Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son Lyrics
Tom takes a pig, runs off with it, and ends up crying down the street. The rhyme was sold as a little chapbook in London around 1795, and the "pig" may not have been an animal at all.
Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son
Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
Stole a pig, and away he run,
The pig was eat,
And Tom was beat,
And Tom ran crying down the street.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/tom-tom-the-pipers-son/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- First published
- c. 1795
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Tom, Tom, the piper's son | Play a pretend pipe. |
| Stole a pig, and away he run | Tuck a pretend pig under your arm and run on the spot. |
| The pig was eat | Pretend to take a big bite. |
| And Tom ran crying down the street | Rub your eyes and walk away sadly. |
What Does Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son Mean?
It is a short story about taking something that isn't yours: Tom grabs a pig, it gets eaten, he gets in trouble, and he runs off in tears. Parents often use it to talk about why taking things upsets people.
Street sellers at English fairs once sold pastry pigs filled with currants, and many think Tom's "pig" was one of those treats rather than a live animal, which makes the story much easier to picture.
History and Origin
A little book called Tom, the Piper's Son was printed in London around 1795. A "piper" played the pipes, a common job at fairs and markets, so Tom was a musician's boy. A different rhyme with the same name, about Tom learning to play the pipe, is sometimes mixed up with this one.
Learning Activities
- Talk it through: what could Tom have done instead of taking the pig? Ask, buy one, or share.
- Pastry pigs: make pig shapes from pastry or cookie dough with raisin eyes.