The Little Robin Grieves Lyrics
Snow covers the ground, the trees are bare and the robin cannot find a single berry. The answer is easy: scatter some breadcrumbs and help him through the winter.
The Little Robin Grieves
The little robin grieves
When the snow is on the ground,
For the trees have no leaves,
And no berries can be found.
The air is cold, the worms are hid;
For robin here what can be done?
Let's strow around some crumbs of bread,
And then he'll live till snow is gone.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-little-robin-grieves/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| When the snow is on the ground | Flutter your fingers down like falling snow. |
| The air is cold | Hug yourself and shiver. |
| Some crumbs of bread | Pretend to scatter crumbs from your hand. |
What Does The Little Robin Grieves Mean?
In winter the ground freezes, so worms are hard to reach, and the berries on the bushes are soon eaten. The rhyme asks children to help. Strow is an old form of strew, meaning to scatter, so the plan is to spread crumbs where the robin can find them. The last line promises that a little help now will keep him going until the snow melts.
History and Origin
The rhyme appears in Mother Goose (1915), edited by Eulalie Osgood Grover. It belongs with other winter robin rhymes such as The North Wind Doth Blow, where the robin hides in a barn with his head under his wing.
Learning Activities
- Bird table: put out seeds or crumbs on a cold morning and watch which birds come.
- Snow picture: draw a robin with a red breast on a white, snowy page.
- Spot the robin: on a winter walk, listen for birds singing in the bare trees.