The Lion and the Unicorn Lyrics
Look closely at the British royal coat of arms and you will find a lion on one side and a unicorn on the other. This short rhyme turns those two old rivals into a pair of squabbling animals chased around town.
The Lion and the Unicorn
The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown,
The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown,
Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-lion-and-the-unicorn/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes, Mother Goose
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown | Two children face each other, one roaring, one with a finger horn. |
| The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town | The lion chases the unicorn in a circle. |
| Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown | Pretend to hand out slices of bread. |
| Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town | Wave them both goodbye. |
What Does The Lion and the Unicorn Mean?
The two animals stand for two countries. The lion is the old symbol of England and the unicorn is the symbol of Scotland. In the rhyme they argue over the crown, the townspeople feed them, and in the end both are sent away with cake, which is a very polite way to end a fight.
For small children none of that matters. It is just a chase between two animals, with a snack at the end.
History and Origin
In 1603 King James VI of Scotland also became King James I of England, and the royal coat of arms has shown the English lion and the Scottish unicorn side by side ever since. The rhyme is often linked to that uneasy partnership. It appears in Halliwell's collections in the 1840s, and in 1871 Lewis Carroll brought both animals to life in Through the Looking-Glass, where Alice meets them in the middle of their fight.
Learning Activities
- Spot them: look for the lion and the unicorn on a British coin, passport or royal crest online.
- Bread tasting: try a slice of white bread and a slice of brown and vote on which one the lion would choose.
- Make peace: ask children how the lion and the unicorn could share the crown instead of fighting.