The Rose Is Red, the Grass Is Green Lyrics
A string of happy pictures: red roses, green grass, a toast to Queen Bess, Kitty the spinner at dinner, and a cat and dog playing together while everyone watches.
The Rose Is Red, the Grass Is Green
The rose is red, the grass is green,
Serve Queen Bess our noble queen;
Kitty the spinner
Will sit down to dinner,
And eat the leg of a frog;
All good people
Look over the steeple,
And see the cat play with the dog.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-rose-is-red-the-grass-is-green/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does The Rose Is Red, the Grass Is Green Mean?
Queen Bess was the popular name for Queen Elizabeth I of England. "Serve Queen Bess" is a loyal cheer. Kitty the spinner spins wool into thread, and she eats a frog's leg for dinner, which some people still eat today. The last lines invite everyone to look over the church steeple at a cat and dog playing, a picture of everything being at peace.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed the rhyme in The Nursery Rhymes of England. The mention of Queen Bess suggests the rhyme may go back to her time, though nobody knows for sure.
Learning Activities
- Color walk: find something red and something green outside.
- Spinning: twist a piece of wool to see how spinners made thread.
- Cat and dog: act out a cat and a dog playing nicely together.