Upon St. Paul's Steeple Lyrics
An apple tree growing on top of a cathedral spire, and London boys running up with hooks to pull the apples down. A rhyme with a picture no one could ever see.
Upon St. Paul's Steeple
Upon St. Paul's steeple stands a tree.
As full of apples as may be,
The little boys of London town,
They run with hooks and pull them down;
And then they run from hedge to hedge
Until they come to London Bridge.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/upon-st-pauls-steeple/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does Upon St. Paul's Steeple Mean?
A steeple is the tall, pointed tower of a church. Nobody could grow an apple tree on top of one, so the rhyme paints a silly, impossible scene: the boys of London climb up with hooks, pull the apples down and run off across the city until they reach London Bridge.
History and Origin
This version comes from National Rhymes of the Nursery. Old St. Paul's Cathedral in London had a famously tall spire, which was destroyed by fire after a lightning strike in 1561. The cathedral that stands today, with its great dome, was built by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Learning Activities
- Draw it: draw the apple tree on top of a tall steeple.
- London map: find St. Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge on a map.
- Impossible pictures: make up other impossible scenes, like a fish living in a tree.