The Intelligent Hen Lyrics
An owl hoots that the old hen Fiddle-de-dee is provincial, because great men write with a quill while she scratches with her claws. The hen answers by finding a flower in the posy-bed, and ever since she has written with a jonquil pen.
The Intelligent Hen
'Twas long ago, - a year or so, -
In a barnyard by the sea,
That an old hen lived whom you may know
By the name of Fiddle-de-dee.
She scratched around in the sand all day,
For a lively old hen was she.
And then do you know, it happened this way
In that barnyard by the sea;
A great wise owl came down one day,
And hooted at Fiddle-de-dee,
Just hooted at Fiddle-de-dee.
And he cried, "Hi! Hi! old hen, I say!
You're provincial, it seems to me!"
"Why, what do you mean?" cried the old red hen,
As mad as hops was she.
"Oh, I've been 'round among great men,
In the world where the great men be.
And none of them scratch with their claws like you,
They write with a quill like me."
Now very few people could get ahead
Of that old hen, Fiddle-de-dee.
She went and hunted the posy-bed,
And returned in triumphant glee.
And ever since then, that little red hen,
She writes with a jonquil pen, quil pen,
She writes with a jonquil pen.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-intelligent-hen/
- Type
- Poems for Children, Animal Rhymes
- Written by
- Carolyn Wells
- Tune
- A jaunty storytelling tune, with a hoot for the owl and a proud strut for the hen's reply
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| She scratched around in the sand all day, | Scratch the floor lightly with one foot, like a hen. |
| She writes with a jonquil pen, quil pen, | Pretend to write in the air with a long, thin pen. |
What Does The Intelligent Hen Mean?
The joke is a pun. An owl, who says he has been among great men, tells the hen she is provincial, meaning old-fashioned and countrified. He says great men do not scratch with claws, they write with a quill, an old kind of pen made from a bird's feather. The hen is cross, but she does not argue. She goes and searches the posy-bed and returns in triumphant glee, and ever since she has written with a jonquil pen.
A jonquil is a yellow flower, and its name sounds a lot like quill. The line "a jonquil pen, quil pen" lets the reader hear the pun, the way a hen can win an argument with a clever word. The hen's name is Fiddle-de-dee, and it comes up four times, and the owl's hoots are good to read aloud.
History and Origin
The poem is in Carolyn Wells's The Jingle Book, published in 1899.
Learning Activities
- Owl and hen: read the owl's lines in a deep voice and the hen's in a quick, cross one.
- Make a quill: if you can find a clean, shed feather, write with it using a pot of water and paper, or just draw with it.
- Find a jonquil: look in a picture book or garden for daffodils and jonquils, both yellow spring flowers.
- Pun time: think of other words that sound like part of another word, and make a silly sentence with them.