Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks Lyrics
Four lines, two names that rhyme with each other, and one of the plainest punchlines in the nursery: if today is Sunday, tomorrow will be Monday.
Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
Were walking out one Sunday,
Says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
"To-morrow will be Monday."
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/tommy-snooks-and-bessy-brooks/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 2 to 7 years
What Does Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks Mean?
Tommy and Bessy are out for a Sunday stroll. Walking out was an old phrase for a young couple spending time together. Tommy finally speaks, and all he can think of to say is that tomorrow will be Monday. The fun is in the build-up: the rhyme sounds as if something important is coming, and it never does.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed it in The Nursery Rhymes of England in the 1840s. Rhymes like this, where the ending is completely obvious, were a favorite way to tease listeners who expected a proper story. The matching names, Snooks and Brooks, make it easy for young children to remember.
Learning Activities
- Days of the week: change the day each time: "walking out one Tuesday... tomorrow will be Wednesday."
- Name rhymes: invent new pairs with rhyming surnames, like Polly Pike and Billy Bike.
- Walk and talk: say it while walking together, stopping for the last line.