
Nursery Rhymes · Traditional English nursery rhyme with new bedtime verses
Hey Diddle Diddle
A fiddling cat, a moon-jumping cow and runaway crockery begin the familiar nonsense, followed by new verses that yawn, put the fiddle away and settle everyone for bed.
The traditional rhyme
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
More verses for bedtime
The fiddle played softly,
The bright moon shone,
The cow gave a yawn
And went quietly home.
The little dog curled
On a patchwork chair,
While dish and spoon rested
Together with care.
About this story
The familiar six lines spend the last burst of energy; the new verses bring the same characters quietly home.
Read this next
Talk about it
A little nonsense can make an ordinary night joyful.
Questions to ask
- Who played the fiddle?
- What jumped over the moon?
- Which silly part makes you laugh?
Words to know
- fiddle
- Another name for a violin.
- sport
- Fun or playful activity.
- dish
- A plate or bowl used for food.
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