When Good King Arthur Ruled This Land Lyrics
King Arthur, the legendary king of Britain, is famous for knights and a round table. In this rhyme he is famous for a giant pudding, and the queen fries up the leftovers.
When Good King Arthur Ruled This Land
When good King Arthur ruled this land,
He was a goodly King;
He bought three pecks of barley-meal,
To make a bag-pudding.
A bag-pudding the King did make,
And stuffed it well with plums,
And in it put great lumps of fat,
As big as my two thumbs.
The King and Queen did eat thereof,
And noblemen beside;
And what they could not eat that night,
The Queen next morning fried.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/when-good-king-arthur-ruled-this-land/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Sung or chanted
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does When Good King Arthur Ruled This Land Mean?
The king buys three pecks of barley-meal (a peck is an old measure, about two gallons) to make a bag-pudding, a pudding boiled in a cloth bag. He stuffs it with plums, which in old recipes often meant raisins, and lumps of fat. The king, queen and nobles eat what they can, and the queen fries the rest for breakfast.
History and Origin
This version comes from Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes. Other printings, including Halliwell's, say the king stole the barley-meal, while this one says he bought it. Either way, the rhyme pokes gentle fun at a great legendary hero by turning him into a very ordinary cook. Bag-puddings were a common dish in English kitchens for centuries.
Learning Activities
- Measure it: show what two gallons looks like with water or rice.
- Leftovers: talk about using up food the next day, like the queen.
- King Arthur: read a children's story about Arthur and the Round Table.