alone.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-farmer-in-the-dell/
- Type
- Action Songs, Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Sung circle game
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| The farmer in the dell | Everyone holds hands in a ring around one child, the farmer. |
| The farmer takes the wife | The farmer picks a child to join them in the middle. |
| The wife takes the child | The new child picks the next player, and so on each verse. |
| The cheese stands alone | Everyone else steps back to the ring and claps for the cheese. |
What Does The Farmer in the Dell Mean?
A dell is a small, sheltered valley, usually with trees. Each verse adds a new character to the middle of the ring: wife, child, nurse, dog, cat, rat and cheese. The last one chosen, the cheese, is left standing alone, and in William Wells Newell's account the cheese is "clapped out" and becomes the farmer for the next round.
History and Origin
Newell printed these words in Games and Songs of American Children (1883), noting them from children playing in the streets of New York. He wrote out the first verse in full and listed the rest, each sung to the same pattern, and we have set them out the same way. Today the game is played around the world, and most people now sing a different refrain line from the one Newell heard.
Learning Activities
- Play it: with five or more children, follow the motions and let the cheese become the next farmer.
- Change the characters: try a farmer who takes a cow, a pig and a hen.
- Who is next? practice remembering the order: wife, child, nurse, dog, cat, rat, cheese.