LyricsExpanded game sequence from Seeger’s book (repetitions completed)
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.
#LyricsSupplied modern classroom role sequence
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.
#The Farmer in the Dell 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
- Last updated
- 23 August 2026
How to sing it
- Form a ring around one player, the farmer, and circle while singing the first verse.
- 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.
Meaning and origin
“The Farmer in the Dell” builds a cast one choice at a time. A farmer begins inside the ring, then chooses a wife; the chain continues through child, nurse, cat, rat, and cheese.
The first panel follows Frederica Seeger’s Entertainments for Home, Church and School, as published by Project Gutenberg, which gives no date for the book. Its first three stanzas are printed in full and the later roles are abbreviated with “etc.”; this page expands those repetitions and labels the panel accordingly. The supplied classroom sequence is kept separately because it adds cow, dog, cat, and mouse.
In Seeger’s instructions, the rat chooses the cheese and the game ends as everyone jumps and claps; “the cheese stands alone” is not printed there. The supplied modern sequence keeps that familiar later ending. None of the sources consulted for this page says where the song began, so no country of origin is given. In either form, the game’s focus is the changing social geometry as each verse adds another child.
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.
