I Have Seen You, Little Mouse Lyrics
The little mouse peeps out of a hole in the wall, checks that the cat is gone, and runs to the pantry to nibble the best food. Somebody has been watching all along.
I Have Seen You, Little Mouse
I have seen you, little mouse,
Running all about the house,
Through the hole your little eye
In the wainscot peeping sly,
Hoping soon some crumbs to steal,
To make quite a hearty meal.
Look before you venture out,
See if pussy is about.
If she's gone, you'll quickly run
To the larder for some fun;
Round about the dishes creep,
Taking into each a peep,
To choose the daintiest that's there,
Spoiling things you do not care.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-little-mouse/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does I Have Seen You, Little Mouse Mean?
The speaker has spotted a mouse peeping through a hole in the wainscot, the wooden panelling along the bottom of a wall. The mouse waits until "pussy", the cat, is gone, then scurries to the larder, the cool cupboard or room where food was kept, to pick the tastiest bits and spoil the rest.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in The Real Mother Goose (1916). In older homes, mice living behind wooden panels were common, and children were warned about them, which made the clever, careful mouse a favorite character.
Learning Activities
- Mouse hunt: hide a toy mouse and have your child creep around to find it, quietly.
- Cat and mouse: play a slow, quiet game of cat and mouse.
- Old words: explain wainscot and larder.