There is a nursery rhyme I learned in Kindergarten that I’ve held onto all my life.

The first time I came home to sing it for my mother she cried because she was so proud of me. I believe that’s my first memory of being really proud of myself and I’ve never forgotten it.

Now I sing it for my little girl and I decided to make her a miniature illustrated book with the words. Below I’ve included a video of the book with me singing the words while attempting (clumsily) to turn the pages at the same time. 

I tried to look up the nursery rhyme on Google and I found variations of a similar one but none identical. In fact, all the similar ones I found on youtube are downright abrasive… I don’t know if the way I sing it is just the way that I remembered it or if it was the way I’d learned it but at any rate I’ve  included the words below and it’s meant to be sung with a series of hand gestures which I’ve also included.

This nursery rhyme probably has a lot to do with the fact that bunnies are such a strong theme in what I make and purchase for my daughter. I love bunnies… I love the rhyme and it still brings tears to my eyes. This memory is one of the few purely happy ones that I have of my mother.

Anyhoo… here is the video first… you may have to turn the volume up a bit… 

Just The Words

In a cottage in the woods

by a window a little man stood

saw a little bunny hopping by

knocking at his door

HELP ME HELP ME

the bunny said

before the hunter shoots me dead

little bunny come inside

safely you can hide

With Gestures

In a cottage In the woods

(use both hands to make a house(ish) shape with thumbs and forefingers, thumbs at the bottom, forefingers forming a peak toward the ceiling)

by a window a little man stood

(put hand flat with forefinger pressed across eyebrows as if you’re looking out to see something far away)

saw a little bunny hopping by

(use forefinger and middle finger to make bunny ears hopping by)

knocking at his door

(knock the air directly in front of you)

HELP ME HELP ME

(wave arms)

the bunny said

(make bunny ears with forefinger and middle finger)

Before the hunter shoots me dead

(clasp hands together with forefingers outstretched and thumbs pointed toward the ceiling to make (weird) gun shape)

little bunny come inside

safely you can hide

(make bunny ears with one hand and put them to your chest with fingertips facing inward and stroke the “bunny” with the other hand)