# Little Bunny Foo Foo

"Little Bunny Foo Foo" is a modern American children's song, sung to the tune of "Alouette", in which a naughty rabbit keeps bopping field mice until a good fairy runs out of patience and turns him into a "goon".

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | modern; documented from the 1960s–70s (USA) |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/little-bunny-foo-foo/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Little Bunny Foo Foo,
Hopping through the forest,
Scooping up the field mice,
And bopping 'em on the head.

### Verse 2 (en)

And down came the good fairy and she said:
"Little Bunny Foo Foo,
I don't want to see you
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping 'em on the head.
I'll give you three chances,
And if you don't behave
I'll turn you into a goon!"

### Verse 3 (en)

The next day same as before, except: two chances...
Then: one chance...

### Verse 4 (en)

Last verse:
"Little Bunny Foo Foo, I gave you three chances,
POOF! Now you're a goon!"

## How to sing it

1. Hop one hand along like the bunny, and "bop" your other fist gently on each "bopping 'em on the head".
2. Wag a finger as the good fairy, counting down the three chances on your fingers.
3. On the last "POOF!", throw your hands up to turn the bunny into a goon.

## Common questions

**What happens in "Little Bunny Foo Foo"?**

A misbehaving rabbit hops through the forest, scooping up field mice and "bopping 'em on the head". A good fairy appears and warns him to stop, giving three chances; he ignores every one, so on the last she turns him into a "goon". It is a comic little cautionary tale — with the well-known moral, "hare today, goon tomorrow".

**What tune is "Little Bunny Foo Foo" sung to?**

To the melody of the French-Canadian song "Alouette" — the same tune shape heard in "Down by the Station". It is spoken-sung, with the verses acted out.

**How old is "Little Bunny Foo Foo", and is it really centuries old?**

No. Despite a well-known internet claim that it appears in Chaucer or Shakespeare, that was a deliberate hoax from 1997. The song is modern American, documented from about the 1960s–70s.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Little Bunny Foo Foo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Bunny_Foo_Foo)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6649379