# Little Jack Horner

"Little Jack Horner" is an English nursery rhyme documented by 1765; a popular legend ties it to a steward who kept a manor's deeds hidden in a Christmas pie, though that story is unproven.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | c. 1765 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional, seasonal |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/little-jack-horner/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner,
Eating his Christmas pie.
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum,
And said "What a good boy am I!"

## Common questions

**How old is "Little Jack Horner"?**

It was first written out in full in "Mother Goose's Melody", which may date from 1765, though the oldest surviving English edition is from 1791.

**Is the rhyme about a real Jack Horner?**

There is a well-known legend, but no proof. In the 19th century a story grew up that "Jack" was Thomas Horner, steward to the last Abbot of Glastonbury, who was sent to London with a pie hiding the deeds to twelve manors and quietly kept one — Mells in Somerset — for himself; the "plum" was said to pun on the manor's value. Records show Horner did come to own Mells, but his family have always said he bought it honestly, and the tale cannot be confirmed.

**What does the rhyme actually say?**

On the surface, very little: a boy sits in a corner, digs a plum out of his Christmas pie with his thumb, and congratulates himself. That smugness is part of the joke — "what a good boy am I" for doing nothing but helping himself.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Little Jack Horner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Jack_Horner)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6650491