The Little Men Lyrics
A finger play that calls the five fingers out one by one as the Little Men: Master Thumb, Pointer, Tall Man, the Feeble Man and the baby, Little Finger.
The Little Men
Oh! where are the merry, merry Little Men
To join us in our play?
And where are the busy, busy Little Men
To help us work to-day?
Upon each hand
A little band
For work or play is ready.
The first to come
Is Master Thumb;
Then Pointer, strong and steady;
Then Tall Man high;
And just close by
The Feeble Man doth linger;
And last of all,
So fair and small,
The baby-Little Finger.
Yes! here are the merry, merry Little Men
To join us in our play;
And here are the busy, busy Little Men
To help us work to-day.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-little-men/
- Type
- Poems for Children, Action Songs
- Written by
- Emilie Poulsson
- Tune
- Finger play, spoken or sung, with a finger lifted for each name
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Is Master Thumb | Hold up your thumb. |
| Then Pointer, strong and steady | Add your index finger. |
| Then Tall Man high | Add your middle finger. |
| The Feeble Man doth linger | Add your ring finger, a little slowly. |
| The baby, Little Finger | Add your little finger, then wiggle all five. |
What Does The Little Men Mean?
Each finger has a name in the poem. Master Thumb is first, Pointer is the index finger, Tall Man is the middle finger, the Feeble Man is the ring finger, and the baby is the little finger. The poem says the Feeble Man doth linger, which means that finger stays behind a little. The first verse asks where the Little Men are, and the last verse answers that they are all here, ready to join in the play and help with the work.
Because the hands are always there, the game can be played anywhere, and children learn the names of their fingers as they raise each one.
History and Origin
Emilie Poulsson wrote the words, and the poem is printed in her book Finger Plays for Nursery and Kindergarten (1889) with music by Cornelia C. Roeske. The book shows the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger lifted in turn.
Learning Activities
- Name the fingers: point to each finger and say its name from the poem.
- Play and work: use the Little Men to do a job, such as stacking blocks, and then play with them.
- Finger faces: draw faces on your fingertips with a washable pen and let them talk.
- Both hands: do the rhyme again with the other hand, so ten Little Men appear.