There Was a Little Girl Lyrics
When she was good she was very, very good, and when she was bad she was horrid. Parents have been quoting this little verse at their children for over a century and a half.
There Was a Little Girl
There was a little girl,
And she had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good
She was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/there-was-a-little-girl/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does There Was a Little Girl Mean?
A little girl with one curl in the middle of her forehead can be the best-behaved child in the world or the worst, with nothing in between. The verse is a fond tease, and most children recognize themselves in it immediately.
History and Origin
The verse is usually credited to the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who is said to have made it up while walking with his young daughter, whose hair would not stay in place. Longer versions add more verses about the girl's mischief; the first verse shown here is the part everyone knows. This text is from Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories, a children's anthology edited by Hamilton Wright Mabie.
Learning Activities
- Good day, bad day: talk about what makes a day very, very good, and what to do when it feels horrid.
- Curl drawing: draw the girl with her famous curl, one happy face and one cross face.
- Change the child: make a verse about a little boy with a cowlick.