# A-Hunting We Will Go

"A-Hunting We Will Go" is an English folk song and nursery rhyme whose familiar tune was written by Thomas Arne in 1777; children sing it as a cheerful dance in which the fox is caught, boxed, and then let go.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | melody by Thomas Arne, 1777 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional, dancing |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/a-hunting-we-will-go/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Oh, a-hunting we will go,
A-hunting we will go,
We'll catch a little fox,
And put him in a box,
And then we'll let him go.

## How to sing it

1. Form two lines or a ring and skip along in time as you sing "a-hunting we will go".
2. Act out catching the little fox and popping him into a box on the matching lines.
3. On "and then we'll let him go", open your hands and set the fox free — no harm done.

## Common questions

**What is "A-Hunting We Will Go" about?**

A cheerful pretend hunt. The singers set off "a-hunting", catch a little fox, put him in a box — and then, kindly, let him go again. In the children's version no animal is harmed; the fun is all in the skipping and the rhyme, not the chase.

**How old is "A-Hunting We Will Go", and who wrote the tune?**

The words are an old English folk rhyme, but the well-known melody was composed by Thomas Arne in 1777, for a London production connected with "The Beggar's Opera". The same tune has since travelled widely — it is even the basis of the football chant "Ee Aye Addio".

**How is "A-Hunting We Will Go" usually performed?**

As a singing dance. Children skip in lines or a ring and act out the words, catching and freeing the fox. Its short, repeating shape also makes it a popular template for making up new verses.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — A-Hunting We Will Go](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Hunting_We_Will_Go)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4646901