# Häschen in der Grube

"Häschen in der Grube" is a German circle game for young children, its words written in 1840 by Friedrich Fröbel, the founder of the kindergarten, to a tune borrowed from "Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen".

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Sung in | German |
| Words by | Friedrich Fröbel |
| First known | 1840 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/haschen-in-der-grube/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (de)

Häschen in der Grube
sitzt und schläft, sitzt und schläft.
Armes Häschen, bist du krank,
dass du nicht mehr hüpfen kannst?
Häschen hüpf! Häschen hüpf!
Häschen hüpf!

### English translation (en)

Little rabbit in its hollow
sits and sleeps, sits and sleeps.
Poor little rabbit, are you ill,
that you can hop no more?
Little rabbit, hop! Little rabbit, hop!
Little rabbit, hop!

## How to sing it

1. One child crouches in the middle as the sleeping "little rabbit"; the others join hands and circle around.
2. Sing the first lines slowly while the rabbit pretends to sleep in its hollow.
3. On "Häschen hüpf!" the rabbit springs up and hops out, and everyone hops — then a new rabbit is chosen.

## Common questions

**What is "Häschen in der Grube"?**

A singing circle game. A little rabbit sits sleeping in its hollow, and the children ask, "Poor little rabbit, are you ill, that you can't hop any more?" — then call "Little rabbit, hop!" until it springs up and hops away. One child usually plays the rabbit in the middle while the others circle around.

**Who wrote "Häschen in der Grube"?**

The words were written in 1840 by Friedrich Fröbel, the German educator who founded the kindergarten, at Keilhau. He created it as a movement game for young children, and by 1842 it was being used in the training of kindergarten teachers.

**Where does the melody come from?**

The tune is borrowed from another well-known German song, "Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen", whose melody was published by Ernst Anschütz in 1824.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (German) — Häschen in der Grube](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4schen_in_der_Grube)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1344119