Kids love nursery games, don’t they? Draw a Pail of Water is a rhyme that doubles up as a game for the little munchkins. The rhyme has different lyrics in the US and UK. The England version is shorter and uses the word ‘pail’. The US version is longer and substitutes ‘pail’ for a ‘bucket’.
Teachers get kids to play this game to encourage team spirit and bonding among children. Sounds fun, right? So, why wait? Go on and scroll down for both versions of the lyrics. We also got some more details about the origins of the nursery rhyme and the method of playing the game.
Written Lyrics
Draw a pail of water,
For my lady’s daughter;
My father’s a king, and my mother’s a queen,
My two little sisters are dressed in green,
Stamping grass and parsley,
Marigold leaves and daisies.
One rush! two rush!
Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.
Draw a Bucket of Water Lyrics:
Draw a bucket of water
For my lady’s daughter.
One in a rush and
Two in a rush
And the first old lady pops under.
Draw a bucket of water
For my lady’s daughter.
One in a rush and
Two in a rush
And the second old lady pops under.
Draw a bucket of water
For my lady’s daughter.
One in a rush and
Two in a rush
And the third old lady pops under.
Draw a bucket of water
For my lady’s daughter.
One in a rush and
Two in a rush
And the fourth old lady pops under.
Draw a bucket of water
For my lady’s daughter.
One in a rush and
Two in a rush
And we all pop out!
Printable Lyrics
Click here to download the printable PDF file with lyrics for Draw a Pail of Water (original version) and Draw a Bucket of Water (modern version).
Photo Lyrics
Save the image to get the lyrics for both versions of the nursery rhyme.
Video Links
Watch little kids playing the game for the other version of the rhyme:
Here’s another version of the rhyme:
Origins and History
Draw a Pail of Water is a traditional English rhyme first recorded in 1843. It was published in The Nursery Rhymes of England: Obtained Principally from Oral Tradition by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps.
The rhyme became popular due to the game associated with it. Over the years, it entered the United States and got a new avatar with a change of lyrics. The game continued to delight the kids and keep them entertained.
So how do you play the game? Here’s the process for the UK version.
Ask two children to hold their hands and raise them to form an arch. Then the other kids will walk under the arch while singing the rhyme. The last child in the line will be caught by the two kids. They’ll bring down their hands to encircle the child. The process continues until all children are caught. Change the kids’ places and start again.
FAQs
No. Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill is a different rhyme. There’s another story behind the origin of this one. The only common point between the two rhymes is a pail of water. The melody, rhyme scheme, and theme are different for both songs.
It depends! The UK version can be played by another number of kids (the more, the merrier). The US version is a slightly different game, where four children stand to form a square. They hold long kerchiefs or colorful cloths to crisscross in their front.
One child enters the crisscrossed design after each stanza. By the end of the rhyme, all four children will be standing closer to each other. (watch the first video link above to get a better idea).
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