The Farmer In The Dell song is very popularly played among large groups of kids during evening playtime or even in school recess. The rhyme was originally written in the 1820s in German, and was called “Es fuhr ein Bau’r ins Holz”. After that, owing to its popularity, it has been translated into several different languages, including the English version that we will learn here.
The Farmer In The Dell Lyrics in English
Let’s learn the lyrics of Farmer In The Dell poem. Once you understand the relationships, connections and the chain it follows, it’ll become easy to memorise the rhyme:
The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Heigh-ho,the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes the child
The wife takes the child
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes the child
The child takes the nurse
The child takes the nurse
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The child takes the nurse
The nurse takes the cow
The nurse takes the cow
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The nurse takes the cow
The cow takes the dog
The cow takes the dog
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes the dog
The dog takes the cat
The cow takes the dog
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes the dog
The cat takes the mouse
The cat takes the mouse
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The cat takes the mouse
The mouse takes the cheese
The mouse takes the cheese
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The mouse takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Heigh-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone
What Will Your Child Learn from The Farmer In The Dell?
Poems like the Farmer In The Dell teaches kids that we all are connected to each other in a chain-like manner through an interlinked relationship. Children will learn about these relations and connections in this poem.
Learning this poem will require children to memorise these facts. Thus, every time they recite this rhyme, they will jog their memory power and enhance it with practice.
Theme of The Farmer In The Dell
The farmer in the dell is a play-time poem for kids that encourages them to get active in a synchronised manner.
The poem talk about a farmer in a dell, which means a small wooded valley. The farmer gets married and has a wife. That wife gives birth to a child. The child is under the care of its nurse. The nurse rears a cow. The cow then befriends a dog. The dog challenges a cat. The cat chases a mouse. The mouse tries to go after some cheese. However, we all know that cheese is usually kept as a trap for mice. This leads to everything falling back while the cheese is all that’s left.
Rhyming Scheme of The Farmer In The Dell
The rhyming pattern of The Farmer In The Dell is AABA. Here, the first, second and fourth lines are the same in each verse, while the third line is the same across the entire poem.
Words that Your Child Will Learn from The Farmer In The Dell
Your child can learn several new words from this rhyme. Draw their attention to these words as well as how they connect to the previous ones.
- Farmer
- Dell
- Heigh-Ho The Derry-O
- Wife
- Child
- Nurse
- Cow
- Dog
- Cat
- Mouse
- Cheese
Suggested Activities
1. Run in a ring
- Gather several children and form a ring by holding hands.
- One child gets chosen as the “farmer” and has to stand in the centre of the circle.
- Now, hop and keep moving in a clock-wise direction while singing the first verse of the rhyme. At the end of the verse, the “farmer” will close his eyes and catch one child, who will join the farmer in the centre of the circle.
- Now the two will be in the centre, while rest of the children continue singing the second verse while hopping and moving around similarly.
- This can continue till the end of the verse, after which one child remains, who will have to become the farmer in the next round.
2. Map Out The Way
- Print a few pictures of all the characters in the rhyme and paste them on a paper in any random order.
- Now, ask your child to join each character to the one that it ‘takes’ in the poem using various coloured pens. For instance, the child will connect the farmer and the wife using one colour. And then, the wife and the child with another colour.
Teach your child this rhyme and encourage them to play outdoors with their friends while singing this song. You can organise weekend picnics by some beautiful local spots like the park or a lakeside, where the children can gather and play their hearts out.
Also Read:
The Wheels On The Bus Rhyme for Kids
Peekaboo Nursery Rhyme for Children
Roses Are Red Nursery Rhyme with Lyrics for Kids
