One, Two, Three, Four, Five
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| "One, two, three, four, five" Roud #13530 |
|
| Written by | Traditional |
|---|---|
| Published | c. 1765 |
| Written | England |
| Language | English |
| Form | Nursery rhyme |
"One, two, three, four, five" is a popular English language nursery rhyme and counting-out rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13530.
[edit] Lyrics
Common modern versions include:
- One, two, three, four, five,
- Once I caught a fish alive,
- Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
- Then I let it go again.
- Why did you let it go?
- Because it bit my finger so.
- Which finger did it bite?
- This little finger on my right.[1]
[edit] Origins and meaning
The rhyme is one of many counting-out rhymes. It was first recorded in Mother Goose's Melody around 1765. Like most versions until the late nineteenth century, it had only the first stanza, and dealt with a hare not a fish, with the lyrics:
- One, two, three, Four and five,
- I caught a hare alive;
- Six, seven, eight, Nine and ten,
- I let him go again.[1]
The modern version is derived from three variations collected by Henry Bolton in the 1880s from America.[1]
