The Robins Lyrics
A robin and its son set off to buy a bun, cannot agree on plum or plain, and go home with nothing.
The Robins
A robin and a robin's son
Once went to town to buy a bun.
They couldn't decide on plum or plain,
And so they went back home again.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-robins/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken briskly, with a shrug on the third line
- Best for ages
- 2 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Once went to town to buy a bun | Walk two fingers across your knee. |
| They couldn't decide on plum or plain | Hold out one hand for plum and the other for plain, and wobble between them. |
| And so they went back home again | Walk the fingers back and tuck them into your lap. |
What Does The Robins Mean?
The joke is the shortest kind: a trip that ends where it began. The two robins make the whole journey, but the choice is too hard. A plum bun was a sweet bun with dried fruit in it, and a plain one had none. Because neither bird will give way, they come home empty-handed.
Children enjoy the little shrug at the end, and parents often use the rhyme to talk about making a choice.
History and Origin
The rhyme is in The Real Mother Goose (1916), where it takes just four lines. The two travellers are named only as a robin and a robin's son.
Learning Activities
- Plum or plain? let a child pick between two pretend buns and say why.
- Two finger robins: use two fingers as the robins and act the trip to the shop and back.
- Change the bun: make up new choices, such as jam or cream, and say the rhyme again.