# Hoppe, hoppe Reiter

"Hoppe, hoppe Reiter" is the best-known German knee-bouncing rhyme: a child is jogged on an adult's knees like a rider on a horse and, on the last word, "dropped" between the knees before being caught.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Sung in | German |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | by the mid-19th century |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/hoppe-hoppe-reiter/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (de)

Hoppe, hoppe, Reiter,
wenn er fällt, dann schreit er.
Fällt er in den Graben,
fressen ihn die Raben.
Fällt er in den Sumpf,
dann macht der Reiter plumps!

### English translation (en)

Bumpety-bump, little rider,
when he falls, then he'll cry out.
If he falls into the ditch,
the ravens will eat him up.
If he falls into the swamp,
then the rider goes — plop!

## How to sing it

1. Sit the child on your knees, facing you, and hold their hands like reins.
2. Bounce them gently up and down in time as the "rider" trots along.
3. On "plumps!" open your knees a little so the child dips down — then catch them safely by the hands.

## Common questions

**How do you play "Hoppe, hoppe Reiter"?**

It is a knee-riding game (a "Kniereiterlied"). You sit a small child on your knees, hold their hands like reins, and bounce them like a rider trotting along. On the final word, "plumps", you open your knees so the child drops a little way down before you catch them by the hands — the safe surprise that makes them shriek with laughter.

**Isn't the rhyme rather grim?**

On paper, yes — the rider falls in a ditch and the ravens eat him, or falls in the swamp with a "plumps". But it is not meant to frighten. The mock danger of the words is exactly what makes the little drop at the end so thrilling and funny for the child, who knows the safe hands are always there.

**How old and widespread is "Hoppe, hoppe Reiter"?**

It is the most widely known knee-riding game across the German-speaking world, and was already established by the mid-19th century, appearing in folklore collections of the 1850s–1880s.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (German) — Hoppe hoppe Reiter](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoppe_hoppe_Reiter)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119724910