# The Farmer in the Dell

“The Farmer in the Dell” is an English-language circle game in which each named character chooses the next; the sequence here follows Frederica Seeger’s undated game book, and its country of origin is not established.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Unknown |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Printed in Frederica Seeger’s Entertainments for Home, Church and School (undated; year not established) |
| Best for ages | 3–8 |
| Mood | dancing, playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/the-farmer-in-the-dell/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

The farmer in the dell,
the farmer in the dell,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife,
the farmer takes a wife,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes a child,
the wife takes a child,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The wife takes a child.

The child takes a nurse,
the child takes a nurse,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The child takes a nurse.

The nurse takes a cat,
the nurse takes a cat,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The nurse takes a cat.

The cat takes a rat,
the cat takes a rat,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The cat takes a rat.

The rat takes the cheese,
the rat takes the cheese,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The rat takes the cheese.

### Verse 2 (en)

The farmer in the dell,
The farmer in the dell,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife,
The farmer takes a wife,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes a child,
The wife takes a child,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The wife takes a child.

The child takes the nurse,
The child takes the nurse,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The child takes the nurse.

The nurse takes the cow,
The nurse takes the cow,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The nurse takes the cow.

The cow takes the dog,
The cow takes the dog,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The cow takes the dog.

The dog takes the cat,
The dog takes the cat,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The dog takes the cat.

The cat takes the mouse,
The cat takes the mouse,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The cat takes the mouse.

The mouse takes the cheese,
The mouse takes the cheese,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The mouse takes the cheese.

The cheese stands alone,
The cheese stands alone,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The cheese stands alone.

## How to sing it

1. Form a ring around one player, the farmer, and circle while singing the first verse.
2. In Seeger’s game, the rat chooses the cheese, then everyone jumps and claps as the game breaks up. In the supplied modern sequence, finish with the cheese standing alone.

## Common questions

**How is “The Farmer in the Dell” played?**

One player begins as the farmer. As the verses name the wife, child, nurse, cat, rat, and cheese, each player chooses the next person to enter the ring.

**Is “the cheese stands alone” part of the old game?**

Not in the Seeger source used here. Her sequence ends when the rat takes the cheese; everyone then jumps and claps as the game breaks up. The supplied modern version retains “the cheese stands alone.”

**Why are there two role sequences?**

The first panel expands Seeger’s abbreviated repetitions and moves from nurse to cat, rat, and cheese. The supplied modern classroom version adds cow, dog, cat, and mouse, and each refrain repeats the role named in that verse.

## Sources

- [Frederica Seeger, Entertainments for Home, Church and School (Project Gutenberg, undated)](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6416)