LyricsSix-verse modern traditional version
Five little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack,” But only four little ducks came back. Four little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack,” But only three little ducks came back. Three little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack,” But only two little ducks came back. Two little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack,” But only one little duck came back. One little duck went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack,” But none of the five little ducks came back. Sad mother duck went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack,” And all of the five little ducks came back.
#LyricsSupplied five-verse swimming version
Five little ducks went swimming one day, Over the hill and far away. Mamma duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And only four little ducks came back. Four little ducks went swimming one day, Over the hill and far away. Mamma duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And only three little ducks came back. Three little ducks went swimming one day, Over the hill and far away. Mamma duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And only two little ducks came back. Two little ducks went swimming one day, Over the hill and far away. Mamma duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And only one little duck came back. One little duck went swimming one day, Over the hill and far away. Mamma duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And all her five little ducks came back.
#Five Little Ducks at a glance
- Country of origin
- 🌐 Unknown
- Sung in
- English
- Words by
- Traditional
- First known
- 1982 (commercial recording; song described as traditional)
- Best for ages
- 1–6
- Mood
- counting, educational, playful
- Last updated
- 23 August 2026
How to sing it
- Hold up five fingers, then fold down one finger each time a duck fails to return.
- Bring all five fingers back on the last line and finish with five soft “quacks”.
Meaning and origin
“Five Little Ducks” is a subtraction song: each verse repeats the same journey while the returning flock becomes smaller by one.
Its deep history is less certain than the dossier suggested. NorthSouth Books calls the rhyme traditional, while Raffi’s official album listing documents his recording in 1982 and his official lyric sheet supports the six-verse text printed here. No reliable early printed text was located, so this page reports the recording as a documented milestone rather than an origin date.
The final recovery verse changes the emotional shape of the song. After the repeated losses, the sad mother calls once more and all five return. Fingers make the subtraction visible, while the repeated melody keeps the longer sequence manageable for young singers.
Common questions
- Who wrote “Five Little Ducks”?
- No named writer is established. NorthSouth Books describes it as a traditional rhyme, and Raffi’s official album listing documents his recording on Rise and Shine in 1982.
- How old is the song?
- A secure early print source has not been traced. This page therefore gives 1982 as a documented recording date, not as the song’s date of composition.
- Why are there two endings?
- The first panel counts down to no ducks before a sad mother calls all five home. The supplied five-verse version returns all five immediately after the one-duck verse; the National Literacy Trust publishes that shorter ending too.
