Oral tradition British Nursery Rhyme
A nursery rhyme about a robin in winter.
Story
A rhyme about winter and about a robin in the snow.
Why we chose it
A traditional rhyme, which, although very short, paints an atmospheric picture of winter. It was one of the rhymes featured in the Nursery Rhyme room, which was part of our Time for Bed exhibition
Where it came from
The rhyme is thought to date back to the 16th century,
Where it went next
It has appeared in a number of anthologies and nursery rhyme collections despite its old fashioned language.
Associated stories
Robins are common in British folklore. Examples include the song, Who Killed Cock Robin and the story How the Robin Got Its Red Breast. In The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett the robin in the garden is the first friend that Mary makes and leads Mary to find the key that unlocks the garden door.
Find the robin on the Helen Cooper mural in Small Worlds.
Oral tradition British Nursery Rhyme