Published 1789 | ||
'I Had a Little Nut Tree' is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3749.
Contents
Lyrics
The most common modern version is:
Origins and meaning
The first recorded instance of the rhyme is in Newest Christmas Box, printed in London in 1797. James Orchard Halliwell suggested that it was much older and commemorated Juana of Castile who visited the court of Henry VII in 1506, but did not provide any additional evidence to support the theory. In the absence of earlier attestations of or references to the song, or any internal evidence by which it could be dated, it is likely to remain a matter for speculation.
Additional verse
Occasionally an extra verse is added:
Parody
It was parodied by Roald Dahl in his poetry book Rhyme Stew.
References
I Had a Little Nut Tree Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA