In the beloved telling-time nursery rhyme “Hickory, Dickory, Dock,” a little mouse runs up and down the clock every hour, making this rhyme a perfect tool for helping children learn to tell time. Join the fun by singing along with the charming video, and then download our free printable lyrics and clock to practice telling time with your kids.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Hickory, dickory, dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Hickory, dickory, dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck two,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Hickory, dickory, dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck three,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Hickory, dickory, dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck four,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Click the image to download a printable PDF of “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” lyrics and puppets!
Sing along with these delightful verses about telling time in this fun, illustrated video from The Good and the Beautiful!
Story of the Song
The origins of “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” are not as clear as some other nursery rhymes. What is known is that the earliest publication of the rhyme was in London in 1744 in Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book.
Some believe the words “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” were the numbers 8, 9, and 10 (hevera, devera, and dick) in an old Celtic language called Cumbric that was spoken in the region just south of Scotland. People there eventually began to speak English, but shepherds continued to count their flocks in Cumbric well into the nineteenth century.
Others say that the rhyme was simply a way to help children learn to tell time or that it was used to count out teams for playing games.
A Mouse in the Clock
Another story behind “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” is based on the Exeter Cathedral clock in England. This fifteenth-century astronomical clock not only tells the minutes and the hours, but it also tracks moon phases and the movement of the sun.
To keep the internal clock mechanisms working smoothly, people often lubricated them with animal fat. Consequently, the clock attracted mice. Rodents were a common problem throughout England at the time. It is said that a hole was cut into the base of the clock for cats to enter and catch the mice.
Is the historic Exeter clock the origin of the rhyme? Maybe, maybe not, but records show that the church “paid” cats to catch mice during medieval times. In truth, the church most likely paid cat owners to lend their mice-catching pets.
Although there’s no conclusive answer to the story behind “Hickory, Dickory, Dock,” this rhyme continues to be a delightful way to learn time-telling to the hour.
Click the image to download a printable PDF of “Hickory Dickory Dock” lyrics and puppets!
Download our free printable of the lyrics as well as the clock and mouse to use as you sing along with our fun, illustrated video of the song, found on our Kids YouTube channel.
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Comments
Such interesting theories! My kids have learned so much from childhood nursery rhymes.
I love hearing the history behind old nursery rhymes!
I ♥️ The good and the beautiful
We are new to TGTB only doing preschool this year and ramping up for kindergarten soon! My 3 and 5 year old are absolutely loving all the beautiful Vidoes from TGTB and I love these blog posts! This one especially. I never knew what hickory dockory talk meant. But now I do and now I can explain it 🙂
Love the cute printable to go with it!!